I had the chance to attend a sneak preview screening of MICHAEL MOORE’s new documentary Sicko a few nights ago. At its core, it is a stinging indictment not only of the U.S. health care system, but of the philosophies that guide it as well as the opposition (well-funded by health insurance and pharmaceutical companies, of course) to “socialized medicine”.
The first half of the film takes place mostly in the U.S. with Moore focusing not on the now 50 million (!) Americans who don’t have health insurance (though the scenes where elderly patients are thrown out of a hospital and dumped on the street corner because they don’t have insurance are particularly harrowing), but on the 250 million or so ones who do. Instead of trying to interview the heads of health insurance companies, as he would’ve done in his past documentaries, he lets those who have suffered at the hands of health insurance company policies tell their story. If you have any compassion at all, this will appeal to your sense of fairness and decency as well as your basic humanity.
The second half of the film, on the other hand, focuses on the health care systems of other countries with universal care like Canada, the UK, France and lastly Cuba. Moore deftly refutes the claims that Canadians have to wait weeks for emergency medical procedures and that doctors in the UK are struggle in comparison to their U.S. counterparts. Furthermore, he examines the generous sick time, medical and maternity leave policies of the French in addition to their health care.
His time in Cuba is perhaps the most controversial part of the film since he has been investigated by the Bush administration for traveling there in an unauthorized manner. That aside, the scene where he takes 9/11 rescue workers (all of whom have suffered from severe health problems since being exposed to the elements in the air immediately afterwards despite repeatedly being told that it was safe and being denied treatment for their ailments on top of that) and has them meet with Cuban firefighters, all of whom had been deeply honored to meet them, shows the basic humanity of this film and that unlike many of his films, it goes beyond outrage at the powers-that-be and to the core of our common humanity despite differences of country, cultures, politics, ethnicities, etc.It is this philosophy which permeates this film and that’s what makes it so effective. Instead of just indicting the U.S. health care system, Moore indicts a state of mind ingrained in many Americans, which is that one should take care of only him or herself before others. Moore proposes an alternate philosophy, one of compassion for others’ less fortunate. He understands that with all the problems we face, we’re all in this boat together and that we either sink or swim. He also understands that some aren’t as capable of taking care of themselves as others and that those who are more capable must compensate for this in order for a morally healthy society to function. Furthermore, and even more telling, the root of the problem is that profit has overtaken a desire to take care of people (which is what doctors, hospitals and insurers promise) and anytime a value is placed on human life, human concerns will lose out. This is why we need universal health care. We are the only industrialized country in the world aside from South Africa that does not provide this and it is frankly a disgrace. I am encouraged that of the 2008 Presidential candidates, Barack Obama has spoken out in favor of this idea, which shows that the pendulum may be swinging back towards it after Hillary Clinton’s bold and brave plan got rejected in the early ‘90s.
Like all of Moore’s films, it has its flaws, though they are minor. His scenes of Paris are a bit too over-the-top, but he’s far from the only filmmaker who’s a Francophile, as a New York Times reviewer has also pointed out. Still, I’m sure the idyllic scenes he filmed in Paris are a far cry from the poorer, immigrant-heavy suburbs. Furthermore, at one point he shows a statistic that shows that the U.S. is ranked 37th in the world in providing health care to its residents. Predictably, France is ranked 1st, but oddly, Cuba shows up as 38th? It makes one wonder how the numbers were calculated since Cuba (despite its obvious disadvantages) has nationalized health care.
Nevertheless, this movie is too important and too good to miss based upon its minor flaws. I highly recommend it and furthermore, I hope that its ideas resonate with those who may not have considered them before.
