Comments on: Michael Moore's Imperfect Diagnosis

The New Republic: "Sicko" Has Its Flaws, But Is Also A Compelling Indictment Of U.S. Health Care

[sjc_1]

Ghandi was not healthy after all of his fasts, but that did not make him irrelevant on world hunger. I do not understand your supposed "reasoning".

Maybe they are so worried about the world situation that they eat too much of the wrong foods and do not get enough exercise, that does not make them irrelevant about health care.

You have very little capacity for reasoned thought, but you may have something relevant to say about philosophy. I try not to rule anything out.

[neoconnie]

The answer to our health care system crisis is Christian Science. By ignoring medicine altogether, we can reduce our taxes significantly and stop all these entitlement programs to liberal Democrats.

[cablegirl11]

Is that really the best arguement against this article you have, "Rich people from all over the world come here so it must be the best."?
Tell that to the family of the woman who died in the emergency room of King Harbor hospital. She definitely wasn't rich but she was definitely ill. A family member of mine is a traveling nurse working in an Arizona hospital where patient care is secondary to doctor ego and a golf game on Wednesday. The patients of this facility are mostly elderly. When every American gets the same level of QUALITY care whether rich or poor then we can be satisfied. We as citizens should not sit idly by while these injustices happen. The only thing worse than letting insurance and drug companies run the industry would be the government. the bottom line, let's work together to find a solution. Any ideas?????

[neoconnie]

Spiel is right. Michael Moore is fat, so whatever he says about health care cannot be accurate.

Every good Christian knows that all fates are deserved.

[spiel1958]

Michael Moore provides a literal example of why Health Care systems, regardless the country, work ineffeciently - he's part of that exploding world population of unhealthy humans who'd rather clean up green house gases than get their own bodies back to an acceptable level of health. It's more than likely he doesn't eat well and if he isn't already diabetic, he's well on his way, and just another one of the millions of world citizens who can't bother to look after themselves. I'm for the old adage, walk the walk, don't talk the talk. When are we going to start looking at ourselves and what we put into our own bodies, or what we don't, as the main culprit of an ailing health care system? When Michael Moore and Al Gore start to look healthy, maybe I'll begin to take them more seriously.

[brianbwb-2009]

to fredgrad2000,

We also see from current history that letting private businesses control an essential service results in corruption, and creation of a tiered system that ignores lower income people in need in favor of the rich. From insurance to the railways to telecommunications to air transport infrastructure, to computer operating systems, we accept mediocrity, even uselessness while the CEOs embezzle the big bucks.

Maybe less efficient, yes, but at least people aren't left to die on the hospital floor because they aren't rich.

[brianbwb-2009]

Can anyone say the King Harbor incident, or numerous incidents in the past in which hospitals refused poor black kids for treatment, one of whom was shot in a drive by in front of a hospital as doctors on a smoke break watched, are examples of "the greatest health care system in the world?

Take a look at Singapore, to see how it is properly done, or even a developing majority Muslim country like Indonesia, where they treat you first, then charge according to the patient's ability to pay.

[sjc_1]

There is just too much money at stake of anyone involved on the supply side to give up their Gravy Train. Every person and company in the whole supply chain vastly overcharges to pump up their profit margins, then they cost shift to the people least likely to be able to pay.

Hospitals used to be run by nuns for humanitarian reasons. Now they are run by mega international corporations to extract as much profit as possible.

The drug companies charge much more for the same drugs in the U.S. than in the rest of the world because they can. The rest of the world will not put up with it!

We we are in the grips of lobbyists that work for the Gravy Train riders and they control the situation that causes so many millions of people so many nightmares and so much anguish.

[ianlou]

Check out the article under the "Health" section of this site about LA's Martin Luther King-Harbor Hospital loosing it's license..."Shortly after the hospital opened in 1972, several problems occurred, earning the hospital the nickname "Killer King." Many failures have been publicized throughout the years and since 2003, King-Harbor has failed a dozen inspections for minimum federal patient care standards, the Times reported...."

How can we tolerate any hospital existing like this in America let alone within spitting distance of Hollywood and Beverly Hills!

[pugster]

Unfortunately, the US health care system is less about proactive than reactive, like 'preventative care.' Socialized medicine like VA hospital system works but Bush don't want to implement it to the civilian population.

[ianlou]

NeoConnie,
You give Christianity a bad name and alas, you are far from alone.

[Ed0719]

We in the USA end up spending far more for healthcare than do the people in other Western countries that have universal healthcare systems. Yet we have the highest infant mortality rate and the shortest lifespan of any of the Western nations. We also have nearly 50 million people who have no insurance and can't get insurance, so hospitals are forced to either absorb the cost of their care or limit the care they receive in some way. Do we really want a society where your ability to afford it determines whether or not you get adequate healthcare?

I see there are already the "myth merchants" trying to spread the BS about Canada and Great Britain systems. Sorry, those tired old lies just don't cut it anymore.

Is great healthcare available in the USA? Of course, but only IF you have the money to buy it. And that "golden" insurance policy you have is no guarantee, either. See how quick they drop you when you need them the most. Then try to obtain more insurance after you've been dropped. Want to complain about long waits to get medical care? Just have no insurance and be forced to sit in the ER waiting room of a county hospital for hours and hours, in pain, bleeding, or worse... Then tell us all how the USA healthcare system works so well.

[terrapin78]

Michael Moore is GOD!

[marcodele]

"if we really do have such a poor healthcare system; why do VIPs and other rick people from all over the world come here to get treatment?"

Yes, the rich and powerful can come here and get good health care. That's all that matters to the neocons.

[fredgrad2000]

"...about the sickest health care system of any modern country. This article get's an "F" for its totally biased and jealous attitude and for being just a waste of any reader's time."
Posted by talkingham

WOW, you must be a MoveOn.org disciple, their most devoted, brainwashed acolyte, huh? The New Republic is a liberal magazine; no one has EVER disputed that; it pushing for universal healthcare here; the author says he agrees with Michael Moore; how much more liberal can you get? Biased? Not to the right, that's for sure!!

Another question - if we really do have such a poor healthcare system; why do VIPs and other rick people from all over the world come here to get treatment? Why do Canadians, with their "utopian" one-payer system, still come here south of their border to treatment and procedures?

There are always issues with any system, including any healthcare system...but have we not learned anything from history - the answer to any large problem is not to let the government run it!!!! It will take them longer, cost them more, and be more bureaucratic and backwards than if run by private industry everytime!! Now, are corrections needed to our current system; yes - first and foremost limits on malpractice suits so we can stop spending so much on services and insurance, but to have the government take over all HC is just insane; similar to taking advice on how to cure any issue from Michael Moore...

[talkingham]

This stupid "review" is longer than the movie and more full of truth stretching than a Bush rationale for going to war.

To make the claim that Moore's 911 film may have helped get Bush elected is a total stretch - why not blame the completely dysfunctional democratic candidate who failed to stand up for himself when his war record was questioned and who could hardly utter an intelligible sentence throughout the campaign and who couldn't even best Bush in a debate - heck I don't even remember the loser's name other than th4e fact that he married a billionaire owner of a mustard I used to like until they started adding corn syrup to it!

Moore did more to rally the demo base than any demo candidate and that's why he will be assailed in the coming weeks for creating an excellent and entertaining documentary about the sickest health care system of any modern country. This article get's an "F" for its totally biased and jealous attitude and for being just a waste of any reader's time.