sicko

[slothen]

latest Michael Moore film. I just watched it start to finish, and all I can say is "wow." If you live in the US, this is something you should see.

[BrikHaus]

Is it as "factually accurate" as his previous films?

[Themaninblack]

Is it as "factually accurate" as his previous films?

...Yes...he took a jab at doctors in the U.S for free entprise as greedy.
Still even as an objectist I can't deny his abilty.

[THE Hal E. Burton 9000]

boy slothen, you opened up a can of worms...

[TriLink]

Whether or not you like Michael Moore, the man brings up some very vaild issues about the U.S. Health Care system.

In the past, I've had to work with elderly people in horrific physical condition. They had to work because they couldn't afford the costs of their medical treatment. And because of that, they spend what's suppose to be "the Golden Years" wasting away doing tedious manual labor work.

It's sad, and something needs to be done, because the status quo just isn't cutting it anymore.

[THE Hal E. Burton 9000]

well, here's my opinion

1) Brik-kun has said this before (I think) but people need to stop treating their health and insurance thereof like it's just a damn expense account and start treating their health and insurance in a preventative and not reactionary manner

2) the only constructive, effective and positive role the government could play here is to harshly/punitively punish companies who write such foolish policies to patients and attempt to cover their butt by glossing over the fine print (this kind of law would also have prevented things like the S&L scandal in the '80's as well as current housing and financial market woes)

All right then... time to roll 'round in the mud and do our best to get this sucker locked!! [/sarcasm] :roll:

Don't get me wrong.

I'd REALLY like to discuss things like this nicely w/o "the heat" as Tines says. I just...

[TriLink]

people need to stop treating their health and insurance thereof like it's just a damn expense account and start treating their health and insurance in a preventative and not reactionary manner

Couldn't agree more. If people took the time get properly screened for the various diseases their at risk for, it would take a LOT of strain off the health care system. Unfortunately, most folks just can't find the time to go to the doctor unless they feel sick.

the only constructive, effective and positive role the government could play here is to harshly/punitively punish companies who write such foolish policies to patients and attempt to cover their butt by glossing over the fine print (this kind of law would also have prevented things like the S&L scandal in the '80's as well as current housing and financial market woes)

I don't think universal health care is the necessarily the answer, but if there's a better alternative I've yet to hear it.

Health issues are inevitable, and we shouldn't have to choose between paying for freakishly expensive medication and putting food on the table.
Granted, having the government get involved would lead to all sorts of trouble, but when you think about the alternative, that seems like an acceptable outcome.

[BrikHaus]

Unfortunately, most folks just don't see the point in going to the doctor unless they feel sick.

fixed... a sad truth about the way people are.

Granted, having the government get involved would lead to all sorts of trouble, but when you think about the alternative, that seems like an acceptable outcome.

I see life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I don't see anything about universal healthcare.

[NAveryW]

Still even as an objectist I can't deny his abilty.

"Objectist" isn't a word... did you mean "objector" or "objectivist"?

[TriLink]

Granted, having the government get involved would lead to all sorts of trouble, but when you think about the alternative, that seems like an acceptable outcome.

I see life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I don't see anything about universal healthcare.

Something tells me the founding fathers didn't comprehend the need for an abdominal ultrasound or blood culture when they wrote that nifty little document.

[BrikHaus]

Something tells me the founding fathers didn't comprehend the need for an abdominal ultrasound or blood culture when they wrote that nifty little document.

Here's my solution: take 75% of the salaries paid to professional athletes and politicians in the US, and dump that into a large universal health care fund. Whatever is left over can be paid by the patient's insurance company as a sort of deductible. Oh wait, that's not going to be very popular, is it?

[Themaninblack]

Still even as an objectist I can't deny his abilty.

"Objectist" isn't a word... did you mean "objector" or "objectivist"?

What I meant was as a bad speller, even I can't deny his ability.


objectivist BTW


I really am just writing this off the top off my head, as well as anything else I write on here unless it does get super serious.

[Themaninblack]

Something tells me the founding fathers didn't comprehend the need for an abdominal ultrasound or blood culture when they wrote that nifty little document.

Here's my solution: take 75% of the salaries paid to professional athletes in the US , and dump that into a large universal health care fund. Whatever is left over can be paid by the patient's insurance company as a sort of deductible. Oh wait, that's not going to be very popular or morally right , is it?

fixed looter!

[Mr. Tines]

From what I have read of this film, it paints a far too rosy picture of the Stalinist conglomerate known as the NHS.

[Defectron]

What kind of annoyes me about all of Moores videos as well as videos that have to do with Moore such as "manufacturing dissent" is that Moore as well as his critics all insist on sticking his face on the cover of all his videos as well as videos that have to do with him so that it looks like the guy is undressing you with his eyes. I mean I disagree with him on some things and agree on others but damn I just don't want to see his face looking at me every time I walk into the video store. Is it too much to ask for him to put something on the covers of his videos that isn't his face? I mean hell even Al Gore managed to find some cool looking artwork to put on his global warming video with those spiral smoke stack clouds.

[THE Hal E. Burton 9000]

Here's my solution: take 75% of the salaries paid to professional athletes and politicians in the US, and dump that into a large universal health care fund. Whatever is left over can be paid by the patient's insurance company as a sort of deductible. Oh wait, that's not going to be very popular, is it?

Actually, you'd be surprised how many folks would love something like this. The problem is socialism never holds up on a large scale.

From what I have read of this film, it paints a far too rosy picture of the Stalinist conglomerate known as the NHS.

Yeah, he also took some US veterans down to Cuba to show how "better" Castro's system of health care is. :roll:

And what Defectron said regarding "manufacturing dissent".

[The Bastard King]

Moore is just as obnoxiously opinionated as the people he attacks, just doing so from a different end of the spectrum. He leaves numerous facts out of his discussions that would show more then the one side he usually paints, and relies on viewers not bothering to do their own research so they'll just believe what he says instead; something that happens a lot.

Regardless, he's great at making movies, and Bowling for Columbine had me laughing my ass off a few times. I'll probably hit this up and see what it's like, but with a lot of skepticism.

[slothen]

Is it as "factually accurate" as his previous films?

I sense loaded question. I recall he used much fewer numbers and figures than in previous movies.

...Yes...he took a jab at doctors in the U.S for free entprise as greedy.
Still even as an objectist I can't deny his abilty.

He really doesn't go after doctors at all. Practicing doctors at least. The desk-jockey MD's that work for HMOs he isn't kind to.

1) Brik-kun has said this before (I think) but people need to stop treating their health and insurance thereof like it's just a damn expense account and start treating their health and insurance in a preventative and not reactionary manner.

this would be great if you make the assumption that insurance companies would be willing to foot the bill without calling such preventative measures "experimental" or "unnecessary," and then loading up the patient with fairly huge co-pays.

2) the only constructive, effective and positive role the government could play here is to harshly/punitively punish companies who write such foolish policies to patients and attempt to cover their butt by glossing over the fine print.

Easier said than done. Such an endeavor would require huge new bureaucracies to enforce and to change the culture of the insurance industry. It would be hugely expensive, and furthermore, I can say from personal experience that in such a situation, the effectiveness of enforcement varies directly with the interest of the current administration in reigning in businesses that may or may not have made campaign contributions.

From what I have read of this film, it paints a far too rosy picture of the Stalinist conglomerate known as the NHS.

yeah, quite a rosy picture.

Filmmaker Michael Moore's brilliant and uplifting new documentary, "Sicko," deals with the failings of the U.S. healthcare system, both real and perceived. But this time around, the controversial documentarian seems to be letting the subject matter do the talking, and in the process shows a new maturity.

This is FOX NEWS of all things giving some praise to this film, that alone should be enough reason to see it.

[The Eva Monkey]

I saw Sicko in theaters a while back. It was definitely a skillfully crafted film, but I'm a bit weary of it because of Moore's reputation.

[Themaninblack]

I saw Sicko in theaters a while back. It was definitely a skillfully crafted film, but I'm a bit weary of it because of Moore's reputation.

Well duh! Going into a Moore film without prior knowldge is like going to a whore house without protection.