heliotropic

I finally got around to watching Sicko. I dunno... Italy and France have been in the back of my mind for a while now. It's looking more and more like a possibility as time goes by. I'm really getting sick of being an "American" whatever that means these days. I've never considered myself to be terribly patriotic. Perhaps in some people's eyes that's a bad thing... this is where I just happen to have been born. That's the way I've always looked at it. I am thankful for the opportunities that have been available to me here, but things have really taken a horrible direction in the last 10 years. And, many other countries have the same opportunities as well. This isn't really the land of the free or the brave anymore. It's become the land of lying, sleazy cheats, and the greedy. I know this country has always been about capitalism and that's fine But, if someone's out to make a buck at whatever the cost. Even if peoples lives are at stake... well I find that very disconcerting. I feel like i'm living in this soulless cesspool of strip malls, fast food restaurants, and snotty-nosed spoiled teenagers with too much of their parents money to care about anything other than themselves. The only culture we seem to have is pop-culture. I need something more in my day to day life than that. I am very fortunate to live within close proximity to San Francisco where I can seek out such things. And, i'm forever grateful for that. People there are great and it's an amazing city. But, a lot of people aren't that lucky.

Anyway, if you haven't seen this film yet... do yourself a favor. You owe it to yourself to be informed. I've met alot of people who have told me "I don't want to see it, it's too depressing". That's the kind of attitude that is partially to blame for getting us in to situations like this in the first place. Where big medical insurance companies can write fat checks to congressman and buy them off. Complacency kills.

I think Michael Moore is an American hero. I know there has been a backlash that started around the time Bowling for Columbine came out. That was bound to happen eventually. It was inevitable. Once someone makes a big stink about something and they gain some notoriety someone always wants to take them down.

Aside from the accusations about him "gilding the lilly" in the editing room to get his point across in his previous film (which I think pale's in comparison to the travesties he has exposed about our government and it's officials in much of his work) I feel he has helped open so many people's eyes, and he's managed to do so in a well-crafted, entertaining, and even humorous manner to boot.

Cheers to you Mr. Moore!