Seriously, it was up in the air whether or not Michael Moore achieved something with Farenheit 9/11. But I think Sicko is definitely a documentary you all should take a look at, especially the Americans.

Right now, I just wrote to my Congresswoman and asked her about her stance on Universal Health Care--it moved me that much.

If anything, I think the documentary will either make you proud to recognize what human beings are capable of when we realize basic needs and move past our own ideals of self-importance.

I love you all.

-andy

Sicko is a very one-sided view of the healthcare industry. I thought the comparisons with other countries like France, UK and Cuba were ridicilous. Michael Moore just shows you the worst of the worst and kinda lost his mind on how to make a real documentary.

Two totally different opinions here.

I gotta see this!

I've been wanting to watch this also...sounds interesting. I just watched "Reign Over Me"... DEEP DEEP movie... I put Kleenex to good use!

michael moore's work is a pile of fierce rhetoric and a bad'un

lol... jesh guys... hate and dispair..

I was gonna go see that movie, then I remembered that I hate mass media! So, I'll join you guys in saying that, I'd rather not see it, becuase Mr.Moore is not that great of a guy.

@Glako - Seen it?

@Enders - Why is Mr. Moore a bad guy?

@Slipvin - I'll give you one sided, though he does interview quite a few individuals from within the industry. If you expected corporate interviews, it's an unrealistic expectation.

I haven't seen it

I was thinking of seeing it to see what he done this time around

but moore acts like an orator. he likes to promote the idea of evil. and it's pretty weak.

I don't want to come across as a "Moore supporter," whatever that means. I think Farenheit 9/11 was a failure and, well, conspiracy theorish. It suggested a lot but didn't have much in terms of actual substance.

Sicko isn't about evil. It's not about what side is right and what side is not. You can strip all the political elements of the film away and it comes down to one thing: it's about asking what you, as an individual, stand for. I agreed with his suggestion, undoubtedly.

sigh, politics is retarded.

Michael Moore is the last, great hope to save america from right wing fascist idiots.

Anyone who thinks different either brainwashed, or doesn't live here and see every day the evil he speaks against.

Personally, I haven't watched it, because I already know that the U.S. has the worst healthcare system in the civilized world.

Politics aren't retarded--they're cumbersome, unfortunate, but also necessary.

Stash, you and I should have another drink next time I'm in town.

dude, I hope that anytime we're both in the same town, there will be drinks involved... heh, and since the next time you're down here, it'll probably be the end of september, there'll be stuff stronger than drink involved ;)

I very much want to see this film but haven't had the chance yet. I am worried it'll make me enraged as both stash and I have been screwed over big time as far as healthcare (and lack thereof) goes.

And Pooter, chances are next time we meet we're going to drink til our livers explode. Put our HMO's and PPO's to the test!

I've got Sicko (not a very good copy tho) sitting next to my TV. But, like An Inconvienent Truth, I haven't watched it. This choir don't need the preachin' to.

@Pooter: I'm majoring in Political Science, so there was a subtle joke in there for anyone who remembers the 1 or 2 times I've ever mentioned it... No takers?

It's kinda rough to hear people debate politics because it's the opposite end of a neuroscience field where everyone thinks they know everything about it. Thanks for reviewing Sicko, wasn't sure if it was worth the $9, I've dealt with HMO's in my family and can assure you I started hating them before I could even drive

I'm not a fan of Michael Moore, as he tends to make me disagree with him even when I want to agree. He infuriates me by manipulating the truth, even when the facts manifestly support his cause. Nevertheless, he makes entertaining and interesting films.

Can't speak for the American health system, but I do know, despite universal access, the Canadian health system is pretty dismal. You get what you pay for and we don't pay anything. Too many people have died while waiting ridiculous times for diagnostic tests, too many people (esp. here in Manitoba, with one of the worst health care systems in Canada) reside in hallways instead of rooms, ERs are being shut down because of lack of doctors, etc.

It's fair to say that, at least in North America, no one's gotten it right. At least in the USA though, you can get good health care if you have money. If you're Canadian and you have money, well, the American border isn't very far away.

(Of course, I realize poor, under/uninsured Americans might as well be in Darfur when it comes to health care. And I remember how badly you guys got screwed, Whirly and 'stash.)

so funny, so many americans go to Canada for treatment and medication.

I pay $300 U.S. every month for insurance. Insurance that might or might not cover me and my family if we're stricken with a deadly disease. Basicly, it insures that I can get a prescription of amoxicillin if I come down with a bad infection. It does not guarantee any sort of treatment for catastrophic illness.

Darkstar, can you imagine shelling out $600 Candian, every month, just to make sure you could get an antibiotic if you need it? remember, we can't even get effective cough syrup here without a doctors note.

Oh yeah, and don't forget, I pay 33% of my income, between federal and state, to taxes.

Biff, I remember you telling me you were a politics major when I met you!

Anyway, what stash is paying for our family's healthcare coverage (for a PPO) is actually quite reasonable... considering. My company laid out their new healthcare plan on Monday. All I can say is I'm glad we're not depending on my employer's benefits which is split into 3 tiers basically. For basic HMO coverage, I'd have to shell out a little over $300 per month just to insure my family of 3 (and that's with the $275 my employer would pay out for single person coverage).

There's no easy fix to the healthcare woes in this country. If there is going to be reform somewhere down the line, it's not going to happen overnight.

Medication is undoubtedly far cheaper here because we have government imposed limits on how much the companies are allowed to increase prices each year. The quality of care in hospitals, on the other hand, is pretty poor. It's quite common to travel to the States and pay out of pocket to get even routine tests such as MRIs done without waiting 6 months or more because you simply can't get it done here before you die. My dad had to go down to North Dakota for tests on his back when he needed an operation on a slipped disc. Would have been a six month wait here. He had the results before he was finished lunch when he went to North Dakota.

In fact, our provincial government has been toying with the idea of reimbursing people who have to travel to the States for tests/procedures because it is becoming so commonplace.

And finding a family doctor who will even take patients? Good luck.

Just shy of 50% of my parents gross income is taken by the government for services that are, in nearly every sector in addition to health care, largely inadequate.

Again, not trying to defend the American system, just saying that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.