Sicko, the film released on June 22, 2007 by Michael Moore is a movie every American should see. It depicts the fiasco of the HMO for profit health system and how it is very bad social policy not only for the 50 million Americans without health insurance but for the people With health insurance as well. Michael compares the health care systems of Canada, Great Britain, France, and Cuba with the the system in the United States which is ranked 37th in the world. The politicians get elected because of huge contributions by health care companies and pharmaceutical companies so that they can keep earning their huge profits and pay their executives their huge salaries while health care coverage is denied to patients who often die or suffer needlessly.
Of particular note is Moore's interview with Tony Benn, a former member of Parliament in Great Britain, who points out that democracies flourish when people are peaceful, confident, and healthy. A peaceful, confident and healthy population are more of a challenge for a government to manipulate into doing its bidding. On the other hand, government finds it easy to maintain control of the population when it instills fear, demoralization, and ill health in populations. Many Americans live in fear not only of dying and suffering because they have no health insurance and will therefore be denied medical care, but they are one accident or illness away from overwhelming debt and bankruptcy. Such citizens are docile workers too afraid of loosing their jobs and health insurance benefits to protest or rock the boat.
I highly recommend this film.
Link: Sicko (2007).
Comments