Groups Advocating for Single-Payer Healthcare Should Stop Basing Their Organization on Screenings of Sicko

A couple of months ago, I joined one of probably a bunch of groups advocating for single-payer healthcare.  At the present time, if I’m going to do any activism, it’s going to be for groups that are trying to do something to alleviate the suffering of many working and unemployed people, including myself.  I still may work with a group of a more revolutionary perspective, especially if it’s a matter of helping them to get out their information, trying to spread a little good theory and consciousness…  But I think that, especially at the present time, the first priority of activism should be to try to increase the pressure for policies that will help to ease the suffering.  I have no patience for anyone who wants to argue that advocating for a public or social welfare plan is somewhow wrong or questionable because it supports the power of the state. 

Though, needless to say, my activism is very limited in general these days…  But it would be nice if I could contribute to the cause of trying to bring single-payer healthcare to this country, even if the chances of accomplishing that are kind of small - just like the chances of accomplishing many other goals that would help to make our country and our society a little more civilized.  The problem is, though, that I haven’t yet seen a group advocating for single-payer healthcare do anything that would really help increase the public pressure.  I’ve already said before that I think there should be more activity out in the streets.  (I hesitate to use the word “militant” here for obvious reasons, but maybe that is the best word to describe where we should be going. )  But at the very least, groups should be consistent by supporting those who really work for, not against, their goals.

And we have to ask ourselves what this guy Michael Moore really is doing to help bring about single-payer healthcare.  He’s got a movie called Sicko that is supposed to champion this cause, and groups who support the cause who can’t really think of much else to do at the moment tend to organize around screenings of the film.  (The group that I signed up with also pushes screenings of this film - though it might be unfair to say that’s what they organize around.  I would have to work with them a little more to see what else they do.)  But, aside from making this movie, what is Michael Moore doing in the political arena to advocate for this cause?  It appears that he is not working for the cause but against it…

Because he’s become a big advocate for Barack Obama.  He recently wrote an editorial that got bounced around the Net in which he enthused about the “Obama movement” and expressed his passionate commitment to the campaign.  (I don’t know exactly where the article is right now, unfortunately - but maybe I’ll dig up a link someime.)  Meanwhile, Barack Obama isn’t going to do a damn thing to bring us single-payer healthcare; in fact, he’s spoken against it.  Moreover, Obama doesn’t even seem to care about universal heatlhcare of any kind.  He doesn’t even seem to support a bad plan for universal healthcare; he seems perfectly content with the idea that a good number of Americans, especially adults, will remain without hope of getting health coverage.  (And, as it looks right now, I will continue to be one of those Americans.)

Should an advocate of single-payer healthcare really give such glowing, unqualified support to someone who opposes that policy?  It seems to me that if this cause is high on your list, then you should emphasize the fact that you will withhold support from anyone who won’t even consider the idea.

Meanwhile, I don’t think Moore’s films are all that good anyway.  Roger and Me was a nice surprise for its time (despite some obvious condescension here and there), but Farenheit 9/11 was a more mixed effort IMO, especially because of the way that it kept pointing the finger at Bush family ties, suggesting conspiracy with the Bin Ladens, when it should have delved much more into a critique of the whole system.  Additionally, I just find Moore’s political commentary in general to be kind of sloppy, and I’ve never been very impressed by him.

Anyway, if we are really to have a movement advocating for single-payer healthcare, the movement should bring in a lot of people who are suffering because of lack of healthcare.  I haven’t seen Sicko, but I understand that it doesn’t even discuss the real uninsured.  But the real uninsured are the people who know best how bad the present system is.  And people who are really suffering because of this atrocious situation don’t need to see a movie to learn how bad it is.  Especially not a movie made by someone who serves as the champion for politicians who oppose the very cause we’re supposed to be supporting…