I'm tempted to send Mr. Moore a check for the $20 we won't be spending at the movie theater this summer, but to do so would be to shortchange

Thomas Claburn, Editor at Large, Enterprise Mobility

June 18, 2007

1 Min Read

Michael Moore's latest film Sicko has appeared online. My wife and I watched it in its entirety on Google Video last night. It has been removed since then, though it's no doubt still available on various file sharing networks.

I'm tempted to send Mr. Moore a check for the $20 we won't be spending at the movie theater this summer, but to do so would be to shortchange him.

Sicko is a profoundly compelling film and if it has the effect on the rest of America that it had on me, Mr. Moore will have done this country a far greater service than can be paid back in dollars.Whether you lean right or left or off the charts, you will be moved by the grotesque inequity in the U.S health system that Mr. Moore documents.

You may not agree with Mr. Moore's argument that the U.S. should nationalize health care. You may not agree with the rhetorical techniques he uses to make his points. You may find his personal politics contrary to yours. But if you see Sicko, I suspect you will find it hard to deny that the U.S. heath-care system needs to change.

Writing about the unauthorized release of Sicko, The New York Times said, "Moore, 53, has been vocal in his support of downloading pirated movies as long as movie pirates don't profit."

If only the health care industry shared Mr. Moore's willingness to think of something other than profit, fewer U.S. citizens would die for the sake of some insurance executive's bonus.

About the Author(s)

Thomas Claburn

Editor at Large, Enterprise Mobility

Thomas Claburn has been writing about business and technology since 1996, for publications such as New Architect, PC Computing, InformationWeek, Salon, Wired, and Ziff Davis Smart Business. Before that, he worked in film and television, having earned a not particularly useful master's degree in film production. He wrote the original treatment for 3DO's Killing Time, a short story that appeared in On Spec, and the screenplay for an independent film called The Hanged Man, which he would later direct. He's the author of a science fiction novel, Reflecting Fires, and a sadly neglected blog, Lot 49. His iPhone game, Blocfall, is available through the iTunes App Store. His wife is a talented jazz singer; he does not sing, which is for the best.

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