Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Have no fear, Michael Moore is here
Good Morning Mickey and Everyone...Since I presently have a beef with the medical profession, insurance companies and the pharmaceutical companies, I will say something.
I have not seen Michael Moore’s, movie ‘Sicko’. I personally do not need more details to show me the incompetence and corruption within the above, ‘Triad of Death’ terrorizing americans with the fear of our health.
I have tried to stay healthy to not need these people. When I have been ill, I still do not go to doctors, and unless a Naturopath or others are uncertain or recommend a regular MD. This does not happen very often.
In case any doctors read this, I know there are probably some doctors, somewhere who are knowledgeable, compassionate and who genuinely care.
I also hope Michael Moore has an 800 hot-line I can call to ask for some of his millions to pay for my doctor bills since I have no insurance. I hope Michael does not have 300 forms to fill out to illustrate the legitimacy of my need!
I’m glad he is making this movie/documentary/comedy...whatever it will prove to be. Hopefully if produced with his witty tendencies, the humor will not trivialize, or completely overshadow the severity of the problems of the health care community, [business]
Posted by joe of maine on from 06/12 at 09:07 AMYeah, Moore’s lost any political edge he ever had but give him a dash of credit - his new movie has insurers panicked and running a PR counteroffensive, not seen since the “Harry and Louise” disinformation of ‘93. They really needn’t worry, however. We’ll have a single-payer system about the time that the electoral college is abolished.
Where do I get treatment resulting from that gyrating Bush animation?
Posted by Zen Prole on from Urth 06/12 at 09:47 AMMickey Z and Family (morning Joe - Zen) Michael Moore - some documentary maker .. ehh? ... Mikey is a clever snip n’ cut editor.. docudrama......yesireeee and the non-reading world continues to fall for his pablum for toothaches - gun control - electoral wizardry—Try “Michael Moore Hates America” .. available on YouTube .. You’ll learn lots about this jolly-fellow.. and his splice and dice technique… Mark Kennedy - ex-Congressman from the 6th District in MN...got a taste of “Sicko’s” in your face....so sue me ... video magic.... So did a Vet out of MA....rehabing at Walter Reed...and Bank Employees who presented him with “his weapon of choice”.... for opening a bank account....Any time the Cannes “Film” Festival Crowd goes gah-gah over a fluff-producing clown.....one has gotta wonder… You may choose to avoid Mikey’s endorsement....if you ever hope to win any kind of election.....Check his track record… Thought Provoker - ?? ... I’ll take Mickey Z’s anyday..... Thanks Mickey for challenging your reader’s to Think .. Speak .. Consider !! ACT.. richie
Posted by Richie on from st cloud / n ft myers 06/12 at 12:19 PMHi Mickey, Richie, Zen, joe and those who are late with their arrival.
I’m not exactly a Moore fan. I was disappointed with his 9/11. I also don’t like his implication in “Sicko” that the Gitmo prisoners are being treated in such a good way. BUT, in view of the crisis in medical care in the usa, I applaud anyone who tries to expose the greed and corruption in the medical/dental/pharmaceutical/HMO industries. The official number of deaths in the usa caused by lack of medical care is 18,000/year. That is like having a 9/11 every 60 days - only worse because these are deaths that we are imposing on ourselves.
In some areas of the country, things are worse than in other places. The southwestern corner of the state of Vermont has been in a medical crisis for a few years and things are getting worse. The story that I often tell about my friend who relocated to Costa Rica because she had a toothache is true.Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 06/12 at 02:39 PMhi, for anyone interested in watching ‘sicko’ it is available free at movie forumz:
Love the bobble headed bush doing the wiggly-wiggly...even though it makes me woozy to watch.
Posted by frances on from bc 06/12 at 03:39 PMI don’t usually cry at movies but there have been two cinema moments at which I cried my guts out: the end of American History X and the “What a Wonderful World” sequence in Michael Moore’s Bowling for Columbine. Of course it is a typical Moore trick to aggressively manipulate viewers’ emotions, but I broke down at that point because, at the time, I just didn’t know some of that stuff. It was crushing. And necessary (much like the photo collections at robert-fisk.com).
That said, I don’t think Moore’s really a documentary film maker, more of a propogandist (whose propoganda I often---but certainly not always---agree with). Farenheit 911 was heavy-handed.
Posted by Keir on from the hague 06/12 at 05:17 PMHi frances
Hi Keir...I don’t cry very often these days but will always remember the first time that I saw the Fisk photos. I cried. A movie that made me cry was that old one with Cher, “Mask"- about the boy with neurofibromatosis. Also the TV movie that I mention often and wish that everyone could see - titled “A Home of Their Own”. It still is the most realistic representation of homelessness that I have ever seen in a film.Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 06/12 at 05:54 PMHello Keir,6, RMJ, 7...Crying? I love crying. Very cleansing...releases toxic stuff, frees emotions. I don’t mind crying at all. I wish more americans, especially american males cried more often! Tear ducts have a purpose, just like other orifices of the body have a purpose...works out quite nicely in fact.
Do you think americans have hardened themselves...too much. I think we need lots of defense mechanisms to cope with this Neanderthal, inhumane society.
If we become too hardened, we won’t feel at all...it will take photos of atrocities to evoke our humanness.
Maybe if we cried more often...we would get piss off???
Posted by joe of maine on from 06/12 at 06:53 PMRe Michael Moore’s ‘Sicko’: he was interviewed by an Australian film critic at Cannes and said that he thinks the Australian (federal) government tries to steer this country in the same direction as the US, as far as its health system is concerned and that that was a very bad thing. That was quite alarming - and I could not agree more!
Hello, Maine Joe, Zen Prole, Rosemarie, richie, frances, keir and all those who are yet to comment. In case Ehtesham (sp?) makes an appearance, you might be interested in this - re Finkelstein:
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=43&ItemID=13047
And another piece:http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/article.php?pg=11&ar=1011
More expendables and the ‘Cool Observer’ himself might possibly be interested as well.
It’s a beautiful wintry day in Daylesford, so I might go on a walk later .. Be well, all of you.
Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 06/12 at 07:55 PMSorry, expendables but neither the ZMag link nor the link to Finkelstein’s site seems to work, so here is the Zmag article:
DePaul denies tenure for controversial professor
by Maudlyne Ihejirika
and Dave Newbart
June 11, 2007
For a man who has just lost his job after a highly public battle, DePaul University assistant political science Professor Norman Finkelstein is calm and accepting.
That’s because Finkelstein, whose tenure bid drew widespread interest because of the Jewish professor’s blunt criticism of Jews and the state of Israel—and the attack on those views waged by Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz—stands firmly on the beliefs that may have got him fired.“There is a song by the folk singer Keith [sic] Seeger, ‘Die Gedanken sind frei,’” the controversial academic reflected in a rare interview with the Sun-Times.
“That means, ‘thoughts are free.’ No one can deny that ‘die gedanken sind frei.’ They can deny me tenure, deny me the right to teach. But they will never stop me from saying what I believe.”
What Finkelstein—the son of Holocaust survivors—believes is that his people are culpable in the plight of the Palestinians. He drew wrath from prominent Jewish leaders when he accused some of exploiting Jewish suffering to block criticism of Israel, and made other enemies when he accused some survivors of conducting a “shakedown” to get payments from Germany.
Dershowitz, author of The Case for Israel, called Finkelstein’s writings full of distortions about Jews in general and himself in particular, and was one of many weighing in on a normally closed-door process. He implored DePaul to reject Finkelstein’s tenure.
A debate over Finkelstein had raged among students and faculty, including universities nationwide and internationally.
“Over the past several months, there has been considerable outside interest and public debate concerning this decision,” DePaul’s president, the Rev. Dennis Holtschneider, said Friday.
“This attention was unwelcome and inappropriate and had no impact on either the process or the outcome of this case.”
DePaul said the political science department and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences recommended tenure for Finkelstein, but the college’s dean and the University Board on Promotion and Tenure recommended against it and were upheld by Holtschneider.
“I would be disingenuous if I said I were not disappointed,” Finkelstein said.
“On the other hand, both of my parents survived the Nazi death camps. Growing up, what I remembered most was my late mother used to say, ‘Some people are beasts, and there’s nothing to be done with them. But what about the silence of everyone else? That I cannot understand.’ Those were thoughts that left a deep mark on me.”
Finkelstein has a year left at DePaul. “I met the standards of tenure DePaul required, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the political opposition to my speaking out on the Israel-Palestine conflict,” he said.
“As it happens, I was just this past week teaching about Paul Robeson in my political science class. When Robeson was crucified for his beliefs, he said, ‘I will not retreat one-thousandth part of one inch.’ That’s what I say to the thugs and hoodlums who are trying to silence me. They don’t want to talk about what Israel is doing to the Palestinians. So they make Norman Finkelstein the issue.”
Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 06/12 at 08:05 PMAnd apparently Raul Hilberg and Avi Shlaim were interviewed by Amy Goodman re the denial of tenure to Norman Finkelstein and a transcript of the interview can be read on Finkelstein’s website. Here is the home address of his site:
http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/
and then, as they say, ‘follow the prompts’ or click on the photo of Hilberg and Shlaim.Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 06/12 at 08:12 PMHello all...I’ve been out of the loop here for a while due to a family crisis. I’ve learned not to trust the media even more than before, if your can believe that...but this article goes into some of the details:
My cousin, Kathy, was one of the most beautiful, open, and caring people I knew. Many wonderful things are said about people who die tragically and young, but I know in her case that they are
absolutely true.I just got back from Alaska yesterday and the search and recovery effort continues with about 30 Native Americans, or as those I met called themselves, Indians and Eskimos. They are camped along the shore of Harding Lake near Fairbanks and use the 24 hour sunlight to search and drag the lake night and day. We have hired a Side Scan Sonar expert who will arrive at the end of this week.
Keep me and my family in your thoughts…
Thanks,
JOS
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 06/13 at 09:12 AMJOS...you were missed. Thank you for sharing your family tragedy with us. That is so sad. You and your family are in my prayers.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 06/13 at 09:28 AMRMJ is 1000% right. We all missed you. Can we help in any way?
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 06/13 at 09:32 AMJos......Blessings upon you brother and your family in your time of tribulation.. Thank you for sharing. Take comfort in knowing that the dedication of the search team carries the spirit of your thoughts with them each moment. I will carry your hope within my heart as well. richie
Posted by Richie on from st cloud / n ft myers 06/13 at 09:33 AMEvery good wish to you and your family JOS.
Posted by Keir on from the hague 06/13 at 09:44 AMSame from me, JOS-- I really hope things work out for the best for everyone.
Posted by James on from work 06/13 at 10:12 AMThanks everyone...I knew I would get nothing but great words and support here.
Mickey, it has been pretty amazing to watch our large family come together during this crisis...everything that can be done is being done. If I ever need any more help I know I can come here and ask...but for now, we’re doing very well...thanks for asking.
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 06/13 at 10:46 AMHello everyone,
Thanks for the link to ‘Sicko’, Frances. Helga, I read almost all the articles on Finkelstein and as I watch democracy now everyday, I’ve seen the interviews too. Thanks anyways for referring to them.Mickey, the Bush cartoon is extremely hilarious!
Cheers.
Posted by Ehtesham on from Canada 06/13 at 12:39 PMJOS..12..I’m sorry this happened......
Posted by joe of maine on from 06/13 at 03:16 PMJOS, my thoughts are with you and your family. This is so tragic.
Posted by Ehtesham on from Canada 06/13 at 04:37 PMThanks guys…
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 06/13 at 04:58 PMso sorry to hear this JOS. thoughts are with you.
Posted by michael on from scotland 06/13 at 05:08 PMWas saddened when I heard about your family crisis, JOS. I shall keep you and your family in my thoughts.
Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 06/13 at 07:39 PM
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