Psychology
How Sicko is Relevant to Psychology

Michael Moore is an American filmmaker that has created a body of work and a niche market for hard hitting documentaries about issues critical to American culture. In 2007, he directed, produced, wrote, and starred in a documentary called, Sicko, about the American healthcare system. Moore's films have a habit of polarizing audiences. Audiences have been known to strongly agree with him and known to vehemently disagree. Moore's success comes from his approach to addressing tough issues that usually cause debate. Moore is additionally successful because his early successes attracted the attention of film giants such as the Weinsteins, who, via one of several of their production companies, produced Sicko. Michael Moore knows his audience. He knows the people that will agree with him immediately and not need any convincing regarding his ideas. Moore, more importantly almost, knows his critics. Michael Moore is one of…...

Admittedly, there have been some minor improvements since 2007. Specifically, legislation enacted in 2009 by President Barack Obama eliminated the ability of health insurance companies to exclude certain individuals from coverage and to deny coverage to beneficiaries in need of expensive healthcare services by simply canceling their policies. That legislation extended the maximum age that children may remain on their parents' policies as well. Unfortunately, the Obama administration essentially gave up on pursuing the most important necessary changes such as by abandoning the "public option" that the President emphasized in his election campaign.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Government-un Healthcare

In principle, government-run healthcare is far preferable to private-sector-run healthcare for the same reason that government control is necessary over other essential commodities and services. In the absence of government control, the private sector will exploit every conceivable opportunity for profit, even at the expense of human lives. Moore's film documents the…...

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References

Gordon, S., Buchanan, J., Bretherton, T. (2008). Safety in Numbers: Nurse-to-Patient

Ratios and the Future of Health Care. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.

Kennedy, E. (2006). America: Back on Track. Viking: New York.

Reid, T. (2009). The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care. New York: Penguin Group.

Idiot Nation
Michael Moore's 'A Nation of Idiots' is a compilation of perspective. Moore provides an account of what his encounters with idiocy in the course of his life. Whether one wants to consider this fact is not necessarily personal opinion. Moore in a sense, does not offer fact, but he does use what perceivably are statistical facts as a means to support his claims.

The title is in fact, hard to prove. Indeed, one can assess the population on various metrics that are unscientific in nature. Although observation is the basis of scientific study, observation alone can generate an inference that is inherently biased. A thorough background in statistics is required to be capable of making far reaching generalizations that have any sense of credibility.

His statements are emotionally charged and are a form of 'poisoning the well'. Poisoning the well is a reference to his attack on socio types such as…...

Climate Change and the Hijacking of the Green MovementIntroductionThe Michael Moore produced 2019 documentary Planet of the Humans, directed by Jeff Gibbs, raised important questions, concerns and points about one of the most pressing issues in the climate change topic, which is the extent to which renewable energy is safe for the environment. The documentary surprised many because Moore is known for leaning left in his politics, yet the documentary essentially accused many climate leaders and activists of misleading the public about renewable energy. Moore contends in the documentary that what began as a legitimate movement towards sustainability was co-opted by corporations and big business to ensure that they could profit from the emerging Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) industry. Moore argues that their motive is profitnot to reduce the risk of climate changewhich is why so many renewable energy endeavors today are actually bad for the environment. Moores film…...

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Works Cited

Bradshaw, Peter. “Planet of the Humans review – contrarian eco-doc from the Michael

Moore stable.” The Guardian, 2020.  https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/apr/22/planet-of-the-humans-review-environment-michael-moore-jeff-gibbs 

Gearino, Dan. “Inside Clean Energy: 6 Things Michael Moore’s ‘Planet of the Humans’

At the same time, there are reasons to question many of these claims. It has long been argued that the Canadian system is not as good as believed, for instance, though the film suggests otherwise. The truth about the Canadian and British systems in particular is unclear because of contrasting claims, and a more through investigation of the economics involved is required to be sure that what is said in the film is correct. This is true of the French system as well, though that system is not as well-known in the United States and does not feature in as many discussions of the issue. Moore meets with a group of Americans living in France, and while they seem to be clear about why they like the French system, an while it might seem that Moore just met them and asked them questions, what is not as clear is if…...

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Works Cited

Moore, Michael. Sicko. Lionsgate, 2007.

For example, one woman got into a car accident and expected insurance to pay for her expenses related to the accident, minus the deductible. The insurance company denied her claim on the spurious grounds that the woman had a "prior condition" that was unrelated to the accident. If private insurance companies are not fulfilling their obligations to consumers, then public insurance becomes the only solution in a free, just, and democratic society. Profit-driven health care means that unethical business practices can too easily creep into and cloud what should be a care-driven system.
Moore's production may seem shrill to some viewers, but the filmmaker does a stellar job of portraying the American health care system as being in a state of sickness. Doctors in countries with socialized medical systems are far from being poor, as Moore details physicians in England and France. Moore was ultimately able to find the car…...

Though they can cooperatively work well with other people, they would rather spend time for learning by themselves.
Distant teacher. If traditional education teachers act as directors of learning - telling learners what, when, and how is it to be learned - distant teachers act as resource to the learners. As in traditional education where learners respond to the teachers, in Independent Learning and Teaching it is the teachers who respond to the learners. Teaching is seen as helping and the teacher as helper. They do not instruct students what to do; rather, they guide the learners in making independent decisions by opening their minds to various possibilities. Distinction between help and control are highlighted in the learner-teacher relationship. Their relationship shows that help vs. control trade-off is not necessary; a learner may receive help from the teacher without losing control or responsibility over the conduct of his or her…...

Watergate was a viable accusation because it could be proved with recordings of the entire affair. Clinton's sexgate could be proved because there were people, individuals, who could vouch for what had happened. However, in this case, there is no actual proof, only mere assertions.
One of the things that is entirely bothersome in this book, tied to what was mentioned previously, is the fact that Michael Moore seems to find an incredible talent of blaming any insignificant dysfunctional issue in the American society on the White House and the Administration in general. In my opinion, one of the very strong examples in this sense is revealed in the very first chapter of the book, entitled "The Sad and Sordid Whereabouts of bin Cheney and bin ush."

Already, the title itself expresses the very aggressive, subjective stance that Michael Moore is choosing to use in this book. You can actually criticize…...

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Bibliography

1. Moore, Michael. Stupid White Men...and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation! Regan Books; 1 edition (February 19, 2002

Stupid White Men: Online Chapters "The Sad and Sordid Whereabouts of bin Cheney and bin Bush" a Free Online Chapter addition to "Stupid White Men" Part One: "What Does a 99-cent Bic Lighter Tell Us About the Bush War on Terrorism?." On the Internet at   retrieved on June 8, 2007http://www.michaelmoore.com/books-films/stupidwhitemen/onlinechapters/part01.php.Last 

Roger and Me: Automobile Industry
Like All the President's Men, this work is a departure from fiction in film and in novels. Rather than portraying fictional characters in a contrived plot, "Roger and Me" takes us into the lives of actual men and women dealing with the all-too-real problems of the decline of the United States as a world industrial power.

The focus is on the automobile industry, in particular, on one of the early centers of that industry, Flint, Michigan. Major automakers like General Motors have for years been cutting back on production and employment. Now, many of the older plants that have been running at reduced capacity are being closed for good and their workers let go permanently.

Because Flint was heavily dependent on auto making, the effects on the local economy are disastrous. Flint seems to be in the process of turning into a postindustrial ghost town, but the agonies…...

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Work Cited

Moore, Michael (Dir.). Roger and Me. Warner Bros, 1989.

Universal healthcare is the only saving formula for this nation, which is doomed in a health care crisis of unprecedented proportions. There is a urgent need to transform healthcare from its present state of commercialism towards the humanitarian approach which guarantees 'healthcare for all' independent of their social or financial circumstances. A shared and collective responsibility of healthcare management is the only viable formula for America. It is high time we learn from Canada, UK and other European nations and restructure the current broken state of our healthcare. The successful passing of the USNHC act (H.R. 676) is the only way for America to wake up from its healthcare nightmare. Will the powerful insurance industry hold its ground yet again and resist this awakening leaving all the citizens doomed? This is an important question for all the citizens of our country.
ibliography

1) Science Daily, 'American Values lamed for U.S. Healthcare…...

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Bibliography

1) Science Daily, 'American Values Blamed for U.S. Healthcare Crisis',

Accessed May 11, 2009, Available at,  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081204160558.htm 

2) Laura K. Altom, BS, MSIII and Larry R. Churchill, PhD, Ann Geddes Stahlman

'Pay, Pride, and Public Purpose: Why America's Doctors Should Support

As Moore continues, he notes, "Such time spent in designing and producing high-quality materials, planning teaching strategies, training trainers will increase the chances of success. There is a direct relationship between the institutional the effectiveness of a program and the time and money spent in its design" (Moore,). He cannot overstress the importance of this early design and strategy, and without it, the class will never be as strong or as instructional to the student.
How to implement this strong foundation is another element of this tip. Clearly, the designer and the instructor have to be on the same page. The instructor may not be familiar with distance learning on a large scale, and in that case, they should receive training and education on how to effectively develop distance learning course materials. It is a skill, and not one everyone automatically understands, and so expert training should be available. Moore…...

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References

Moore, M. Tips for managers setting up a distance education program.

Sentencing in the US versus in Germany and the Netherlands
There is one major difference between the sentencing and corrections policies of the US and the sentencing and corrections policies of Germany and the Netherlands. The former bases its policy on the ideas of retribution and incapacitation, whereas the latter base their policies on the ideas of rehabilitation and socialization (Vera Institute of Justice, 2013). This basic philosophical orientation towards the corrections is what distinguishes the two policies. The US views corrections as a punitive measure while Germany and the Netherlands view corrections in a positive light -- a measure that is designed to return the inmate to society. Indeed, recidivism rate in the US is 40% -- meaning that 4 out of every 10 inmates released will return to prison within the first three years (Vera Institute of Justice, 2013). In Germany and the Netherlands, such a rate is unheard…...

In England, it was revealed that the medication on average costs $10 per prescription for working adults while everyone else could obtain the same medication at no cost. Furthermore in England, pre-natal care is free, emergency room visits are free, and travel costs to get to the health care facility are reimbursed. In France, health care and day care are free of charge. Moore, (2007).
Compared to countries with universal health care, the U.S. has a higher infant mortality rate, a shorter life span, and a more expensive system of healthcare. In the World Health Organization's the World Health Report 2000 -- Health Systems: Improving Performance (Geneva: WHO, 2000) as cited in the article, the U.S. Healthcare System: the Best in the World or Just the Most Expensive (2001). Still, the U.S. is one of the last countries to officially implement a national health care plan.

Tamaskar & Rising in their…...

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Another plan proposed by Tamaskar & Rising is the medical savings account approach -- a relatively new approach to universal health care. The premise behind this system is that health costs are inflated because people are over insured -- when a person has insurance they seek medical care for even the most minor conditions. A medical savings account will help curtail this phenomenon by requiring that person deposit money into a tax free savings account set aside for medical care. The advantages of the plan are that it will result in individual using medical benefits more wisely. Another advantage is that people are more likely to avoid injury or health risks because they are directly paying for medical care. Tamaskar and Rising, 2003.

The disadvantages of the medical savings account range from the person not being able to afford to deposit money into the account and that this system indirectly discourages preventative care by making patients pay for routine doctor visits. The connotation is that if a person is required to pay out of pocket for all medical visits even routine doctor visits, they are less likely to see the doctor until they have a serious problem which could ultimately result in increased medical expenses. Tamaskar and Rising, 2003.

Each system for implementing universal health care has its set of benefits and drawbacks. Still as with all programs, no system put in place for a purpose will be entirely beneficial or entirely detrimental. It is the duty of those implementing the system and those that are a part of the system to make sure that the system accomplishes the purpose for which it was instituted. With this in mind, by implementing of an effective universal system of health care, the U.S. can offset many related costs to the individual, the family, and ultimately the economy.

Rereading America
Critical Thinking Questions Based on "Rereading America"

Michael Moore's uniquely facetious style of political commentary is on great display in his "Idiot Nation" essay. Inflammatory rhetoric aside, it is not so much Moore's intention to argue that we are a nation of unintelligent people so much as that we are gutting our educational standards to the risk of our collective intelligence. In other words, his essay is more directly about the failure from the top down to provide the proper economic and political support for our schools, our teachers and our students. This is depriving us of the educational quality enjoyed in more progressive nations.

Though Moore's argument is limited by his decidedly one-dimensional political orientation, I find myself in strong agreement with his basic premise. That is, if we fail to provide the proper material and philosophical backing for our schools, we will intend hand America's future over to a…...

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Works Cited:

Colombo, G.; Cullen, R. & Lisle, B. (2001). Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. Bedford/St. Martin's.

That the film makes omissions is not a fault against it, as it would be impossible and boring to list ever argument or component implied in the healthcare crisis. In addition, while some may believe Moore's film to point out the obvious, it addresses an issue that many do not want to think about.
Question Two

It is the job of reviewers to make a rhetorically persuasive case for their opinion about a book or a movie. While reviewers have made me think more deeply about a particular film, and perhaps even consider other opinions, a review has never changed my opinion about a film. This is primarily because reviewers of films typically discuss areas of the film that were not responsible for forming my opinion.

For instance, when I viewed the film Sicko, I found it to be a well put-together film that underscored my preexisting belief that healthcare in the…...