Sicko - New York Times comments
Michael Moore’s Movie Leaks to the Web
“Sicko,” Michael Moore’s new documentary about America’s healthcare system, was too hot for quarantine, landing on YouTube for a weekend of free rides before the lawyers stepped in.
The movie is still available on file-sharing Web sites like Piratebay.org, where the movie popped up at least one week before today, and 18 days before its slated release.
So far, only those with enough technical expertise, bandwidth and time can take advantage of that, but it’s probably just a matter of time before bootleg copies hit the streets of New York and elsewhere.
There is little the movie studio can do to stop the likes of Pirate Bay, which operates freely in Sweden, at least for the time being. “Sicko” is already ranked on the site’s top-10 list with more than 1,800 downloads.
That number may grow to the tens of thousands in the next few weeks, if another file-sharing site’s tale to Atlantic Monthly is any guide:
On November 19, 2006, someone at a computer in Wharton, New Jersey, put a high-quality copy of a newly released holiday family film, recorded directly from the film reels, onto eDonkey, a person-to-person file-sharing network. Within weeks, that one file had been downloaded by 30,408 people on six continents (you can see the download locations on the map [pdf]).
Faced with that threat, Mr. Moore’s movie studio said it was “responding aggressively to protect our film,” including, according to Advertising Age, using a decoy strategy to confuse the online pirates. A company has been hired by the studio to flood the file-sharing sites with “downloads that are coded to look like ‘Sicko’ but often contain advertiser-supported content.”
Aside from providing some extra marketing, though, the measure is unlikely to stop illegal file-sharing. Sites like Pirate Bay make it very easy to find and size up popular content, with lists ranked by popularity and download counts on each file.
A much bigger threat lurks in the distance, as Pirate Bay threatens to unveil a “YouTube killer,” which supposedly will make it simple for anyone to easily watch pirated movies on a site unaffected by American legal pressures. That may make it a Hollywood killer, as well.
For now, the makers of “Sicko” seem to be pleased with the early interest, which now includes reviews on Web sites and YouTube (more here and here) to add to its mostly positive reviews during the Cannes film festival.
“Healthcare impacts everybody right in their homes, and it is not surprising that people are eager to see ‘Sicko,’ ” a Weinstein Company spokeswoman told The Los Angeles Times.
The divisive director himself has not yet commented on the leak of the film, though he tacitly endorsed the idea in principle a few months ago, a Wired blogger pointed out.
“I don’t agree with the copyright laws and I don’t have a problem with people downloading the movie and sharing it with people as long as they’re not trying to make a profit off my labor,” Mr. Moore said at the time.
53 comments so far...
Earth's magnetic field:
2007
2:26 pm
Michael Moore screened Sicko in NYC last night at the DGA theater and took questions after. Though he suggested he would prefer that people buy tix to see the movie, he again said he hoped that people who downloaded it would enjoy it, but not try to make a profit from it. He said sometimes people become fans through such downloads and maybe would go to theaters to see his subsequent films. He said the leaked copy is high quality, made from the masters, and wondered if the intention had been to kill the movie–and who might have had such an interest. Btw, the film is terrific; the audience of directors and producers gave MM a standing o.
— Posted by sally
2007
2:26 pm
While we need to protect the financial implications of copyright I’m very pleased that such a powerful and significant film is receiving such excellent publicity. Maybe this will help many Americans to obtain the kind of health care that they desperately need.
— Posted by Peter Watson
2007
2:31 pm
The divisive director?…um, how about challenging director? Or, outspoken director? Or _____? Moore asks that we consider the state we find ourselves in. For a reviewer to call this perspective devisive, leaves me wondering when reporting morphs into outright opining!
— Posted by F Pitman
2007
2:39 pm
The leak goes along with Moore’s philosophy of showing the art to as many people as possible. I’ll see it in theaters, though I’m unsure I will be able to restrain my comments (there would be yelling at a DVD viewing I’m sure). Looking forward to another heavily edited piece of sweet, tangy pseudo-truth. Mmmmm.
— Posted by Joseph
2007
2:39 pm
Mr. Moore may not mind if folks download for free his movies. I’m not sure actors and all the other folks who try to make a living in the film business would feel the same way. Maybe he has enough money not to need revenue from his films. This is a selfish view. He should support copyright laws for his colleagues in the movie business and other creative fields.
— Posted by Joan Nicholson
2007
2:42 pm
Stealing, borrowing or otherwise getting an unauthorized copy of Mr. Moore’s movie is not a good idea. Why aren’t the police able to shut down pirate sales of DVDs on the streets of NYC? I have never seen such an open display of stolen materials in any other American city.
As for the movie itself, be careful. Mr. Moore is entirely right to try to draw stark attention to problems with “health” care in America, but his previous films have shown he isn’t much bothered by facts or anything else that stands in the way of making his argument. Perhaps we need Mr. Moore to bring big pub and sharp focus to national problems, but we also need responsibile documentary markers, and journaliists and writers, to deal with the hard facts in an honest and thoughtful way.
— Posted by Doug Terry terryreport.com
2007
2:55 pm
As always, Moore’s a genius. He realizes what the Hollywood music & film industries do not, that a few computer geeks downloading something only snowball the (free) publicity for everybody else. Already, the shills for our esteemed corporate class who make millions off of charging outrageously high health insurance premiums then denying coverage are having conniptions, trying to demonize the messenger (”fat” Michael) so people will overlook the message. Sorry fellas, it ain’t gonna work. The whole country will be talking about this movie, and politicians (yes even Hillary) will finally be forced to answer to their obedience to America’s ruthless HMO’s & insurance companies.
— Posted by RussBBinVegas@aol.com
2007
3:05 pm
The only “pirate” i can envision with “intent to injure” would be joe lieberman. He may still be irked by Kerry not picking him because of his, (Lieberman’s) ties to pharmaceutical political funding of himself.
— Posted by will segen
2007
3:06 pm
I hate to sound cynical, but this is the type of publicity Moore’s films are known to have before release. Who knows who is really behind it.
His film tends to be on the edge of being propaganda than a documentary.
That picture of him in the article makes him look like Jabba the Hutt with horn rim glasses.
— Posted by Janice Lin
2007
3:08 pm
The American thing to do is to get a copy of “Sicko” and become a BitTorrent seeder; more people need to see this movie. I’m glad Moore is saying he is OK with sharing the movie.
— Posted by Axeman
2007
3:14 pm
There are two schools of thought on piracy in the software industry, and they apply almost equally to recorded media.
COMPETE IN THE MARKET WITH LAWYERS. Make copy protection and use very strong. Sue the heck out of end users. Make life miserable as possible for everyone and claim that billions of dollars have been lost. See more on these dollar claims later.
USE PIRATED COPIES AS VIRAL MARKETING. What users of pirated copies are most going to want is to gain access to support and upgrades to protect the knowledge and work product their pirated copies have generated. That is what you sell them and get them to be long term customers.
In the case of media content, pirated versions are either depriving the artist and production company pf billions of lost revenue or they are viral marketing agents for word-of-mouth advertising.
If it is unclear why pirated copies might increase, rather than decrease, market share, consider that many eventual buyers would never have done so if a) they had not gotten their original version for free or nearly free, or b) had not received the kudos for the product from pirated users. In the case of media, many who see a pirated copy will then pay to see a theater- or performance-based version to get the larger perspective as a repeat viewing.
When companies, particularly the general counsels of those companies, claim billions lost on pirated copies, they always seem particularly generous on the number of copies actually in pirated use and the resulting revenue. Never have I heard of the offsets and benefits the companies received from pirated versions.
There is a real Hobson’s choice here. You can’t allow pirating willy-nilly and give your product away, but at the same time it is often good to turn a blind eye to some aspects of copying and pirating. The trick is knowing how, where and when.
Hats off to Mr. Moore if he advances the cause on this tricky issue. More hats off if he helps out on the health care problem.
Raising Cane when I am Able
— Posted by Raising Cane
2007
3:25 pm
The big problem with Michael Moore is he is so entrenched with the left that any film he makes is instantly politically polarizing.
I admire the fact that he tackles subject matter that is important to the USA, but dislike that he feels compelled to spin it in such a liberal fashion.
Because of this, ultimately, Mr. Moore has a severe credibility issue with anyone who is not aligned with his politics.
Personally, I am a moderate Republican and, though I have heard he makes many valid points in his films, I will not contribute my hard-earned funds to advance his radical-left political agenda.
He needs to decide if he wants to be known as a serious film maker or a lackey for the extreme-liberal Democrats.
— Posted by Bill Cochran
2007
3:44 pm
Moore pirated his own film. that makes the most sense.
— Posted by R.S.Newark
2007
3:45 pm
I agree with F. Pitman — Mike Nizza, the reporter/writer of this piece, betrays his own bias against Mr. Moore by calling him “The devisive director.”
— Posted by Patricia Menges
2007
3:59 pm
As an average working class couple in their 60?s who are paying over $1500 a month for health care, I look forward to seeing Michael’s movie, hoping cost is one of the many issues which should be investigated. As responsible adults we can not go uninsured without the risk of loosing everything if one or both fall to illness. It’s time someone spoke out and what better way than the movies. All those who have a negative opinion of the movies without seeing or refuse to see just because of their “politics” are part of the reason we have the problem in the first place. Thanks Michael Moore for taking the time to tackle an issue that is long overdue. Your’re welcome in out home anytime.
— Posted by Helen
2007
4:00 pm
Moore’s object, in all of his movies, is to be a muck-raker. We’ve had lots of them before in this country, but only in the printed word. His work comes under the heading of investigative jounalism (not Murdoch-style yellow journalism), and if Moore stretches a fact to make a point, does that make his point invalid?
No.
C’mon, folks, we’re all living in the USA which is the most complacent country in the Western world. Nobody rocks the boat, a boat which greatly resembles the Black Pearl being as how it’s navigated by a bunch of pirates.
We need more Michael Moores (although it’s true he’s big enough to be two of them himself). Calling him fat only makes him that much more normal in overweight, under-protesting America.
— Posted by Barry Longsugar
2007
4:08 pm
I think that it is great to get this out into the open anyway possible. Anyone who claims that the actors, support staff and others who actually do the work are losing out don’t understand how the system actually works. Do you think the studios are actually losing money? The actors and working class are and will always be exploited by the studios…
— Posted by Aaron
2007
4:10 pm
You gotta love Mr. Moore. ‘using a decoy strategy to confuse the online pirates’ MM thinks that all is well if people don’t make money off him, well, who’s making all the money off those cloaked links?
— Posted by J Bart Gordon
2007
4:10 pm
Mr. Cochran, you are the extremist toady in this sketch. Your purely symbolic, one-man boycott doesn’t deprive Mr. Moore of anything. It accomplishes nothing but to shore up your inflated idea of your own importance.
If you want to be thought of as a serious anything, Mr. Cochran, then expose yourself to a full range of views, as we grownups do routinely. You’ll find that your present, imaginary conflict with Mr. Moore will dissolve into nothing, as the facts support him far more than they dispute him.
Cheers!
— Posted by shieldvulf at playful
2007
4:15 pm
What does looking like Jabba the Hutt have to do with the issue of “pirating” or the content of the movie? What does having a extreme left political agenda have with the issue of mediocre health care in the US versus Cuba?
Movie makers for years have been oddly shaped, weird looking and had a political agenda. They still made movies that delivered a message people should at least give some thought too.
What Americans should be wary off is politicians with their good looks and hidden agendas who claim to be compassionate conservatives and stick their proverbial forks into our backsides as they lift our wallets.
— Posted by Erik
2007
4:20 pm
I for one, am excited to see this and all of his films. Yes, they are pretty left-leaning and his political agenda is overt in the film, to the point that you almost cannot call them documentary.
But he tackles such important issues and makes the topics relevant and inspiring to the viewer. This is a major problem in the US and someone needs to expose the health care industry for what it is. He is the foremost political satirist and he is the only artist who could pull this film off.
— Posted by Joseph
2007
4:21 pm
Bush is politically polarizing NOT Michael Moore.
Most moderate Republicans I know love Moore’s movies. They find him goofy when he asked US Senators why they have not sent their kids to Iraq. Why have they not sent their kids to Iraq? And why hypocrites such as Bush and Cheney did all they could not to go to Vietnam?
Asking how come terrorists get better health coverage than 911 firefighters is annoying but well is it not true? Only radical right-wingers see a problem with such undeniable but embarrassing facts. You do not need to be a extreme-liberal Democrat to have see there is something wrong with this picture.
— Posted by Larry Pavlides
2007
4:21 pm
MOORE’S COMMENTS CAN’T COMPARE WITH THE SPIN COMING OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE EVERY DAY.
— Posted by hcrossman
2007
4:29 pm
critics who seem to be automatically skeptical of Moore’s work should identify which of his facts are wrong. They may not like his tone, but is his message on target? I do not recall seeing successful attacks on his facts.
— Posted by Paul R. Cooper
2007
4:31 pm
Thank you Michael!
I was recently laid of from my job and was told my health insurance was gone after tomorrow. I could use Cobra at $1,000 a month but who can afford that when they are trying to live on unemployment checks. My wife has stopped taking medications that she needs because we can’t afford to buy them. Hopefully I will go back to work soon and can get health care again. Our system in the US of A simply stinks! and I am so happy that Michael is helping to bring this problem into the open. Health care should not be tied to working for a big enough company that can provide it.
— Posted by Daniel
2007
4:48 pm
i’m a sicko…for michael moore! whether its wmd’s or hmo’s, michael moore digs where journalistas fear to tread! and, he takes a healthy stroll down the red carpet, making cold hard facts into hot film festival buzz! sicko is bravo!
— Posted by cris
2007
4:48 pm
So Moore thinks Hillary has sold out to the highest bidders? Is that a surprise? Follow the money and you can see that Hillary is the second largest receiver of largesse from the health industry. Some say she will take their money and forget them at the right time. Either way, that mind set is fraudulent.
— Posted by toohot2handle_90069
2007
4:56 pm
I saw the first half of the movie last night, it was posted in it’s entirety on Google Video. It is fantastic and scary too, I can’t wait to get to see it in the theater, which I was already planning to do. I’ve seen all of Michael’s films in the theater beginning with Roger And Me. Go Michael Moore, you’re the hero of the teeming masses of the working class!
— Posted by Dave
2007
4:58 pm
The movie is NOT on the Pirate Bay. People who write about technology should know better than to say something like that. The pirate bay, like ANY torrent tracker, hosts torrent files. they are very small text files with some hash codes and a url or two. the files are hosted by the public, the trackers just point the way.
don’t accuse trackers of distributing anything. even if the tracker was in america, it wouldn’t matter. that’s how it should work, anyway.
— Posted by Alexander
2007
5:12 pm
I strongly recommend seeing the movie before you decide that it’s bunk. This movie is NOT about bashing Republicans, Bush, or anything else. It is, if anything, a plea for healthcare reform by showing a series of stories of American healthcare nightmares, and then showing alternate healthcare systems in Canada, the UK, France, and finally Cuba (including the healthcare given to the enemy combatants in Guantanamo Bay.)
Does he ever claim that the other systems are perfect? Nope. Does he explore exactly what’s wrong with those systems? Nope. That’s not the point of his argument.
His thesis is simple: the American healthcare system is broken, and we need to fix it.
He then proceeds to present some solutions by looking at three nations that have lower infant mortality rates and longer life expectancies all the while spending less money on healthcare. Canada, the UK, and France.
Then he delves into a fourth nation that also has better stats than we do and who we think of as poor and downtrodden: Cuba.
You’ll notice that no one is arguing that facts. They’re just pointing out the Cuba aspect and the things they don’t like about the other systems when the statistics don’t lie. Better quality and span of life, less money spent.
What percentage of bankruptcies in the US are attributed to medical bills? Look that up and you’ll discover WHY the premise that the American healthcare system is broken is not being challenged by many.
— Posted by Monica
2007
5:18 pm
Having just had problems with Humana discontinuing coverage for a sick family member, I was “interested” to see that Humana’s stock went up 3% today on report of increased profit forecast for the full year. see http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AI D=/20070618/BUSINESS/70618015/1003
— Posted by Christopher M. Robinson
2007
5:19 pm
I suggest the movie companies embrace this new way of distributing movies, or suffer the consequences.
If, in theory, I were to download a great quality copy of lets say, “Sicko,” and i believed so much in the film that i immediately wanted to tip michael moore the way i can tip the game maker at a site such as eyezmaze.com, then i can feel better about having watched it online. without that mechanism, pirates haven’t got an easy way to pay for play for things that are not readily available in the old fashioned way.
I’m seriously looking forward to buying tickets to and watching sicko in a theater. Many of the people downloading sicko this week will probably also go watch it in the theater, just to support mr. moore’s great work.
The fact is, though, as production of motion pictures becomes cheaper and cheaper with newer and more compact equipment, and as we continue this convergence of tv/computers/film/performance , we are approaching a time when we will no longer need to heed the middle men of the movie studios or tv networks to publish something we created ourselves.
I remember a few years ago when Steven Spielberg and George Lucas mentioned that they had received a submission of a full length motion picture produced by one single person with his own video cameras, edited on his own computers. that phenomenon will become more and more commonplace, and there simply won’t be room for the movie studio model that we have today, mostly because of a previous lack in distribution technology.
the killer app will be a way to allow people who would like to, to easily pay for what they see, should they feel what they have just seen is worth supporting.
if the model works properly, then any piece of intellectual property can go floating around wherever it wants to go, and enough people, in theory, should be willing to pay enough to not only cover the costs of production, but give a reasonable profit to the makers as well.
— Posted by Dave Kliman
2007
5:23 pm
It’s not hard to figure out who ‘leaked’ the movie. As others have commented, this just generates free publicity for the movie. I think MM understands that the majority of people who download his films are those who either have no chance to see the films in theaters or who would never go to a theaters to see them. Michael Moore is a muckraker in the tradition of Upton Sinclair, Izzy Stone and Ralph Nader, and I’m sure he would be proud to be compared to them. Additionally, his films are entertaining, and getting the point across while entertaining is truly an art.
— Posted by engt
2007
5:30 pm
” though I have heard he makes many valid points in his films, I will not contribute my hard-earned funds to advance his radical-left political agenda. — Posted by Bill Cochran”
Uh huh….so you “know” without having seen Moore’s films that the contents are “radical-left.” Gee, I didn’t know that there had been such a heavily documneteed case of an individual with ESP such as yourself.
Why not just say it more simply? “My mind is made up and don’t confuse me with the facts.”
Comments such as yours lead me to believe that my ancestors when drafting the COnsitution made a serious error in not requiring literacy tests for voters (with a strong emphasia on reading comprehension and cricital analysis.)
Frankly there is no way to make a documentary about the indutries of healthcare or health insurance that can make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. It is impossible to be anything but condematory about the delivery of healthcare in this country.
It is unfortunate that the film was priated. However, among the demographic that actually vote ( over 35 and lots of 50 and up) few are tech savvy enough to download a pirated version and will either wait for their theater or rent the DVD. It is the age group that is known for NOT voting that has the teh savvy to enage in downlaoding and benefitting from stolen property.
— Posted by AnnS
2007
5:35 pm
I think Moore’s acceptance of pirating is refreshing. I think the industry often has a negative knee jerk reaction to what they don’t understand and haven’t figured out how to monotize yet. But, if you look at mp3 downloading, these new distribution mediums can turn into multi billion dollar industries in their own right. The thing that the movie industry should be scare of is (you guessed it): Microsoft. At least if I buy a pirated DVD off of the street in NYC the quality is bad and I have an incentive to see the picture in a theater or buy a real DVD if I like the movie. With Vista, however, the pirated HD-DVD or Blue Ray disk can actually be of a higher quality than the disk people buy (if it is made from a master or other high quality source like the one in this article is). For instance, I have an HD projector hooked up to my computer. I can’t use it to watch purchased HD movies because its 1 & 1/2 years old and I don’t have Vista on that computer. I could (but don’t) watch pirated HD movies on it.
— Posted by Dixon
2007
5:36 pm
Amazing how some have the “kill the messenger” message down like a mantra. Health care costs are affecting everyone, but some would rather blame the trial lawyers as they have for 25 years, or now, the illegal immigrants.
Because Michael Moore made the film, it doesn’t seem to matter what the real people in his films say or do, or what facts are brought to light. The movie just can’t be believed because it’s a Michael Moore movie. You know he’s such a libberoll!
Somehow it is a problem that Michael Moore makes his movies from his perspective, like every other movie director. I’d say history has vindicated Moore’s movie “Farenheit 9-11? and his first film’s warnings about outsourcing.
Propaganda? His own, I suppose. Ask Judith Miller about propaganda, not someone willing to speak truth to power.
— Posted by carl lee
2007
5:38 pm
Congratulations, Michael, for dealing with an issue that is ignored!
We live in a world where profits are the priority, instead of health, life and the environment.
How long are we going to live in this situation?
— Posted by Gabriel
2007
5:38 pm
I agree with Michael Moore on most things and feel he’s made an invaluable contribution to the country through his films. However, I have no quarrel with his being called “divisive.” I see that as a fact, not an opinion. In a country divided by strong feelings about social issues, when an outspoken person supports one side to the detriment of the other he or she is by definition being divisive. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that. But lest there be any doubt, I do consider Moore to be something of a national monument. He’s a champ at putting on the front burner vital issues that we ignore at our own peril.
— Posted by Mike
2007
5:49 pm
I can’t get over some of the comments by individuals who seem to hate Michael Moore so much.
These include:
Who are these losers?? People with an axe to grind! People who envy Michael Moore’s success as a filmmaker! These are republicans whose party is led by pathetic, arrogant, contemptuous leaders.
Moore is no “lackey” for any liberal causes. Moore is one angry MOTHER F-CKER as are the rest of the 50 million people (including children) wondering why they can’t afford health insurance! Moore gives a DAMN about causes that matter to him! Kudos for his delivering a message that has still yet to sink into the contemptuous and arrogant Republican minds of this country!
Thank goodness millions of Americans share Michael Moore’s “propaganda” viewpoint. Now just maybe a revolution will come to help torpedo the private health insurance industry and in its place will be born a single payer health care system that covers the 50 million individuals with no health insurance.
— Posted by Lord B
2007
5:55 pm
The only mystery to me is why Michael Moore’s movies have to be seen in theaters at all. It’s not as if they’re masterpieces of the cinematographer’s art. The question we should be asking is “Why aren’t we seeing documentaries about gun control / junk food / the healthcare business / corporate corruption on TV?” Methinks the question answers itself.
— Posted by Valentino
2007
6:05 pm
I hope everyone that wanted to see the crap Michael Moore puts out see’s it for free and he goes broke. Michael Moore is nothing more than a half truth telling, self serving idiot who should pack his bags and move away.
— Posted by Jerry
2007
6:07 pm
My first thought is that the ‘pirated’ copy, considering the fact that it is ‘high quality’ was leaked by Mr. Moore himself as a publicity stunt and to get viewership of the film. I supposed it could have been leaked by someone else for some other purpose. The fact that Mr. Moore didn’t get terribly upset over the leakage, while at the NY premiere, indicates to me that he may have had some involvement in this so-called ‘leak’.
— Posted by Brian
2007
6:28 pm
Great film…A lot of Michael’s typical MO is in the film and so it won’t appeal to all audiences although you can’t come away from the film not disgusted with how the government and media spin the health care industry…Really enjoyable.
What might even be more remarkable is how well the system of universal healthcare is shown to work in places like Canada, UK and France in addition to Cuba.
Love em or Hate em, Michael Moore illuminates the things ‘Big Brother’ would rather keep in the dark.
Great job Michael!
— Posted by FcukBsuh
2007
6:56 pm
Its been up on Google Video as well.
http://www.zeropaid.com/news/8852/Michael+Moore%27s+%27 Sicko%27+appears+on+Google+Video
Here’s screenshots of the movie’s availability on BitTorrent networks.
http://www.zeropaid.com/news/8846/Michael+Moore%27s+new +documentary+%22Sicko%22+leaked+on+BitTorrent
— Posted by Jared Moya
2007
7:14 pm
So far as the issue of piracy is concerned, it seems to me that the historical precedent for forms of art is to go and see them. This raises an interesting debate because it wasn’t until the invention and mass production of Thomas Edison’s grammaphone that we had music in our homes; moreover, effectively we hadn’t had moving pictures in the home until the 1950’s. Simply put, on historical record we don’t exactly have “entitlement” per se to the ownership of copies of the media we wish to untilize. Musicians and performers had to essentially come to you in order for you to enjoy their products. However, whereby the technology exists to do just this, I feel that as a global community, while the recipients of the media product become more creative in their endeavor to seek out their news, entertainment etc. the producers also must change with the times- thus there is a progression in the way that we see media (so to say). So, in the end if this is the way that the landscape of technology and forms of mass media collide, I say so be it. Quite frankly, we’re in a rapidly changing period of time with much growth and opportunity and in so many other ways, we don’t seek to halt that progress- so my question is, why in this one way would anyone try to prevent the evolution of society.
— Posted by Zeus Miller
2007
10:20 pm
Well said Zeus. Stifling information and the truth can only cause harm. Adams and other founding fathers were big believers in an educated and informaed citizenry. Those that would kill the messenger, even though the message–healthcare–is a major issue affecting everyone and their quality of life, these fools would rather put their heads in the sand and cry propaganda or half-truth liar.
They say Moore is divisive or polarizing, but their reaction is much like a magnet’s polar opposite and they are repelled in their flock mentality to avert their gaze and shut their ears.
It’ a pathetic state of affairs.
You are wrong however about their being no music in homes, as over half the homes in a America at one time had a piano, and most homes had several instruments and families sang and played together with the alternative reading to each other.
— Posted by Carl Lee
2007
10:48 pm
I would be very surprised if this isn’t just another publicity stunt by MM. While I enjoy his films, I think he’s a moron, and will stop at nothing to make a buck.
So, Michael, how was this high quality really leaked?
— Posted by Alex Bohner
2007
2:07 am
It’s clear to me the lobbyiest for all industries have done such a great job in getting money for their industries and companies, they have literally lobbied their way out of jobs. As medical care becomes less affordable for the majority, more and more people are dropping health care entirely and instead embarking on their own wellness programs.
I would like to see the Health care industry in this country collapse, so the public can pass legislation to make it ethical. I mean from the FDA and drugs to the way we handle over the counter medication.
For workers comp, everyone knows how to make it more affordable, but nobody in government wants to do it because they will get blow back from the industries who only exist by sapping their profits from the existing systems.
— Posted by Harrier
2007
2:44 am
So much for the DOJ confiscating this film. Now that everyone except blind republicans will be seeing this movie, the question is; Will mainstream America actually get off their lazy asses and DEMAND HEALTH CARE REFORM?
— Posted by Mark Tele
2007
3:16 am
All this assumes that people go to the movies to watch these ridiculous flicks. In fact they go for the ambiance, the popcorn, the oversized drinks and a chance to be alone with someone of the oposite sex.
— Posted by e jones
2007
10:37 am
As I sit with a medical problem and no insurance, I watched the movie. It is incredible that certain Americans have a fetishe against Moore but are unable to realize the criminality and barbarity, the outright stealing and fraud that is occuring by these HMO’s. Recently I am astounded that Americans now seem to have sense whatsoever. they have been brainwashed into a psychology of invincible vanity while their debt is sky-high, their bills are going up, they are deprived of services and screwed at every opportunity by big corporate and big government, while at the same time losing private property and losing the ability to operate small business due to the tax laws. We now through teenagers in jail for making out and stamp the male as a life time sex offender. The whole country accepts a fraud 9/11 report and calls themselves Patriots and mindlessly flies the flag while their standard of living is dive-bombing. Debt is the destroyer and Congress allows a thousand predatory practices that were not tolerated twenty years ago. People now work their whole lives and have it taken from them. Americans have lost their minds. The mind control is very effective. Someone should be proud. Pounded by corporate media and attack radio and television news pornography and a shambles that is public education, how long will it take to add up? Today? Tomorrow? Ten years from now?
— Posted by Unfortunate Citizen
2007
11:04 am
I have the uneasy feeling that America’s reaction to the vast looting of the past few decades will be an all-volunteer economy of nobody getting paid for anything.
— Posted by Steve Bolger
2007
1:56 pm
Viva la revolucion! One of the most powerful films I’ve ever watched.
— Posted by Steve