Profiteering for Profit-Extinction

Micheal Moore's latest film Sicko, which is an attack on the United States healthcare industry, seems to be generating a very fascinating P.R. campaign. His first interview since the Fahrenheit 9/11 buzz happened on Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO last Friday.

They discussed how, at Cannes, Moore was recieved by both Democrats and Republicans alike. He told Maher that a man approached him after the screening to tell him (in tears) how much Moore's film moved him... and that he and his wife have always been die hard Republicans.

This story was repeated on Oprah this past week. Oprah's viewing audience is gargantuan and she has been known to attack her guests from time to time. However, she clearly sided with Moore, and there's no better way to attract the centrist majority of America than to show your face next to a grinning, God-loving, phony balogna Oprah Winfrey.

Not that I'm totally complaining. I think Moore is playing political chess better than ever.

For example, one of the most compelling arguments in the film (as seen in the trailer) points out how the detainees at Guantanamo are recieving excellent free health care from the military. He contrasts this with some of the 9/11 rescue workers that developed respiratory problems who were refused healthcare since they weren't on the government's payroll.

Think about this for a minute. One of the loudest screams from the left since the "war on terror" began was that the detainees from Gitmo were being tortured. Now the left-wing's poster boy is saying that they're recieving free healthcare. How can the right-wing defend itself from these attacks? Are they going to say "Gitmo's no picnic" and therefore agree with the left's previous argument? They're cornered, but I'm sure they'll just avoid talking about it.

Sicko's core point is that the healthcare industry can't be for the people and be for profit at the same time. I whole-heartedly agree, but I also think that's just the tip of the iceburg.

To further illustrate:

If food is for profit, it's going to make you addicted and slowly kill you, which it does.

If housing is for profit, it's going to be over-priced and place homeowners and tenants in terrible debt, which it does.

If news is for profit, it will favor the interests of their (wealthy) sponsors rather than the interests of the viewers in need to know, which it does.

If philosophy is for profit, you have religion. There I said it.

If the motivation of a society is geared toward the quest for greater and greater profits, rather than meeting the needs of people, it will clearly function in a lopsided and unfair way. The rich will continue to get richer and the poor will grow in numbers exponentially. To make the best profits you need the most cheap labor to exploit, and desperately poor people make excellent cheap labor, and if they're sick they're even more desperate.

I just hope Moore's intentions are good and that by attracting such a large amount of people, he'll use his own profits to keep talking about why profits are bad in general, not just for the healthcare business.