Loading...Sicko is the most intense of all Michael Moore movies. This time, the moviemaker takes aim at the American healthcare and presents a myriad of stories of woe told by those victimized by the system. These include an individual forced to choose which of his two injured fingers he can keep, his index finger for $60,000 or his middle for 12,000. Then there is the pathetic story of a child with cancer whose parents had to remove her from treatment and many more.
Sicko then traces back the History of our existing health care system to a devilish plot designed by Nixon and Kaiser. Then, his movie recants the failed attempts of the Clintons to pass the health care reform bill.
However, in an attempt to prove his objectivity, he alleges that the Pharma companies managed to buy politicians(Republicans and Democrats), and silence any talk of reform.
In typical Moore fashion, he compares the medical system with those in other countries, like Canada, England, France and last but not the least, Cuba. Moore loves Canada. He tries to prove that the myth that Canadians are unhappy with their health care system is baseless. If Canada is a safer place to live, as he said in Bowling for Columbine and has better health care, what keeps Moore in the US? Easy guess, he makes his money, criticizing the system.
He moves to England to undermine the theory that Social medicare doctors are underpaid. Finally, he does present a claim that there is a place in the US that has cutting edge health care. It is provided to the inmates of Guantanamo Bay.
In a classic move, with a handful of injured 911 rescue workers, Moore comandeers a boat to the Bay seeking the same benefits for his posse that its being received by the inmates. Dejected by the lack of response from there, Moore lands on the shores of Cuba and asks for heathcare for his crew.The results are dramatic. All the victims receive six star treatment and respect in Cuba and come home content and teary eyed.
As with all his movies, this is a movie that is informative, offering a lot of point of discussion and arguments. There have been a few shows on the network TV channels claiming that Cuba and Canada are not the healthcare paradises the Moore claims they are.
Despite all the alledged falsehoods, Moore may have presented, this is an important film and reminds us that the existing system is broken and urges us to take a close look at ourselves to examine why it is not effective enough and all encompassing. This movie is a must see for all adults. Indeed heathcare is one of the most important topics in the forthcoming elections and affects us all.
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