Nothing better symbolizes the corruption of the debate about healthcare reform than the rhetoric about "government-run" healthcare. Or, for that matter, the related argument that we need a "uniquely American" solution which precludes a public system like Medicare for all.
Two reports that notably received scant coverage from either the media or even those advocating the public plan "option" in Congress, reveal the seldom told truth.
Medicare is a "uniquely American" solution, and it works.
With Michael Moore's SiCKO reaching more and more audiences, the traditional media have begun assessing the film's criticisms of the collapsing US health care system. Today the SF Chronicle joins the act with a front-page piece. While it's far better than CNN's disreputable hatchet job, the Chron piece still employs some framing of the discussion that leads its readers away from a single-payer solution.
Because the media retains such a major role in shaping the way we discuss health care policy, it's important for us to be attentive to the ways even a decent article can repeat misconceptions that might hurt the overall single-payer cause.
(Let's get this conversation on the front page (and in the RSS feed) - promoted by jsw)
Michael Moore's SiCKO has now been out almost two weeks, and I'm beginning to find that for a number of us, it's been a seminal event that has motivated people who were not previously involved in the issue to actually get up and raise some hell.
I like raising hell. Don't get me wrong, I really do. But in cases like this, I like to win too. And we need to win this one.
There are things we can learn from recent victories we've had that can be applied to the single payer health care fight. On the flip, I'll mention a few.
My grandmother was just released from the hospital this morning. She nearly collapsed in the bathroom on Wednesday morning, and she's had to spend the last two days in the hospital. She was severely dehydrated. She had diarrhea. She couldn't eat. She was extremely weak. Basically, this is what happens to a ninety-two year old diabetic woman all too often.
So we had to drive Grandma to the hospital. We got a bed for her in the emergency room pretty quickly, but then we had to wait forever in the emergency room until the hospital finally had a room ready for her. Grandma finally got her room, she was able to sleep, and she was able to recover over the next 36 hours.
Thank goodness we caught Grandma in time, before she lost consciousness. Thank goodness Grandma's feeling better. And thank goodness she has good health insurance. What would have happened if things weren't as good for us?
(Events of the weekend... - promoted by Brian Leubitz)
Think that SiCKO isn’t already changing healthcare politics in this country?
Just through the California Nurses Association & National Nurses Organizing Committee, 15,000 nurses from across the country have signed up to help organize on the opening night of SiCKO, as part of the "Scrubs for Sicko" campaign to drive one million nurses to see the film. . More are signing up every day. Even more caregivers and patients have mobilized through Healthcare Now, Physicians for a National Health Program, the Massachusetts Nurses Association, and an unprecedented coalition of activist nurse groups from around the country. Real energy on behalf of guaranteeing healthcare on the single-payer model.
We’ll take a look, below, at what it all means. But first, we need you to Go here, download some flyers, and hit your theater Friday night (warning: pdf). Say hi if you see any nurses in their red “Scrubs for Sicko” scrubs.
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending a sneak peek screening of Michael Moore's new film SiCKO. Several blogger reviews are already out, Brian Leubitz, nyceve, Randy Bayne and fnpople. Instead of another review, what I would like to talk about is the political message of SiCKO, as it relates to the California health care debate. Two years ago, Michael Moore set out to make a documentary on America's health care system. He could have focused on any number of topics, including big PhRMA, or the millions of uninsured, but settled on the failure of private health insurance.
In the end, the film is one big fantastic advertisement for single payer health care. Naturally, Moore teamed up with CNA here in California for a series of events. Moore is not shy about his goals. He wants to start massive grassroots movement to institute a national single payer system and use this film to do it. However, Moore went out of his way to support Fabian Nunez and his efforts to reform the current system, holding both a press conference and the screening for legislators and other guests like yours truly. Moore recognizes the current political atmosphere here in California. It is what he is trying to change by making this film, promoting it and framing the discussion of the film politically. If millions of Americans watch this movie, their political outlook on health care policy will change. SiCKO is that powerful.
After yesterday's national debut of SiCKO, 1,000 nurses from the California Nurses Association and across the country rose as one, roared, and continued roaring for 8 full minutes. I had goosebumps and tears in my eyes at the same time, and so did everyone else in the theater.
It was an emotional conclusion to a historic day: the campaign kick off for an extraordinary month of health care activism that aims to cure our nation of the health insurance corporations who are doing so much damage to all of us.
The media, nurses and doctors, Moore, and healthcare activists gathered together because this—-this-—is our opportunity to finally change the healthcare system in this country. We'll recap what happened and plans going forward below…
Cross-posted at the National Nurses Organizing Committee’s Breakroom Blog, as we organize to make 2007 the Year of GUARANTEED Healthcare--thanks to SiCKO.
(Please read this review and make friends with your friends and family to attend the movie when it opens and support SB 840 - promoted by blogswarm)
Well, we went to SiCKO last night, and since we didn't get back until after 1AM, I didn't write a review then. You can check out my Flickr set by clicking the photo.
Few movies were better titled. Now, I'm not sure if Moore intended the title as in "make you sicko" or "treating the sicko" but either way, it works. I'm not what you would call a Michael Moore fanboy. I mean, his tactics can be grating and more than a little annoying. But, I think this movie makes his strongest statement yet. To put it shortly, this movie made me sad and frustrated, yet I feel more determined to work for change than ever.
The movie specifically disclaims those who are uninsured, as the opening credits roll, Moore states that the movie is not about those who do their own sutures at home, or those who die waiting for assistance at the few public hospitals. Rather the movie is about the weakest link in our health care delivery system, the insurance companies. Follow me over the flip...
The legislature really aught to have issued a proclamation making today Michael Moore day to celebrate the California release of his new film Sicko. The Capitol is practically ringed by satellite news trucks, in town to cover an almost constant schedule of press conferences, rallies, photo-ops and screenings. I stopped by to pick up my ticket for tonight's screening hosted by Fabian Nunez and snuck into the press conference he was holding with Moore.
Moore supports single payer health care to cover all Americans and get the profit motive out of the equation with regards to health insurance companies. To this end he is holding a rally with CNA and press conferences with Sen. Kuehl today. However, during the press conference with Nunez, he was supportive of legislative efforts to revise the current private industry model. They did joke about Arnold's current opposition to SB 840, with Nunez saying "Who knows, maybe he watches and..." Moore quipped "Well, he likes movies." Moore is looking for California to lead the way on the issue, as we have done on issues like the minimum wage and the environment. He sees his film working on concert with legislative efforts.
The day after America's nursing movement announced its plans to use the tragedy and horror of SiCKO to spur people to action, the attacks are already beginning.
Fortunately, for you, me, and most people the attacks are best described as unintentionally hilarious. What moviemaker doesn't want crazy anti-patient Web sites pumping our press releases about their product?
Cross-posted at the National Nurses Organizing Committee’s Breakroom Blog, as we organize to make 2007 the Year of GUARANTEED Healthcare--thanks to SiCKO.
Bring your red scrubs to SiCKO's opening night and help the nurses turn this movie masterpiece into a social movement—this pop culture into political change.
The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee is acting as co-host of the opening night of SiCKO at 3,000 theaters around the country. We are working with an unprecedented national coalition of nurse and doctor and health care activist groups to ensure SiCKO has a long-term impact on our nation’s healthcare system and politics. It’s an incredible opportunity for patient advocates and it’s only missing one element: you. What are you doing the evening of Friday June 29th?
This time, Moore is counting on the blogosphere to help promote his film and its "call to action" against the health care industry. Which might explain why when the movie opens in the United States over the July 4th weekend, Moore and his PR team are planning a premiere fundraiser in San Francisco benefiting -- what else -- the blogging community.
Kinda odd for Chris Lehane to release this to a newspaper, instead of...you know, the blogs. But we'll see who and what soon enough I'm sure.
The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee is going to be hosting premiers for SiCKO across the country next June. We're so excited that I've read every single review published. The consensus: book the Oscar suite, it's a masterpiece. More importantly, the reviewers are stressing the non-partisan nature of the film and saying it will appeal to R's and D's; are treating health corporations as the pariahs they should be; and are examining the possibilities for action, organizing and change that this film contains. The film is already changing our national debate about healthcare and re-aligning healthcare politics---and it doesn't open FOR A MONTH.
The lone dissenter? Rupert Murdoch's Times o' London.
The legislature really aught to have issued a proclamation making today Michael Moore day to celebrate the California release of his new film Sicko. The Capitol is practically ringed by satellite news trucks, in town to cover an almost constant schedule of press conferences, rallies, photo-ops and screenings. I stopped by to pick up my ticket for tonight's screening hosted by Fabian Nunez and snuck into the press conference he was holding with Moore.
