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Sicko
Reviewed by Rich Drees
Thematically, Michael Moore’s new documentary Sicko recalls
first film, 198-‘s Roger And Me. In both films, Moore is
examining the lives of people whose lives are impacted by forces
beyond their control and questions what is society’s responsibility
towards these people. In Roger And Me, the closure of the
automotive manufacturing plants that were the lifeblood of Moore’s
hometown of Flint, Michigan economically devastated the town. Jobs
were sent out of the country and General Motors increased its
profits, leaving Moore to ask his audience where does a company’s
responsibility towards its stockholders end and its responsibilities
towards its employees begin. With Sicko, Moore examines the
state of the American health care system and leaves us asking a very
similar question- Why have corporate profits apparently overridden
the concern for human lives and what can be done to change those
priorities?
The answer for Moore is simple- A nationalized health care system
that would provide full coverage to all Americans.
The obstacles towards such a system becoming a reality are not so
simple to overcome.
While a majority of European countries have had national health care
systems in place for several decades now, there has always been a
strong resistance in America from the medical community and
pharmaceutical industries for a similar plan. Moore questions this
demonization of the idea of socialized health care, showing that
while a half-century ago it was easy to invoke the spectral
boogeyman of communism to keep the idea of national health care from
gaining traction with the American public, it seems rather ludicrous
now in the face of other socialized, taxpayer-funded services
including fire, police, primary and secondary education and
libraries.
Taking the arguments against a nationalized health care system that
are usually proffered by heath insurance lobbyists, Moore travels to
Canada France and England to see first hand how these arguments
stack up against what he can find. Tongue-in-cheekily playing
devil’s advocate, Moore feigns surprise and shock when what he finds
flatly contradicts what health insurance industry spokespeople have
been repeating for years. Americans living abroad report to him
their surprise at the lack of long waits for treatment, contrary to
one popular anti-socialized health care argument. Moore introduces
us to a British doctor who has an income comparable to his United
States counterpart and who states that British Doctors receive
bonuses for getting their patients to make their lives healthier by
doing things like giving up smoking or losing weight.
To be sure, Moore’s usual detractors and those with a vested in
things remaining as they are will be out in force trying to dispute
the things Moore presents here. And it may come as a surprise to
some that Moore takes swipes at both sides of the political
spectrum, especially in the form of calling out Hillary Clinton for
first attempting to champion health care reform and then taking
campaign contributions from the health insurance industry. But
Moore’s purpose here is to be less polemic than his last film
Fahrenheit 9/11. Instead, he makes us take a look at the kind of
country we want to be and asks us if we truly measure up to that
ideal. As he himself states in the film, “When we see a good idea
from another country, we grab it. If they build a better car, we
drive it. If they make a better wine, we drink it. So if they’ve
come up with a better way to treat the sick, to teach their kids, to
take care of their babies, to simply be good to each other, than
what’s our problem? Why can’t we do that?” |
