Michael Moore Criticizes Media, Healthcare System

Michael Moore, a filmmaker responsible for documentaries such as "Bowling For Columbine", "Fahrenheit 911", and "Sicko", appeared on Wednesday morning's ABC-TV "Good Morning America" television program. He strongly criticized the media for not doing more to prevent the invasion of Iraq, as well as the U.S. healthcare system's shortcomings.

The interview briefly turned into a heated debate as Moore and interviewer Chris Cuomo argued over the media's role in the Iraq war. According to the ABC News website, Moore suggested that 3,500 American soldiers might not have lost their lives in Iraq if the media had questioned the government's war justifications.

He went on to speak of the U.S. healthcare system, which is the subject of his most recent documentary "Sicko." The ABC News website quotes him as saying that all other industrialized countries in the Western world have universal (a.k.a. "single-payer") healthcare, pointing out that people in each of those countries live longer, or at least as long as, Americans do. The "Good Morning America" program featured a short segment of Moore's film, which told of a man without health insurance who lost two of his fingers and couldn't afford to have both of them re-attached, having to choose one or the other instead.

The ABC News website indicates that he also accused presidential candidates of being "bought and paid for" by the healthcare industry, as an explanation for their lack of support for single-payer healthcare. He also suggested that Americans should do what they can to avoid needing healthcare, and mentioned that he is making an effort to lose weight.

On Tuesday, according to the San Jose Mercury News, Moore visited Sacramento, California to promote his documentary and universal/single-payer healthcare. When speaking to Democratic party lawmakers, he accused health insurance businesses of being greedy and called for them to be "removed" from the healthcare system. The news story also referred to some parts of the documentary, including Moore's visits to several countries with universal healthcare, as well as the story of a young girl who died after being denied treatment at a hospital which her mother's insurance policy did not apply to.

Meanwhile, Moore is under investigation for illegally visiting Cuba, thus breaking U.S. trade sanctions imposed on that nation. According to a report in the Fort Worth Star Telegram on Tuesday, Moore's lawyer sent a letter to the Treasury Department expressing concern that treatment of Moore may be "discriminatory" and requesting information on those who decided to begin the investigation. It also indicated that "Sicko" will begin playing in theatres on the 29th.

Sources:

1. ABC News, http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3273617&page=1
2. Fort Worth Star Telegram, http://www.star-telegram.com/live/story/134039.html
3. San Jose Mercury News, http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_6128560
4. "Good Morning America", ABC-TV, 7am Eastern Time