BY GAREN YEGPARIAN
That’s the title of Michael Moore’s new movie that you’ve got to see. It’s also a good way to describe four antiheroes we’ll discuss in a minute, one of whose future doings must be tracked. It’s also what you’ll be if you don’t see the movie!
Yup, Moore’s healthcare movie is vintage him. It’s got in-your-face momen’s. It’s informative. It’s timely. It’s humorous. It’s something everyone can relate to– he says as much right at the beginning of the movie when he tells viewers its about the majority of Americans who do indeed have healthcare coverage. It’s not as harsh as “Fahrenheit 9/11” nor as deep as “Bowling for Columbine”, rather resembling “Roger and Me” in its tone. It’s even chick-flicky near the end– so much so that I was actually tearing up. You’ve gotta love when he takes on the “oh-my-I’m-so-ignorant-of-this-is-it-really-so” persona, barely constraining a knowing smile. And, one of my right-wing buddies made it a point to see the film the first day back from an overseas trip, and, had a generally laudatory reaction.
Miss this movie at your peril. It may well move you to action, something made easy by healthcare activists who were handing out leaflets as we left the movie theatre. Think also of how many Armenia’s lack coverage and resort to questionable means of obtaining it. Enjoy.
Would that all the sickos up for discussion today were as positive as the movie?
There’s Douglas Frantz, the low-life former managing editor of the LATimes, notorious for his nixing Mark Arax’ Genocide article this April. He’s joining that paragon of rectitude, The Wall Street Journal, as their Middle East bureau chief. Appropriately, he’ll be based out of Turkish-renamed-Constantinople. Back in his old lair, he’ll be a serious problem and must be watched and tracked at all times. His biases and prejudices will taint coverage of a region critical to Armenia’s’ future. Given that through the ANC our insistent interactions with his ex-paper drove him out, he’s probably even more envenomed towards Armenia’s. The WSJ has a reputation for good news reporting but Neanderthal-hallucinatory editorial positions. I can’t speak to the former of these two, but the latter is precisely what repulses me. And, this is not just on Armenian issues. Perhaps we can apply enough heat to the paper so they’ll try to shut us up by firing Doug-the-Denier.
A long-running sicko is of course the clown who claims to be U.S. President. His granting clemency to Scooter Libby is an abomination. With thousands of Americans, and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, dead because of the Shrub regime’s machinations and lies, it’s utterly obscene when the one dribble of accountability is rendered irrelevant. Watch, as Libby continues his legal proceedings, challenging his verdict, and likely losing, Bush will probably even pardon him, thus completely clearing lackey-Libby’s slate. It’ll just be at a politically more opportune time. All the commen’s about the excessive punishment still impacting Scooter’s life will be forgotten.
Back to healthcare. The big supermarkets are again holding out on their employees, especially recent hires who are getting shafted because of the last contract. Much of this revolves around healthcare costs. The big supermarket chains played the “Walmart is coming” scare tactic last time. These sickos’ bluff is now evident since they’ve been flush with profits for the last three years. This is another reason to patronize smaller mom-and-pop markets, which, incidentally, describes most Armenian/Middle Eastern stores.
Finally, we have our own crooks in the healthcare field that fraudulently bill government programs for undelivered or redundant services and products. The LA area and south Florida have been selected for a pilot enforcement program. The money wasted is too precious. It’s needed for everyone’s well being. So the sickos in the Armenian community engaged in this bit illegal legerdemain had better watch out, the Department of Health and Human Services is coming to town.
Your assignmen’s for this week: see Sicko, write The WSJ and the supermarkets, tell any crooked Armenian health products/services providers to shape up, and regarding Bush– advocate impeachment.