Pounding On The Sicko
Ok, we know Michael Moore's film isn't supposed to be eponymous, despite the opinion of a lot of folks. But another person has come out to beat heck out of Moore's contention that the Cuban medical system is wonderful. And this person has more than a little inside knowledge. After all, his sister is a doctor in Castro's Cuba.
Moore's latest documentary, "Sicko" - which opens this month - aims to skewer the sad state of U.S. health care, in part by comparing it unfavorably to what Moore considers Cuba's sparkling system of national care. In a signature stunt, he brings a few American citizens who couldn't get proper care here down to Cuba - where they get the treatment they need.
As usual, Moore's logic needs a checkup. The man stretches his argument into caricature and discredits himself by cherrypicking facts. To assume that Cuban citizens are getting the medical attention they need because a party of foreigners got treated decently is akin to praising prison food because you got offered a nice spread of cold cuts after the warden took you on a tour.
If Moore had taken a moment to have a little chat with my cousin, a Cuban doctor, he would have learned much more about the true state of health care in Castro's Cuba.
She's not difficult to find. Just go to her town about six hours outside of Havana and look for the woman who's missing half her left leg and trudging down the dirt covered roads on crutches to see her patients.
Though my cousin is readily available to do her job, she's frustrated daily by the lack of medicine and supplies that can facilitate the healing process. Most weeks, not even aspirin is available.
And about that leg: It's the result of a bad motorcycle accident 22 years ago. Yet in all the time that has passed since then, the Cuban health care system has not been able to provide her with either a proper prosthetic or even a motorized chair. We sent her the latter. It sits in the corner, awaiting a replacement battery, unavailable on the island.
And those who decry America's health care as stratified should save some outrage for Cuba - where tourists like Moore and Communist party officials get all kinds of care that's out of reach for Cuba's 11 million average citizens. The fact that the vast majority of them often have to bring their own food, soap and sheets to the hospital somehow didn't make it into the final cut of "Sicko."
Rafael Salinas, who wrote this piece for the New York Daily News is obviously rather disgruntled with Moore's twisting of the facts. (Or gullibility, take your pick.) Not that this kind of thing is new for Moore, of course. His distortions and "creative" editing of clips is well documented. Could our health system be improved? Sure. But use Cuba as a role model? Only if you're a sicko.
Rafael Salinas, who wrote this piece for the New York Daily News is obviously rather disgruntled with Moore's twisting of the facts. (Or gullibility, take your pick.) Not that this kind of thing is new for Moore, of course. His distortions and "creative" editing of clips is well documented. Could our health system be improved? Sure. But use Cuba as a role model? Only if you're a sicko.
By jpe, Sunday, 3 June , 2007 @ 8:45 pm
I’d be willing to bet that yall are misunderstanding the role of pointing to Cuba in the film. The point of the segment isn’t to glorify Cuba or suggest it as a rolemodel, but to point that even a country as poor as Cuba is able to get good results from nationalized health care (Cuban health care doubtlessly has shortcomings - shortages, for instance - but by empirical indicators it’s among the best in latin america).
By Gaius, Sunday, 3 June , 2007 @ 8:59 pm
I’d be willing to bet you’d be among the most strident of complainers if you had to bring your own soap and bedding for a hospital stay.
Good results? Really?
By Baramano, Monday, 4 June , 2007 @ 5:50 am
JPE- It is doubtful that Moore wasn’t trying to glorify Cuba. This is not the first time that he has lauded the “achievements” of this country. Go on his website and see for yourself. He was quite vocal in 2000 regarding the need for Elian to go back to his country, touting the strength of the education and the healthcare system there. One has to question whether his hatred for the U.S. leaves him longing for the “equality” that a communist regime offers. I applaud Salinas for speaking out in this well-written piece.
By jpe, Monday, 4 June , 2007 @ 7:56 pm
Compared to other countries with comparable per capita GDP?
Not even close.
You make a reasonable case there. Moore certainly overreaches. But we’ll see.
Off-topic: Gaius, your posting is too prolific. This comment is down the memory hole just as I’m response #2!
By Gaius, Monday, 4 June , 2007 @ 8:01 pm
Heck - I’ve slowed down recently.