Michael Moore receives a subpoena from the Bush Regime.

[ambitious_wench]

At the risk of irritating scascot with my continual harping about "SiCKO", (deal with it, pal, he's right on this issue, not matter how much you hate him) Michael Moore revealed that a subpoena has been issued to him for going to Cuba with 9/11 workers to get treatment they could not get here in the US.

So, should Mr. Moore ignore the subpoena, claiming "movie executive privilege ", or should he show up, with due respect for the process of law?

Either way, this administration is going to come out looking like shit. Not that it doesn't already.

Comments

[velocichica.livejournal.com]

I would only hope that Mr. Moore would respect the law and show up rather than hide behind "movie executive privilege".

In fact, given the fact that I can't stand the reactionary little bugger myself, I hope he DOES show up, because then I'll have a bit more respect for him. If he decides to hide though, then my hatred will only continue to increase.

[ambitious-wench.livejournal.com]

Just out of curiousity, have you seen the entire movie?

I honestly don't understand the animosity toward him; No one has yet given me concrete answers why they hate him.

Yeah, I saw F911, really didn't see the point of it. Hate him for it? I don't see why.

I will say that SiCKO hits the nail on the head, though.

And yes, I do hope he shows up because he will rip a new asshole into the investigation. Although, there is a certain pointed irony in pointing out the hypocrisy of the Bush regime.

You are aware that Bush has advised his staffers to ignore congressional subpoenas over the firings of the attornies general, right?

[velocichica.livejournal.com]

I actually haven't seen SiCKO or F911. I refused after watching Bowling for Columbine. I found some of his antics thoroughly unnecessary and infuriating, like going to a KMart, going up to a helpless clerk and demanding to return the bullets imbedded inside a teenage school-shooting victim as well as harassing Charlton Heston for being a member of the NRA.

I looked at it as a "whose dick is bigger" competition between him and Rosie O'Donnell after she attacked Tom Selleck for his involvement in the NRA.

At the end of the day, sad to say, both of their dicks seem pretty much non-existant, but at least Rosie has an excuse.

And nothing GW does surprises me anymore.

[ambitious-wench.livejournal.com]

"...going to a KMart, going up to a helpless clerk and demanding to return the bullets imbedded inside a teenage school-shooting victim"

That is what I was looking for. Yes, I'd agree, that is over the top, and purely for theatrics. Cruel to the clerk, not to mention the family of the victim.

Am I going to discount SiCKO because of that? No. I dunno about redeeming himself with the movie, but I will say this; He caught hold of an issue that has been largely ignored in America, presented real people in real situations. The message is real, even if the messenger is an absolute ass.

Can I have your snail mail addy, Katie? I have something I'd like to send to you.
Edie

[mongo.livejournal.com]

Intentions aside, he took a group of people to Cuba. Even if he is allowed to travel to Cuba as a "journalist" the rest of the group isn't. And the travel restriction is nothing new. (Didn't the trade and travel embargo start during the Kennedy administration?). And he wasn't exactly quiet about it was he?

Ignoring the law doesn't really prove a point. And saying that if the President is doing it, why can't I goes back to playground days and that shit didn't fly then.

I guess the problem I have with Mr. Moore is that he is the documentary equivalent of a shock jock on the morning drive. He's going more for a reaction (and the bigger the better). From what I can gather he's real big on pointing out what's wrong and just as small on how to fix it.

And the problem is the more attention he calls to himself, I mean the problem, the less people want to listen. So he's almost doing more harm to his cause than good.

[ambitious-wench.livejournal.com]

"ntentions aside, he took a group of people to Cuba. "

This is where we part company, my friend. I personally believe that in this case, intentions outweigh the letter of the law. Yes, he may well pay the price for breaking the law. I'm going to bet he shows up, and if he is fined or imprisoned, he'll do the time, pay the price. But there's a larger issue here, and *that* is what's truly important.

Legality aside, let's look at the fact that citizens who helped on 9/11 have health issues, issues that make it impossible to get insurance, and are bearing an unreasonable burden, and have to go begging for medical treatment. There is something very, very wrong with that.

Let's leave Michael Moore out of it. Remember, even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

Edie

[mongo.livejournal.com]

I'd LOVE to leave Moore out of it. There is a real problem but it's not like just extending insurance to everyone that doesn't have it is going to solve the problem.

Because if we did that we would be in serious financial trouble. The health care industry needs an overhaul from the ground up not just the insurance side.

I will not lie, I have benefited greatly from having insurance but I still have to scratch my head when I look at the benefits statements. It shows what the hospital would bill, what the insurance company will agree to pay and the amount paid and my co-pays and balance due. Why is there a difference (and sometimes it's pretty large) between what a person without insurance pays as opposed to what someone with insurance pays?

Why is health care so expensive? How much of it is malpractice insurance costs? How much is doctors graduating with debt approaching 6 figures? Which goes into another rant of why does college cost as much as it does...

There are serious problems that need discussion and thought to find a solution. But we can't have those discussions while Mr. Moore is taking up the spotlight and his long-expired 15 minutes of fame.

[ambitious-wench.livejournal.com]

Yes, if we suddenly supplied full health insurance to every man, woman and child in America, we would be in serious financial trouble. Mostly because we are spending $2 BILLION a month in Iraq. So, the next question is "how are other countries managing it?" Supposedly we are one of the world's richest countries.

Amazingly, France is able to give everyone a college education, provide free and universal health care. They smoke more, drink more, have a diet higher in fat, and yet amazingly, amazingly, they have a longer life expectancy! How do they do it?

We seem to be having a discussion on it right now. We need to take it to a wider audience. Moore's movie is a starting point.

As to why there is a huge difference between what is charged to private individuals and what is charged to insurance, I'd say that is due to the profit-based insurance and medical industries.

Interestingly, in England, doctors get bonuses for each patient that quits smoking. Who pays? The government.

You also mentioned that Americans tend to wait until the last minute to get seen, if I recall. I'm guilty of that. Why? Because I can't afford to get medical care on a regular basis. I bring home less than $300 a week. I'm still trying to pay off debts from my two years of unemployment. At this rate, I will probably not get a real camera until we have a new president.

We need to find a way. Other countries manage. We are a nation of brilliant minds. Are we also a nation of self-centered, selfish bastards under the thumb of coprorations and an unattainable dream of riches?