SiCKO fever

With nothing particular on today's agenda (imagine me with no plan), the options seemed clear. Loaf around the air-conditioned house on this cloudy and muggy day good for little else, or finally go see "SiCKO." Fortunately for the kids, the second-run theater showing Michael Moore's latest brilliance was also showing "Pirates of the Caribbean" at the same time.

I won't pretend to review the film, especially from my biased perspective (yes, I'm a "Moore-on"), but everyone should see "SiCKO." That the US health care system is a disaster shouldn't surprise anyone -- that's a fact. Because of Moore's bravery, HMO CEOs and pharmaceutical company executives are exposed as the thieves they are. Politicians are finally exposed as whores. And the United States is revealed as a nation of sheep.

Afraid, desperate (or at least indebted) and apathetic plays right into their hands. Two segments of the film hit home with me.

One was when a Franco-American talked about how in the US citizens are afraid of their government, while in France the government is afraid of its citizenry.

The other made me a bit uneasy. In perfect Michael Moore fashion -- though I knew instantly that it would only fuel his detractors -- the documentarian revealed how he had "anonymously" bailed out his biggest blog critic by sending a $12,000 check for his wife's medical bills.

Call me a cynic, but I'm always suspect of "anonymous" acts of kindness. From my experience -- and, indeed, this movie -- ulterior motives are usually at play. Moore's generosity -- or, more specifically, the way he chose to handle it -- was the fatal flaw of this film, in my opinion.

Other than that, BRING ON THE REVOLUTION!