Blue Mass Group

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Guest post up @ FireDogLake: More Sicko stuff

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Here’s my latest guest-post at FireDogLake, on Sicko and the health care activist scene. It’s kind of a longer version of this post; in any event, it’s nice to get perspectives from the  national audience they have there.

I’m hearing of a Michael Moore-vs-Wolf Blitzer smackdown … I’ll try to get a YouTube when it’s available.

Well, here it is. More rant-y and less amusing than I’d hoped.

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  1. Charley,

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    1. Curious to see “perspectives from the national audience”, I scrolled thru the 66 comments.  Not much, um, perspective. 

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    2. However, there was this insight from “steve” which I found provocative:

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    I am an MD and want single payer, basically medicare for all. But be careful what you wish for. Trading the insurance monopoly for the politicians make me uneasy. I have not heard what controls and protections would be in place to protect the public. Health care spending is and will continue to be rationed..who will decide? Do you want you coverage to depend on who won the last election? If the theocrats make a come-back, the first thing they would do is defund reproductive choice. How much should be spent on the termanilly ill elderly? On..and On

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    What do you think? 

    • It got better after that. I will say that this community @ BMG is irreplaceable. I love you guys sniff

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      As far as the doc, quoted: Of course, it’s a major concern, and you’d want to depoliticize the process of evaluating and administering treatments as much as possible. I believe that’s possible, if it’s set up right. We simply have no choice but to believe and expect that future administrations will not be as thoroughly politicized and corrupt as this one. We have to make sure we elect them.

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      But look, there will be any number of hot-button issues with regard to health care. I’m willing to put up with that controversy, for what we’d gain.

    • … As corruption and politicians go, I can’t think of a single better thing to do than wholesale elimination of lobbying efforts for the insurance industry by eliminating them in favor of a national system.

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      As for rationing, per capita spending of other national systems would seem to support that it is at least possible to actually distribute better healthcare for less cash than we are shelling out now, although there is always the transition to think about.

  2. I saw it live on CNN. Michael Moore was brought on to discuss Sicko, but took the opportunity to bash the Mainstream Media (CNN included) for not doing its job in the run-up to the Iraq War and on health care. Moore was right on in his points, but he was so angry and forceful that his delivery may have killed his message.

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    Wolf Blitzer sat there and took it, defending his station, but not really fighting back.

  4. I mean, why is this man in a position of any responsibility whatsoever on national media. He is a walking indictment of the whole corporate-controlled spin machine. I challenge anyone here to find an example of the man presenting a sustained line of aggressive questioning on an important issue to a senior member of the current administration. I would really like to see it — like a carnival freak show, if only for the novelty.

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    As to Moore, I agree that he got too far out of the box for his own good, but at least he took a position. I wish he had dressed as an old-fashioned doctor, with one of those reflectors on his head and a little, “The Doctor is In” sign on the desk in front of him.

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    That was probably the most exciting night on CNN in months.

    • …it appears evident that he goes into an interview with a set of scripted questions (which, if the interview is with an important politician, are probably negotiated with the politician’s people), and he doesn’t deviate from the script.  That’s why his interviews are so lame.

  5. Where are the people definding the South Asian community today.  The outrage that Michael Moore would sink so low as to make fun of a doctor on TV for being South Asian?  I won’t hold my breath.

    • I have issues with how Michael Moore handles criticism of his work and I think sometimes he goes too far, but I watched the end of the video, and I think calling how he said Sanja Gupta’s name “pretty racist” is simply wrong.  I heard him say the doctor’s name with contempt, but I did not hear him say anything about the doctor’s nationality. 

      • because the mocking of Dr. Gupta’s name was cut out of the video shown here.  Please Look below and follow the link to watch the whole video.

        • I watched the extended version.  I think you are seeing something that is not there.

  6. racist pronounciation of Dr. Gupta’s name, they may do so here: http://www.breitbart…

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    It must have gotten cut out of the You Tube Video.  The remarks are at the end of the video. 

    • …so, tell me, what was the “mocking” during the interview?

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      Sanjay Gupta’s name was brought up many times during the interview.  So what was the supposed “mocking” at the end of the interview?

      • Dr. Gupta’s name. Had a republican or conservative done this the charges of racism would be flying about.  It’s telling that the video that Charley linked to omitted the last 20 seconds or so of the interview where this happened, no?

        • …It’s unfortunate that you apparently don’t know the various accents of the American midwest.  Having been raised there, I do.  And, I can distinguish among a Cleveland accent, a Chicago accent, and a Detroit accent.  Obviously. you can’t.

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          I can speak with a pretty good Southern accent, too, but that’s because all of my relatives were from the American South.

          • That pronounciation was different than every other pronounciation of the name Sanjay Gupta in the whole piece.  Does one’s accent change when yelling?

            • I can tell you for sure that the Bronx accent my mother worked so hard to get rid of slipped out when she was ready to read us the riot act.

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              I have not seen the video, so I won’t comment on this specific instance, but the idea of peoples’ accents reverting to form when they get emotional is common and has been spoofed on countless TV shows and movies.

              • …My spouse, who was born in Munich (Oberbayern) and was raised there until he was six, and then emigrated with his parents to the US in 1957, still reverts to his Oberbayrisch accent when he is tired.  Even when he is speaking Englisch.

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                I did watch the video–it’s actually quite entertaining–but the idea that Moore was mocking Gupta by mispronouncing his name is absurd.

          • You can detect a Detrot accent, I detect the aroma of the dung of a male steer.

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            I must say that this admirable attempt at a defense requires a front end loader, because a shovel isn’t fast enough for that much bull—-.

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            He said “Gupta” as if he were doing the voice of Apu from the Simpsons.

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            If Micheal Moore says its raining, the best thing to do is make sure you have your sunscreen.

            • I watched Dr. Gupta and Michael Moore last night on CNN.  Gupta was succinct and to the point with his responses; Moore appeared as a silly, disheveled fat guy.

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              Dr. Gupta handed Moore his head on Larry King, IMHO.  Moore, a movie maker, is making the mistake of discussing policy with policymakers. 

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