healthcare | Memory & Dream

Movie Review: Sicko

An important and masterful critique of the U.S. health system, Sicko takes us from horror tales of our current system to a tour of countries with free national national health care systems, and conversations with their citizens. It is a masterful unmasking of the propaganda of the U.S. health industry and mainstream media.

Sicko by Michael Moore

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An important and masterful critique of the U.S. health system.

Sicko is a surprisingly good documentary, and I believe it will play a very important role in pushing forward a rethinking of health care in the United States.

I like Michael Moore’s films, even at their most propagandistic. But I recognize that political polemics tend to only galvanize the already committed, rather than persuade others less inclined. Sicko is different in this regard from past Moore films. It is a documentary which doesn’t preach, which puts Moore, the filmmaker, further in the background, and which approaches the horrors of the health and insurance industries from the point of view of their victims.

Those who like Moore soley for his on-camera antics will be disappointed, although there are a couple of good scenes that are fairly hilarious, such as when his “comandeered” boat approaches Guantanamo. This is the old Michael Moore, perhaps thrown in to placate the fans, but the film doesn’t need it.

Sicko takes us from horror tales of our current system to a tour of countries with free national national health care systems, and conversations with their citizens. It is a masterful unmasking of the propaganda of the U.S. health industry and mainstream media.

I urge everyone to see this film when it is released on June 29th. It will open a lot of eyes, and open a much needed debate in this country over our national health care scandal.

My rating: 5.0 stars

Wyden and corporate Democrats attack single payer healthcare

Another piece posted on Common Dreams. All Oregonians should be outraged and ashamed of Ron Wyden.

from The Corporate Crime Reporter

The Corporate Democratic Party is into snuff politics. The target this month – single payer, Medicare for all.

The motive – protect the corporate health insurance industry.

Democratic snuff politics was on display yesterday on Capitol Hill.

Senator Ron Wyden was on the Hill surrounded by his corporate supporters – Steve Burd, CEO, Safeway Inc., Art Collins, CEO of Medtronic, Inc, H. Edward Hanaway, CEO, CIGNA, Steve Sanger, CEO, General Mills, and Ronald Williams, CEO, Aetna, Inc.

Wyden has introduced legislation that is similar to that introduced by Republican Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and Republican California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

All claim to create universal health care.

None can, do or will.

Read the full article, and let Wyden know how you feel: Corporate Democrats Escalate Attack on Single Payer – CommonDreams.org – Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community

No more band-aids

Out for a morning walk, I saw a flyer stapled to a utility pole, offering opportunities of work to provide “Health Care for Children.” As someone who has flirted with reformist politics in the past, I was surprise at the strength of my antipathy toward that poster.

Now, I believe children should have health care. But I also believe that the elderly should have health care, and those of us inbetween. As a man in my fifties without insurance, I have empathy with anyone who is doing without. It’s a crime. Literally!

But I have come to believe that these kinds of incremental reforms are effectively scams. Oh, sure, the people who organize them are often sincere and hard-working –and clueless. They pit the old against the young, and, in the end, none of us get what we need.

For several years now I have had a similar resentment against the perennial beggars of taxes for the schools (or social services or jails or whatever.) As the rich get bigger and bigger tax breaks, the reformers demand that we continue to be enablers for this gigantic rip-off.

I say it’s time to stop this approach. The system is broke folks. Big time. It’s time to say no to anything short of fundamental and revolutionary reform.

Yes, support education and health care, but not through a system that funnels our money to criminals. In the meantime, how about free schools and free clinics? Where are all of the idealistic doctors and teachers? The system as it is does not deserve our support any longer.