A couple of old filums we've been meaning to watch and never quite got round to them.
Sicko by Michael Moore, who love him or hate him, does like to be a thorn in the side of American politicians (so fine by me) and this time he takes on the HMOs of America (Health Maintenance Organisations) who do little to care for their patients but as with all insurance companies, prefer to wriggle out of paying any cash.
The sums of money are enormous, the despicable tricks the companies play are odious and it makes you wonder how the Americans can still refer to themselves as "great". A nice tongue-in-cheek contrast by also taking in the UK's NHS and the French healthcare system brings some sanity to the "shocku"mentary but the icing of the cake is the plight of the voluntary 9/11 rescue workers shunned by their own people (despite being hailed as heroes) whom Moore takes to Cuba for free treatment.
Of course he is biased and cheery picks his points and I am certain there are plenty of opposing and valid arguments, but it makes for grim if not compelling viewing and there must have been some very uncomfortable people who'd rather this had never been filmed. At times I was cringing as much as Borat poking people with a broken bottle.
Worth a DVD watch if for no other reason than to sneer at how great western power and how shamefully it treats its own people.
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