I watched Michael Moore’s Sicko the other day. It’s a fantastic film; not completely free of Moore’s inevitable bias, but there’s so much less bending of the truth this time because, ultimately, there’s little controversy in what he is saying.
But loads of people have seen this film — what can I possibly add that will be interesting?
Well, I just had a cup of tea from my office’s coffee shop and, on the side of the paper cup, there is a ‘Rainforest Alliance’ logo. This logo “guarantees that the farms meet demanding, SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABLE standards” (capitalisation as in original). It continues “workers are… given access to education and medical care…”
So the Rainforest Alliance requirements are more demanding than the social conscience of the world’s richest and, apparently, good country?
Quel surprise.
The NHS isn’t perfect, but it’s infinitely more humane than the US system. Infinitely. And any reform of the NHS must maintain that fundamental requirement that is fairness (and especially free at the point of use).
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