Sicko

Sicko
A documentary film written, directed and produced by Michael Moore

I went to the first showing today (6/30/07) at 11:00 A.M. at El Con movie house in Tucson. I was pleased to see that the theater was nearly full. I went alone as no one else seemed interested. The audience thoroughly enjoyed the experience. There was laughter, sighs, groans and even applause. Compliments are in order.
He trashes the health care industry in the U.S. as well as shows the hypocrisy of politicians from both parties. During Hillary Clinton’s attempt to create a universal health care system she was attacked as a Socialist promoter and yet today she is the second leading benefactor of campaign contributions from the health care and the pharmaceutical industry. He spares no one including Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and both George Bush’s.
He travels to Canada, England, France and Cuba. Each of these countries provides complete health care for all of their citizens with low or nearly no cost. They consider it the right of all regardless of stature in life. None of them are the same but all have the right to health care essential for their people. The question is raised how they can do it with the cost so high. He doesn’t really answer this question but I will.
None of these countries bleed themselves in the attempt to shape other countries into doing their bidding. Only the United States spends over a trillion dollars every year on military and space war technology. Only the United States maintains military bases in over 7,000 places around the world including occupation forces in Germany, Japan and Korea 60 years after those conflicts ended. We don’t call it occupation but that is what it is. Only the United States declares it has the right to declare war on any nation even when not threatened by that country. We are the largest producer of military hardware and believe we are helping others by giving them arms instead of real assistance. We currently are creating conflict with Russia over installing missile bases in the Czech Republic and Poland. Can you not remember our own missile crisis when Russia was installing bases in Cuba? Why should they trust us? We didn’t trust them. We are developing bunker busting nuclear weapons and as I understand it from e-mails received we want to replace our aging nuclear weapons with newer ones while at the same time demanding other countries to cease and desist.
He does point out in a conversation with a British citizen what a true democracy can accomplish if the citizens are not beaten down with propaganda and depression as we are. All we have to do is insist and they will have to respond. We proved it this week when the outrageous amnesty bill went down in defeat when the Senators were bombarded with e-mails, calls and letters. I am pessimistic that this will happen for the health care issue but perhaps this movie will generate the spark necessary to get real change. There is so much at stake for these large corporations that they will fight to the death any candidate brave enough to attempt a change of this magnitude. Only an aware electorate can resist the propaganda.
The least you can do is see this movie, discuss it with family and friends and the regardless of political affiliation start your own grass roots attempt to get meaningful change. It can be done. These other nations have proved it.

Jack B. Walters
3961 N. Hillwood Circle
Tucson, AZ 85750
(520) 722-2958
June 30, 2007
jackbwalters@yahoo.com