This weekend David and I rented a good documentary called 'Sicko'. Many of you may have already seen it, but if you haven't I highly suggest it. It is one of Michael Moore's documentaries about the health insurance industry in the US. One of the most eye-opening things is the comparison of the US health insurance and health care industry with that of Canada, Great Britain, and France (look on DVD special features for info about Norway). That alone made me want to move to a country with universal health care.
I know I'm naive and hopeful when I shouldn't be- but I think that if the social movement was large enough and we had a president who had her/his head on straight we might actually be able to change health care in this country. The more I think about it- going to a hospital really should be a social service just like having the fire department come to your house when there is a fire, or receiving your mail everyday. If you don't have the means to afford the fire department they don't tell you that for $5000 they can save your garage but it will cost you $15000 to save the house. You shouldn't have to choose what you have to lose. Why is our health any less important than our houses and belongings?
I know that the health care industry is a major multi-million/billion dollar industry and would fight tooth and nail to make sure that universal health care never comes about. Our leaders and we as citizens should be more concerned about the health of our neighbors than with the profit margins of corporations. But that is just me. Crazy talk- I know.
Watching the movie really was enough for me to consider moving to another country. I'd like to know if anyone else felt that way after seeing Sicko.
3 comments:
ME, ME, ME!!!
I'm ready to move to Norway or England!!!
I'll gladly pay more taxes for universal healthcare!
I have not seen the movie; but my sister-in-law Mary has relatives in Ireland and England. Both had terrible times trying to get in to see a doctor. Her uncle died as a result of poor hospitalization and practices. Mary saw both of them have difficulty time and again with getting needed medications that we here in the US do not have a problem getting. I agree that the health care industry needs some re-doing; but I'm not sure socialized medicine is the way to go either. Just my 2 cents!
just read this quote and thought of you:
"We Americans live in a nation where the medical-care system is second to none in the world, unless you count maybe 25 or 30 little scuzzball countries like Scotland that we could vaporize in seconds if we felt like it."
- Dave Barry
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