I happened upon a link to Micheal Moore’s newest propaganda installment yesterday on Google videos (via Waxy). I didn’t plan on watching the whole thing, but I found Moore’s approach to highlighting the problem in US health-care programs quite enjoyable to watch. I couldn’t help feeling slightly sorry for the poor situation he describes for our associates over the pond. The argument against insurance companies was particularly moving, and Moore invited many personal stories about rejected treatments from companies. This did introduce the worrying, but true aspect that these companies are there to make money before help people.

One thing to note, however, is that many things were discussed in far less detail than required for a fully valid argument. The documentary did appear one-sided at times and I could think of many relevant facts that should have been mentioned and were carefully omitted. Although these details would have weakened Moore’s argument, in my opinion should have been mentioned for a fairer viewpoint.

For example during the film Moore visits Canada, the UK and France to compare the universal health care systems in this country with the privatised system in the USA. I really enjoyed the comparisons, and it was certainly a very interesting part of the film. However I wouldn’t call the health system in the UK idyllic, Moore certainly made it out to be. It might relatively be better compared to the US, but waiting times for operations, overcrowding, MRSA, the maintainance needed of a government run health system, and hundreds of other factors were hardly mentioned.

I did feel that Moore was trying to introduce a scare tactic when comparing ‘free’ health-care systems with privatised ones. An average person in the UK pays enough in taxes to cover an operation or an accident, which don’t occur very regularly. I didn’t feel the cost of US health-care, and the comparisons Moore regularly made to the ‘free’ systems meant much when considering the amount payed in taxes. I believe his best argument, was against the insurance companies which failed to give people health-care when they needed to claim.

Although, in a 2 hour feature film, some factors do have to be missed, Moore does manage to draw some good conclusions and I feel a great deal of weight behind some of his accusations. The documentary feels less anger fueled than previous offerings, and I certainly enjoyed it more.

An interesting part of the film was when Moore visits Cuba with several people suffering from ailments due to working on ‘Ground Zero’ (and are not covered/cannot afford treatment in the USA). They offered the several people free health-care in Cuba, even though they were US citizens. I am sitting on the fence regarding the politics in Cuba, however I think that if people from the USA arrived in Cuba with cameras filming a documentary that complains about a poor part of American society you are going to treat them well to try to appear superior. Especially regarding previous and current Cuban-USA relations. This part of the film wasn’t as strong an argument as others, although it did serve its dramatical purpose in putting Moore’s point across.

Another interesting fact regarding this trip, according to Wikipedia:

In a May 2, 2007 letter, the Office of Foreign Assets Control informed Moore that he was the subject of a civil investigation stemming from the filmmaker’s March trip to Cuba. In the letter to Moore, a Treasury official noted that the department had no record of Moore obtaining a license that authorized him to “engage in travel-related transactions involving Cuba,” alleging that Moore violated the United States embargo against Cuba. A duplicate master copy of the film is being held in Canada in case American authorities attempt to seize the film as part of the criminal investigation against Moore that arose from taking American 9/11 rescue workers to Cuba for medical treatment.

Overall, I do feel that universal health care is a good thing due to the fact that everyone deserves equal treatment and not everyone is privileged enough to pay for it. Not because of this documentary however, which just further backed why I think full privatisation of heath-care is a bad route as making money takes priority over making people better.

A refreshing insight into the dangers of health-care programs in the US, however ironic that sounds.

The film has been removed from Google Videos at present for obvious reasons, but as usual, there are still other ways which you probably already know of if you are that way inclined. Unfortunately I currently have no idea when/if Sicko will debut in UK cinemas.