sicko

i got the chance to see the new michael moore movie yesterday. it was interesting. it was well-made. it was incredibly one-sided. everything i've come to expect from mr. moore.

i see where he is coming from. he wants america to socialize its medical care. it would provide care for everyone, which is a good thing. it would be "free" which is a good thing for people who need it but can't afford it. but it's paid for, just by other people.

the facts that moore throws into the movie are pretty far-fetched. he makes claims without stipulations, such as saying that the french live longer than americans because of their health care. they don't. they live longer because they live healthier lifestyles and there is much less crime, not because their health care system is better. so if you see it, consider big pictures, not just what he says. is it true literally, versus can it be applied to what he is trying to express with it?

anyway, getting back on subject... you cannot mix capitalism and socialism. america is a capitalist nation, for good or for bad, and the health care and pharmaceutical companies are private companies. they earn money. and one way they do this is innovation. they brought us many medical advancements on their way to making themselves a dollar. also, consider a group of people (250 million) who are paying for health care and are used to getting good care. now think about soccer moms sitting in "clinic 119" for 6 hours waiting to see a doctor that was assigned to the clinic for the day.

i can't think of much good coming from socialized medicine. people without health care can get care for free. they go to the ER and i see them every day. so you reduce the quality of care for the 250 million people who pay for it to provide mediocre care for everyone.

please don't take sicko as it is. it's not true. it raises good questions, but think thoroughly before you take things as fact.