Friday, August 3, 2007

Sicko movie, Moore's best work, drives home that America's all about "ME" and not "WE."

I recently saw the new Michael Moore movie offering, Sicko. It's well worth checking out.

I tend to be a bit of a skeptic when it comes to Michael Moore, well, probably more like having my filter on... however in this one he really sits back
and lets the facts speak for themselves rather than shoving a shtick sandwich down our throats (minus the spicy mustard too, how pleasant of him).

It's true, in that when one compares our health care system to that of Canada, Britain, France, or even Cuba, it's a sad scenario... and I don't see it changing in my lifetime without some serious guts being spilled on the floor in the political universe... boy is that going to be ugly, but bring it on.


The issue of our broken health care system is intensely personal for me. I watched my parents in the 1990s, who were self-employed and paying full premiums for coverage, lose their entire life savings from a doomsday scenario that nearly took my father's life. They did nothing but bust their ass for their whole working life---and for what? Unfortunately 3 brain surgeries in the span of a year tend to add up. When total costs exceed a million, covering 10% is going to kill your savings if you're an American self-employed working family in your mid-50s and just coming off helping a son through college. You're screwed, and there's nothing you can do. I don't believe there was better coverage available at the time.


My mother is about to turn 70 and still working to keep the ship afloat. My folks should be retired enjoying their golden years in sunny Arizona, but it hasn't worked out that way.

In any of the other countries I called out earlier, they would be doing exactly that. But noooo, we're in America, where you kindaaaa don't wannaaaa get sick...


Screw the health insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies. Once again, we're dealing with a situation and folks that simply have no soul. So to hell with them. Drop the bomb on them. Regulate their asses.

I saw an interview on television recently where a man made a comment to the effect of: "Well, currently there are 40 million Americans without health insurance, so obviously the system of privatization is not working." ...and that doesn't even include the horror stories about those that do have coverage. ...like my folks...

So bring them down and don't break their fall. I'm willing to go toe to toe with them on this issue, hath blood shall spill, and while I'm sure some of it will be my own, I'm bringing those fucks down with me (but hopefully I don't end up in a hospital, where I fall prey to my health insurance). So bring 'em on. I'm a cat who wants to clean its claws.


I have one word for y'all:
GObama!

In terms of the movie, I won't give anything away to spoil things, but the most aggravating part of the film was a small detail in which King George II is sitting down to sign some joke of a bill screwing seniors out of affordable prescriptions, and you can see him snickering as he signs it. I don't think I can accurately describe how much I wanted to jump through the movie screen and strangle the guy.


Mostly, and sadly, if you think anywhere in the ballpark that I do, you'll walk away realizing once again---as if you didn't already know---that we're a nation of "me" and not "we."
S

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