Corruption In Michael Moore's 'Sicko'

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The United States is world renowned for its medical system. Names like the Mayo Clinic, John Hopkins, and Duke are all common household names when it comes to ground breaking medical service. Many people from across the planet come to the USA to have medical procedures done. But is it really all that? According to Michael Moore and his 2007 documentary entitled, “Sicko” the USA’s medical system is not as great as it seems. Corruption, a word that is defined as the impairment of integrity, virtue, or moral principle, is running rampant in the medical system. Moore uses vivid imagery, intense interviews, and concession to persuade his audience that medical industry is corrupt in a way and that universal or more affordable healthcare is not that …show more content…

Many of the stories that are told by the people in the film are either filled with happiness or complete somber. One of the happiest moments in the film which actually started out pretty grime took place within the last fifteen minute. Those last fifteen minutes included the 9/11 first responders going to Cuba to receive the treatment they had fought for here in the United States. The moment they walked into the Havana Hospital was probably one of the most monumental moments in the movie. It is filled with bliss and relief. After watching this whole documentary, the audience would have seen this and probably thought to themselves, “How refreshing to see these people who served this country during its darkest time since Pearl Harbor receive the treatment they deserve.” This not only resonates with the audience making them happy to see these hero treated like they should be, but it also incites anger because they shouldn’t have to leave the country and go to the USA’s so called “enemy” to receive treatment. The audience thinks about how that could be their family suffering because the medicine or the operation they need is too expensive. Another great example of emotional appeal in Moore’s documentary is the story of the woman and her husband who had cancer. After finding out that the husband’s brother was a perfect donor for bone marrow they were told by their insurance company that they would not pay for the …show more content…

Moore reestablishes his ethos by just having people tell their stories and not just himself merely saying what he believes. Additionally, the pathos and logos intertwined within in the stories told by the interviewees creates deep personal connections between the audience members and the story tellers themselves. The use of all three aspects of rhetoric renders the audience feeling that action on the subject is urgent. The audience no longer wants to feel like they need to make sure they go to the right hospital to get treatment but just the closest. They no longer want their country to be looked at by citizens of other countries as a burden to come to because they need special insurance just in case they are injured while they are here. Therefore, Moore has effectively changed the way the audience thinks about how healthcare is run in

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