Submitted by Mike Pittard, Jun 20, 2007 09:11

Reading industries' responses to Michael Moore's film "Sicko" tells me just how neatly and painfully Moore has hit the mark.

For example, Pacific Research Institute's Sally Pipes said, "I think all of us want to let Americans know that [a single-payer, government-sponsored health care system] isn't the solution to the health care crisis in the U.S." Clearly the industry knows that a crisis exists and has probably known for a long time and yet has brought no solutions.

Another example: senior vice president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Ken Johnson said "a review of America's health care system should be balanced, thoughtful and well-researched to pin down what works and what needs to be improved." The phrase "balanced, thoughtful and well researched" is code for how the industry is going to strengthen its monopoly on our lives.

Finally, " ‘If you're in the policy business, your job is to find these teachable moments,' the Cato Institute's director of health policy studies, Michael Cannon, said.' " is more code for how the industry intends to spin the crisis to its benefit.

The insurance, pharmaceutical, research-for-profit, allied healthcare, and Bush government-sponsored industries will attempt to refute their piracy and plundering of our health by picking apart Moore's film and Moore himself, like playground bullies. And, because the American public generally behaves like sheep, public favor will initially side with the pirates, as perverse as that is.

But when healthcare becomes even more blatantly rationed than it is now, middle-class wallets will become angry and public sentiment will swing against the pirates and something will be done, depending on how much guts the current politicians can muster.

I've seen all of Moore's other films, and I intend to see this one and relish the anger "Sicko" inevitably will bring. Bravo, Michael Moore!

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