I got a copy of Michael Moore’s new documentary movie Sicko. I was expecting to watch the disturbing reality on the current health system in the USA, actually I was stupefy and dumbfounded by the revelations. Michael Moore did an excellent job in pointing at an entire scrupulous system that has 1 rule, making as much money as possible even if people have to die I don’t know how people still can agree with Bush’s brainwashing lies, how they can allow such scandalous facts to be tolerated only because they are Republicans and/or Christians.
Tony Blair, even though if he did not do a good choice by going to war, he at least took good care of his country and citizens. That’s one of the reasons why he was still popular among British.
This gives you another reason to stay in Taiwan and leave the land of the free and brave (what ever) for a more social and carrying country.
But of course, the cowboys and other horror movie characters will say that this is only bullshit, lies and anti Bush crap… Therefore I propose to have a poll.
By the way, on IMDb imdb.com/title/tt0386032/ Sicko got a 8.4 out of 10 User Rating !!! Fahrenheit 9/11 got 7.7 out of 10
[quote=“volcan”]
Tony Blair, even though if he did not do a good choice by going to war, he at least took good care of his country and citizens. That’s one of the reasons why he was still popular among British.[/quote]
Erm, I know a lot of Brits that would disagree with you on that, and the health system is one of the main reasons. In fact it is THE MAIN REASON my wife does not want to return to the UK.
Want to see the reality of Cubas’ health care system?[/quote]Funny, I thought it was a film about the American health care system. He does fully document the British, French, and Canadian systems, at the very least, I hope.
[quote]from MSNBC…not exactly a “rightwing” group…
‘Sicko’ not the whole story of Cuban health care
Michael Moore documentary extols medical treatment in communist country
Want to see the reality of Cubas’ health care system?
THIS IS THE FAMOUS ‘GREAT AND FREE HEALTHCARE’ THAT REGULAR CUBANS RECEIVE…pardon the all-caps, its the title in the link story. [/quote]
This is the only part on this movie that I found not relevant and regrettable. He did not need to add this to show the petty situation of the system.
Since you point on Cuba only, what about the other 90% of the movie? Any comment on that?
Here is what I got:
In domestic government policy, Blair has significantly increased public spending on health and education while also introducing controversial market-based reforms in these areas. Blair’s tenure has also seen the introduction of a minimum wage, tuition fees for higher education, constitutional reform such as devolution in Scotland and Wales, and progress in the Northern Ireland peace process. The British economy has performed well, and Blair has kept to Conservative commitments not to increase income tax.
[quote=“volcan”][quote]from MSNBC…not exactly a “rightwing” group…
‘Sicko’ not the whole story of Cuban health care
Michael Moore documentary extols medical treatment in communist country
Want to see the reality of Cubas’ health care system?
THIS IS THE FAMOUS ‘GREAT AND FREE HEALTHCARE’ THAT REGULAR CUBANS RECEIVE…pardon the all-caps, its the title in the link story. [/quote]
This is the only part on this movie that I found not relevant and regrettable. He did not need to add this to show the petty situation of the system.
Since you point on Cuba only, what about the other 90% of the movie? Any comment on that?
Here is what I got:
In domestic government policy, Blair has significantly increased public spending on health and education while also introducing controversial market-based reforms in these areas. Blair’s tenure has also seen the introduction of a minimum wage, tuition fees for higher education, constitutional reform such as devolution in Scotland and Wales, and progress in the Northern Ireland peace process. The British economy has performed well, and Blair has kept to Conservative commitments not to increase income tax.[/quote]
Thanks for that. Regarding only the health system, in my opinion it still appears to be buggered, but perhaps it will take a few years to see the benefits of what he has done. I would say that public opinion would tend to think that the health system is still farked though.
Country Life expectancy Infant mortality rate Healthcare costs as a % of GDP % of health costs paid by government
Australia 80.5 5 9.5 67.5
Canada 80.5 5 9.9 69.9
France 79.5 4 10.1 76.3
Germany 80 4 11.1 78.2
Japan 82.5 3 7.9 81
Sweden 80.5 3 9.4 85.2
UK 79.5 5 8 85.7
USA 77.5 6 15.2 44.6
I was just watching this Q&A session with Moore, at a special screening of the film for health care lobbyists. He invited 900 people, but only 11 showed up (big surprise there).
Anyhow, folks here might be interested to know that he mentions Taiwan as an example of a country that had a system similar to the US, and successfully switched to a universal care system.
Re:The US Healthcare system, is there room for impovement?
Most certainly so. And were it up to me, one of the first thing I would mandate is the removal of quotas and limits on the number of medical students allowed to pursue a medical degree.
More Drs…more service providers…more patients being seen…more competition…lower overall per patient costs. (My own strange logic at work on that one. But a Dr. friend who was the head of a mid-western USA University teaching program at a well-known childrens hospital said thats how it would work),
They let lawyers reproduce without restriction, lets let MDs do the same.
I would also put up a layer of insulation between insurance companies and Drs. The Docs need it and consequently so do the patients. A typical Doc interview with a patient lasts about 12 minutes. That does neither any good in the total healthcare picture.
Maybe I’ll try sneaking into “Sicko” after paying to see a good movie like “Live Free and Die Hard.”
I’m really not sure who is brainwashing who. At what point in time was it exactly that the US (or any country for that matter) magically had the resources to provide something as complex as health care for free? It certainly wasn’t 1900, or 1910, or 1920, or 2007.
I don’t know how people still can agree with Bush’s brainwashing lies, how they can allow such scandalous facts to be tolerated only because they are Republicans and/or Christians.
