Michael Moore's new documentary "Sicko" opens today

"The world's most tightly controlled government-based health-care system has also failed miserably to "contain" costs. Canada's public health spending is very high and on pace to consume more than half of total government revenue by the year 2020, two-thirds by the year 2035, and 100 percent by 2050."

That paragraph alone dismisses that article as credible. There is no evidence to support anything other than maybe "Canada's public health care spending is very high". And how high is high?

And Ragu, once again, comes up with the Hoover Institute as a source. Reads like the American version of the Fraser Institute. If only governments would get out of the health business, blah, blah, blah.

And all you have to do is read this little gem from the Hoover Institution to see where they stand on that silly little thing called civil liberties:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/07/the_real_threat_to_civil_liber.html

His jump from the "Patriot Act" to illegal immigration in a discussion of civil liberties is a non-sequitur of epic proportions.

And then there's this classic bit of "liberal media bias". Yikes.

Of course, conservatives likewise lament the imbalance of left-leaning public radio and television, the major networks such as NBC and CBS, the predominantly liberal print media, universities, the entertainment industry, and foundations. But the difference is that for the most part they are not calling for the government to mandate "fairness" by empowering federal bureaucrats to curb the liberal biases of these institutions.

 

Why not?
Cuba's been sending dcotors all over the world for 50 years.
As i said earlier, the firefighters got to me.

 

Couple of comments.

1. We're the wealthiest country on earth, yet we can finish only two spots higher than Cuba in healthcare rankings?

2. Strike One against Ragu's article (and yes, I realize you have seniority and I'm just a newbie, but still, I feel I must post this) is that it's written by someone from the Hoover Institute. Strike Two is that it appears in the Dick Scaife-owned Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. That's also Strike Three.
(full disclosure: I once worked for said rag, but I escaped).

 

I haven't seen the film yet, but I've read the thread.

Seems to me what's being said here is that since Canada's health care system isn't perfect, we shouldn't try to improve ours.

I'm told that's also the B story in Ratatouille, but I haven't seen that yet, either.

 

Glad to hear it, Jones.

Believe it or not, those stories happen south of the 49th, too.

 

Oh, I don't doubt it, Lyman -- I'm just not sure it would have happened for our family, on account of my being on the hook for insurance if we lived stateside, and imagining I'd have a hard time getting it for my own checkered medical history.

So, yes, I know these stories happen south. I just hate the idea of them not happening for everybody, or only happening for those who can afford it.

But sincere thanks for your being glad to hear it. Charley's a good boy.

 

Quick question.

In this movie Moore is trying to get healthcare for the 9/11 workers and calls out from the boat that all he wants is the same treatment that the U.S. Government is giving the detainees in Guantanamo Bay.

All of a sudden these detainees are getting good healthcare and being treated properly?

Funny how the story changes to suit his need to make a point in a documentary. As soon as the cameras went off he was once again one of the idiots protesting the U.S. government for mistreating and not taking care of these detainees properly.

RED LIGHT ON: You give them such great healthcare and don't do that for your own citizens.

OFF: The U.S. government sucks, doesn't take care of these poor defenseless detainees.

Other than that, it had a decent point, but he totally jumped into the deep end right there.

 

Understood. Our system isn't perfect, but I'm not sure any is. Certainly, things on both sides of the transom aren't as bad/good as Moore portrays them.

Your son is the same age as my nephew. But your boy will be better off, because he'll most likely be a Blue Jays fan while mine is stuck with the Cubs.

 

Are you joking?

 

Knowing exactly how he was going to play it in the film.

Great visual chess.

Actually, the movie moved along, point by point, as if Moore had hired some GOP spinmeisters to guide him in anticipating each question/charge that would be brought about by moments in the film.

I was surprised that at $200K a year, the London doctor was able to drive a TOTL Audi and live in a $1M place in ... London.

Wife must pull in a chunk, I'm guessing. Right?