Cuban Health Care
John Stossel corners Michael Moore over the claims that the Cuban health care system is superior to that of the United States. Moore pulled a stunt in his movie Sicko and took people to Cuba - supposedly to the same hospital that average Cubans go to. But Stossel points out that there are two very different health care systems for Cuba. One for the elite and paying foreigners and another for the average person.
Cuban-born Dr. Jose Carro, who interviews Cuban doctors who have moved to the United States, says Moore's movie lies. Dr. Darsi Ferrer, a human-rights advocate in Cuba, told us that Americans should not believe the claims being made. He describes the Cuban people as "crazy with desperation" because of poor-quality care.
George Utset, who writes The Real Cuba Web site, says Moore and his group were ushered to the upper floors of the hospital, to rooms reserved for the privileged. "They don't go to the hospital for regular Cubans. They go to hospital for the elite. And it's a very different condition," Utset says.
For ordinary Cubans, health care is different. A YouTube.com video, posted by a woman from Venezuela, purports to show the two forms of health care, one for the privileged who pay in dollars and a far inferior one for regular Cubans.
Moore claims Cubans live longer than Americans. It's true that a U.N. report claims that. But the United Nations didn't gather any data. "The United Nations simply reports whatever the government in Cuba reports, so we have no objective way to know what the real statistics are," Carro says.
Exactly. Communist countries are famous for hiding the truth. Twenty years ago, when I reported from the Soviet Union, officials insisted there were no poor people in Russia, but they refused to let me look for myself.
Why would we believe the Cuban government's health statistics?
Communist countries have never been known for their accurate statistics on anything. Stossel was persistent and Moore rapidly changed the subject. Stossel's upcoming demolition of Moore airs this Friday on 20/20. That should be interesting to watch. Judging by Stossel's columns over the past few weeks, it will not be one of Moore's favorite television shows.
By FedUp, Wednesday, 12 September , 2007 @ 7:27 am
Just another clown who thinks we ought to buy everything he sells… just like gore… just like hillary… just like (fill in the blanks). Why should they let a little thing like facts get in the way?
By Jess, Wednesday, 12 September , 2007 @ 11:16 am
What annoys me the most about Moore and the Troofers is the time they waste of the smart people having to explain things to them slowly and using small words.
It reminds me of arguing with a drunk.
By Gaius, Wednesday, 12 September , 2007 @ 11:21 am
Drunks are more lucid. Even after they pass out.