Actor, director and screenwriter Liev Schreiber thinks America needs a replay of propagandist filmmaker Michael Moore's "Sicko."
According to Schreiber's June 5 remarks on The Daily Beast's Buzz Board, Moore's movie would be "worthwhile" as the health care debate begins.
"As the health-care debate gets under way, a replay of Sicko is worthwhile. It's preposterous that there still isn't affordable health care in this country," wrote Schreiber.
Schreiber admitted that "Moore's approach to filmmaking is the theatrical equivalent of Artaud; he just wants to shock people into action, and he does a damn good job of it. I don't have a problem with that style if the intention is good, and in this case, the intention is good."
Well, Moore's film certainly shocks. Too bad it isn't honest. As the Business & Media Institute pointed out, throughout the movie Moore refers to health care in Canada, France, Britain and Cuba as "free." Nothing's free. National health care in those countries is actually being paid for by taxes.
A USA Today article from June 22, 2007 reported the drastic difference between the tax rates in France and Britain (42 and 27 percent respectively), compared to the U.S. (12 percent).
According to Grace-Marie Turner of the Galen Institute, a non-profit group that supports free market health care reform, Moore also ignored serious flaws of nationalized health care programs. "Moore ignores the limits, restrictions on access, and rationing of care in single-payer health care systems in Canada, the United Kingdom and elsewhere," Turner explained.
Turner also pointed out that "In Canada, more than 800,000 people are on waiting lists for surgery and other medical treatment, with some forced to wait months or even years for the care they need."
The timing of Schreiber's comments was right in line with liberal plans to jumpstart the health care reform push in Washington, D.C. My.BarackObama.com is staging "Health Care Organizing Kickoffs" around the country as part of what some are cheaply referring to as "D-Day" for health care.
A message from Obama's former campaign manager David Plouffe said, "Remember this date: Saturday, June 6th, 2009. We will look back on that day as the moment when the fight for real health care reform began in your neighborhood -- perhaps even in your own living room."
—Julia A. Seymour is an assistant editor for the Business & Media Institute.
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"It's preposterous that
June 5, 2009 - 14:37 ET by nolotrippen"It's preposterous that there still isn't affordable health care in this country," wrote Schreiber.
It's preposterous that Schreiber never leaves his own little cocoon and thinks another film-maker of make-belive is a source of wisdom.
Note to Hollywood: Get out of town! No, really. Get out of town, find out what's really going on in America, and then and only then, speak.
Thank you,
Someone who has affordable health care (and lives in Los Angeles).
If these people are so
June 5, 2009 - 14:42 ET by bassndudeIf these people are so concerned about health care for the poor, why do they not pool their billions and give it to them? I wonder just how much she gives to the needy. What is here charitable donations at the end of the year? And ACORN dont count.
Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!
Great comment.....
June 5, 2009 - 14:53 ET by sam12663however, Liev is a dude.
President Obama is nothing more than a lying empty suit; a Hollywood style special effects smoke and mirrors show that has shown itself to be a total fraud.
WAKE UP AMERICA! SAVE OUR CONSTITUTION!
Slip of the thought
June 5, 2009 - 15:19 ET by bassndudeSlip of the thought pattern. And anyway, are you sure he is a dude? You know how those enlightened folks are.
Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!
Why does everyone think they're entitled to what I do?
June 5, 2009 - 14:46 ET by Lord ErondI'm in the healthcare industry and I won't say where but suffice it to say, I'm sick of everyone acting like they are entitled to healthcare. Thanks to ambulance chasing lawyers, health care costs are shockingly higher than they should be. And Doctors and Nurses, and Respiratory Therapists and Physical therapists are all supposed to invest this time, energy, education into learning this extremely complicated discipline for nothing? I say screw you Schreiber and the horse you rode in on. And the remake of the Omen sucked too you no talent hack.
"Let him who would move the world, first move himself." -Socrates
"We sit together, the mountain and I, until only the mountain remains." -Li Po
wow
June 5, 2009 - 15:29 ET by dr_devil_dogI'm sick of everyone acting like they are entitled to healthcare.
wow. i mean...wow. and you work in 'the health care industry? how reassuring. hippocratic oath? no?
what a very disturbing amount of greed. it seems you have completely lost your way, i hope you find it again soon. i would hope that your many years of training would have taught you that life is more valuable than money. here's an excerpt from the oath that doctors take:
I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick.
just a reminder.
dr_devil_dog:Your qoute
June 5, 2009 - 19:41 ET by stratmandr_devil_dog:
Whatever it is you do for employment, if you are willing to take a 50% plus pay cut through no ill on your part like physicians have over the past 25 years, by all means knock yourself out. Whatever it is you labor for, I expect as much of the fruits of your labor as I want and for at least 50% less cost than it was yesterday. If you have to take a financial loss in the process, well, you're not greedy, are you?
Don't expect me to follow you quietly and unquestioningly into your folie à deux.
Great Reply!
June 5, 2009 - 19:47 ET by HoosierEmWhy is it that health care on demand is so important? People cannot walk into a grocery store and demand food be given to them, nor can they walk into a hotel and demand to be given a bed for free, and those are daily needs!
Health care and what someone pays for it is between the doctor and the patient - and the government needs to stay out of it.
Health care is a privlilege, not a right
June 5, 2009 - 19:46 ET by Lord ErondAs usual it's stupid libs like yourself who feel that everyone should go to work and provide you morons free of charge, the fruits of our labors.
Well smartass. Then I want free tickets to sporting events whenever I want, free movies, free legal advice, free meals at any restaurant and just about anything else that every other 'profession' feels they have a right to charge 600% over what it's actually worth.
"Let him who would move the world, first move himself." -Socrates
"We sit together, the mountain and I, until only the mountain remains." -Li Po
What is this Hollywood stooge talking about?
June 5, 2009 - 14:50 ET by sam12663No affordable healthcare in this country? He is making it seem as if there is no healthcare available AT ALL. What about Medicare? Medicaid? No one in this nation is turned away from getting healthcare, regardless of their ability to pay. What he really means is universal care for those not as 'fortunate' as he is. Many of the people he is 'concerned' about are the low to moderate income types, which these elitist snobs act like they truly care about. I wish someone would ask one of these buffoons one simple question; 'would you be willing to receive the same government run healthcare services that the rest of the nation would be forced into, regardless of your financial status'? I'd be willing to bet that none of these highbrow 'socially conscious' frauds would stand in line for hours to be seen by a government paid doctor. Such hypocrisy! How did this 233 year old nation ever get by without government run healthcare before Obama and his minions came along?
President Obama is nothing more than a lying empty suit; a Hollywood style special effects smoke and mirrors show that has shown itself to be a total fraud.
WAKE UP AMERICA! SAVE OUR CONSTITUTION!
Socialized Healthcare
June 5, 2009 - 15:01 ET by merlin61The country is broke. We don't have any money.
Do you people not get it? Obama broke the
bank and now he wants cap and trade, and
healthcare for all. He does not get it either.
Printing money is not the answer. He is trying
to bring this country to Russia's standards.
Wake up America!!! Libs: read the above
comments. We are broke, no socialist
health care.....keep repeating till you get it.
just my opinion but...
June 5, 2009 - 15:34 ET by dr_devil_dogwhile traveling through paris i got sick as a dog. went to the hospital, was seen in 10 minutes, doc didnt speak english so the hospital was searched for someone who spoke english or spanish. another 5 minutes and i had a translator. medicine was prescribed, etc. total time. about an hour. cost zero. i tried to pay and they waved me off. best hospital experience ive ever had. clean, friendly, fast, efficient. i might have gotten lucky, only went to one hospital, but it seems like this doom scenario of gulag like hospitals doesnt have to be the case.
Please DDD go live there.
June 5, 2009 - 15:45 ET by pahuberIf they take you that is...
Oh you are so full of s--t
June 5, 2009 - 19:49 ET by Lord ErondYour assinine story is as believable as that of the White Whale.
"Let him who would move the world, first move himself." -Socrates
"We sit together, the mountain and I, until only the mountain remains." -Li Po
Uhh...
June 5, 2009 - 14:57 ET by Mike Sargent...First of all, affordable for whom? It's free at any emergency room in America, should people be uninsured. They're legally prohibited from refusing to treat people. It's just really flippin' expensive for the people who try to pay for it -- a bit like taxes, when you think about it...
Also, I had such huge hope for Liev Schreiber. Defiance was only worth watching for HIS performance; the new Blonde Bond Bod was horrifyingly bad in that movie. And he was at least passable as Sabertooth in X-Men: Origins. And now he's advocating the political Tasing of the American public, into making a horrible policy choice?
Ugh. I guess I shouldn't be surprised...
with all do respect...
June 5, 2009 - 15:04 ET by sam12663sounds like a bit of a man crush there.
President Obama is nothing more than a lying empty suit; a Hollywood style special effects smoke and mirrors show that has shown itself to be a total fraud.
WAKE UP AMERICA! SAVE OUR CONSTITUTION!
I used to admire Schreiber,
June 5, 2009 - 15:07 ET by mattmI used to admire Schreiber, but not any more.
Liev
June 5, 2009 - 15:17 ET by GothampcI just got an email from Liev the other day!! He's begging me to write the City of New York and have them raise my taxes. Obviously his millions don't fund NYC's culture scene, so he wants some of my tax money.
Do these people not realize how far out of touch they are?
Add A Celebrity Compensation Czar
June 5, 2009 - 15:26 ET by HoosierEmWhy isn't the president concerning himself with the ridiculous amount these Hollywood celebrities are paid? Yes, we need a celebrity compensation czar to add to Obamalamadingdong's cast of clowns.
Seriously, people keep saying there are so many uninsured people in America - why are they uninsured? I believe it's a choice to be uninsured! I would love to see the stastistics of these uninsured millions who have houses (paid for by taxpayers), new cars (paid for by taxpayers), and a host of other material items and they choose to not pay for health insurance because it's not shiny and new and fun.
Why is that my problem?
I literaly....
June 5, 2009 - 15:44 ET by armedcitizenJust spit on my monitor laughing!!!
Obamalamadingdong's cast of clowns?
AHHAHAHAHAHA
Funny stuff, thanks!
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
Had a cousin who had to get treated in an English hospital
June 5, 2009 - 19:51 ET by Lord ErondHe said he would take the wait in an American ER ANYDAY over the kind of garbage care he received over there.
"Let him who would move the world, first move himself." -Socrates
"We sit together, the mountain and I, until only the mountain remains." -Li Po
You don't fix a hole in the roof by blowing up the damn building
June 5, 2009 - 19:56 ET by R D HelmBut that is exactly what our idiot government is going to do, with the full blessing of most of the hideously uneducated American sheeple.
-Dave
Even though I detest the
June 5, 2009 - 23:57 ET by RR GOPEven though I detest the man, I did willingly watch Sicko because I don't believe in burying my head in the sand.
It did have some compelling stories.
It was Leftist propaganda, of course. I couldn't help to think of how a few years ago a group of Western ophthalmologists went to North Korea and restored the vision of dozens of North Koreans...of course, Pudge Boy got all the credit. Don't they have socialized medicine there?
Anyway, NO SYSTEM IS PERFECT and we can easily see that government run programs are bureaucratic, crooked and inefficient. Should be a glass case on D.C. that says, "Open only in case of emergency." Government does provide important functions, but the extremists will always think that they either as members or sycophants or supporters of said government will be able to stroke their own egos, enforce their ideologies on others, and, who knows, maybe profit from it as well.
One of the 34% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 61% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory (yep...approval for Congress now at 39%...do you believe that!?).
yay for him
June 6, 2009 - 18:11 ET by candanceI usually don't attack liberal actors based on talent or career moves, but this guy Schreiber is too much. I'm just going to go on and say it: anyone who stars in X Men origin movies has no respect from me.