"Sicko" and US American Healthcare

Cringed. Winced. Laughed in a wry, and 'wow this is ironic and moronic' way. No I wasn't getting a bikini wax. I was reacting to Michael Moore's 2007 film"Sicko" which documents and discusses the healthcare system in the USA. On one hand, I have no words other than to stammer "What? Why? How is this system even possible in one of the world's wealthiest democracies?" But I blog in an effort to become more articulate. And the USA healthcare system is in need of some articulate opponents to define the problems and create effective solutions. ASAP.

Moore's film casts an obviously biased glimpse of other countries health care systems (i.e. that of France, England and even Cuba). There are numerous controversies regarding the accuracy in his depiction of real life in these countries. But leaving those aside, Moore makes some great points about healthcare and humane treatment in general.

Essentially, Sicko illuminates that our healthcare system has compromised ethics in favor of capitalistic greed and operates on a weakened sense of community. In the ideal world, healthcare workers, specifically doctors and nurses, are the knowledgeable trusted members of a community charged with a responsibility to tend to the well being of their fellow man. Pharmacists, chemists and research scientists are the leading warriors in the fight against disease. Plain and simple: Sickness is the enemy and healthcare professionals and researchers are the superheroes. Health insurance companies do not exist in this ideal world. Our profit-based, 'let's marginalize the fringes of our society' attitude has allowed health insurance companies to destroy the ideals. Now we have premiums, co-pays, and deductibles wedging in between those in need of help and the helpers. Securing the financial success of BigPharm and insurance monoliths has shadowed the mission of securing the healthful success of human beings.

When physicians who take the Hippocratic Oath are forced (or worse, choose to) deny patients access to necessary healthcare it puts into question the integrity of the entire US medical profession. :::: At $60,000/yr, Dr. X does the best he can for Mrs. Y with cancer. "Oh, but she has a 'pre-existing health condition'! She doesn't qualify to receive insurance benefits. Dr. X, if you treat her, our big corporate firm will lose money doing its job. So, screw her over and we'll make sure you're well paid". "Mrs. Y, you need chemo and some drugs. But since you can't afford to pay me via insurance, peace out homegirl. Good luck dealing on your own". Dr. X now makes $200,000/yr. and gets a pat on the back from the insurance company. Any questions class? :::::

Our country was founded on the tenets "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" but what we've created since 1776 seems more like "Life insurance, liberty (with a relaxing 70hr work week!), and pursuit of ways to avoid inevitable debt". Godzilla doesn't seem half as daunting as facing looming piles of healthcare paperwork and long lines in waiting rooms. What has happened?

Moore notes that a solid indicator to gauge the progress and worth of a society is to look at how it treats its poorest and least fortunate citizens. A country can only be as fast as its slowest member and as strong as its weakest member. Well, we sure are doing our darn best to hinder the progress of the slowest and weakest. By bankrupting those who can afford to pay insurance and by completely sidestepping those who can't afford insurance our nation is saying "We are a hedonistic gluttonous mass. Money means more than human life. So die, because Uncle Sam, BigPharm, and insurance conglomerates wanna party and guffaw as we strip USA citizens of access to a better life."

Is socialized healthcare a plausible system for the USA? How can we make sure that health becomes a priority of our government? Our constitution promised us national defense. Right now it seems that cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and ignorance are what we need protection from.
What is the first step we can take to get better access to health care in this country? How can we guarantee no man, woman or child is left behind when their mental/physical/spiritual health is at stake?

Watch Sicko. Question it. Let it make you think and research what is fact and what is fiction. Write about it. Talk about it. Get the conversation started and let's see what happens.

Knowing someone

What does it mean to really know someone? Obviously there are the general facts one could glean from a myspace or facebook profile, like DOB or favorite songs. Do these bits of information then lead to truly and intimately knowing another? Is this deep kind of knowledge only obtained through time with the person? Proximity? Asking relentless questions? Making keen observations?

Sometimes, when I find a person interesting enough, I'll ask them questions that I haven't found answers to myself. If their response evokes an emotion in me, I try to explore it further. "Why am I angered or amused by this person and their concept of the world? What does that mean about my own views?" Querying is my favorite activity - I enjoy learning how others perceive and maneuver in this crazy, magical world. Most of the time, I'm not looking for an 'answer' ... just a way to understand myself and others better.

One thing I'd like to do is develop a system to guage how 'deeply' I know a person, mostly to calibrate my interactions with them. If its a superficial relationship, I'd like to figure out questions to provoke responses from them. If it's already a profound interaction, I'd want to develop ways to maintain the depth of the relationship and still explore new terrain.

What kinds of questions should I be asking?

Car Crash Lyrics

These are the lyrics to Matt Nathanson's "Car Crash"
I'm really digging them:

I'm wide awake and so alive
Ringing like a bell
Tell me this is paradise
And not someplace I fell
'Cause I keep on fallin' down

I wanna feel the car crash
I wanna feel the capsize
I wanna feel the bomb drop, the earth stop
'Til I'm satisfied
I wanna feel the car crash
'Cause I'm dyin' on the inside
I wanna let go and know
That I'll be alright, alright

Just push me 'til I have to fly
I've shed my skin, my scars
Take me deep out past the lights
Where nothing dims these stars
Nothing dims these stars

I wanna feel the car crash
I wanna feel the capsize
I wanna feel the bomb drop, the earth stop
'Til I'm satisfied
I wanna feel the car crash
'Cause I'm dyin' on the inside
I wanna let go and know
That I'll be alright, alright

So right
It's all wrong

I'm wide awake and so alive

I wanna feel the car crash
I wanna feel the capsize
I wanna feel the bomb drop, the earth stop
'Til I'm satisfied
I wanna feel the car crash
'Cause I'm dyin' on the inside
I wanna let go and know
That I'll be alright, alright

Connecting to resources

A concept about life I've recently perceived is that of the disconnect between talent and resource. On a macro scale, the amount of resources available in the world are concentrated in the first world countries. Talent, however is not limited to geography. Can you imagine what the state of the world would be if there was greater connection between resources and talent?

What's worse is that even within the US, the awareness of resources and access to them is lacking. For example, I know there are a number of aspiring filmmakers in this country. I also know that a large percent of them are struggling to get funds for equipment, sets, and gain recognition. I also know a lot of resources and scholarships for people who are interested in this field. When I meet a filmmaker who's struggling and I know of a relevant email contact, book, or scholarship website, I pass on the information. Of course there are networking events for all industries and the go-getters amongst us all will be there front row center waving their hands in the air with questions and ideas. But there are also a large number of talented, hard-working people that just DON'T KNOW about these events. It breaks my heart to think about the wealth of resources limited to the same small circle of people. What IS a good way to get relevant information out to the right people? Specifically what is a good way to get relevant information out to the the right people who are under the radar? Is there infrastructure that functions as PR for life dreams? (Aside from Oprah) Or perhaps Oprah has a good model for ways to connect resources to underprivileged (meaning financially or just unaware) people?

"Born into Brothels"

Tonight, I watched "Born into Brothels". Throughout the film, I felt a stream of emotional responses that needed to be written down and shared.

First, Zana Briski is inspirational, powerful, and real. She has a heart of gold and the energy of the sun. She's brilliant and caring and creative - I don't even know her and I want to hug her.

Now onto the documentary itself.
Even though my family and I just went to India and witnessed the rampant poverty in the streets, every time I see a film or commercial depicting India, I cry. I think it is a mixture of guilt and helplessness. My life is so blessed - with the comfort of material things and the love family and friends. I have been given the chance to pursue an education, travel, and experience the world while living in a country that is nothing short of an economic superstar. And these children, prostitutes, and beggars in India have less than nothing. Not even hope for a better life. Living in a state of mind where one believes sadness and despair are all that exist and where hope is a distant dream is the most dismal thing I can think of. So I feel guilty for my fortune and pain for the misfortune of others.

Watching the film left me feeling slightly helpless too, initially. Then I started thinking about ways to fix this situation. There are so many of people living in a severely corrupt society in a busy, overcrowded, poor, uneducated area of the world. How can I do something? Am I able to make a difference? I haven’t thought of a way that I can contribute to this problem yet. I know I can donate $ or work for an NGO but I want to do something more direct. I want to see the difference I am making on a daily basis. I want something hands on. So my current goal is to seek projects that will satisfy these requirements.

I also realize that just by watching this film, I learned more about the red light district and the sex industry in India than I ever knew before. This spurred my interest in wanting to make a difference. I thought, “If this film can spur such strong emotions and reactions within me, it surely must be able to do the same if not more for others.” So, my current task is to find projects that can directly help these people (like planning a trip to India and working on site for example). In the interim, I want to make others aware of the situation highlighted in the movie. So, if you haven’t seen “Born into Brothels” yet 1) Watch it. 2) Email me and we can discuss your views. 3) Let’s brainstorm ways we can contribute to make a change.