Menzies House

WikiLeaks: Cuba banned Sicko for depicting 'mythical' healthcare system

More WikiLeaks revelations to embarrass the left. Today, the Guardian reports the following: 

Cuba banned Michael Moore's 2007 documentary, Sicko, because it painted such a "mythically" favourable picture of Cuba's healthcare system that the authorities feared it could lead to a "popular backlash", according to US diplomats in Havana.

The revelation, contained in a confidential US embassy cable released by WikiLeaks , is surprising, given that the film attempted to discredit the US healthcare system by highlighting what it claimed was the excellence of the Cuban system.

But the memo reveals that when the film was shown to a group of Cuban doctors, some became so "disturbed at the blatant misrepresentation of healthcare in Cuba that they left the room".

Castro's government apparently went on to ban the film because, the leaked cable claims, it "knows the film is a myth and does not want to risk a popular backlash by showing to Cubans facilities that are clearly not available to the vast majority of them."

You know, the more and more I'm reading WikiLeaks stories, the more I'm starting to like them!  

UPDATE: Michael Moore disputes this. 

(Posted by TVA. h/t Reason)

Australia’s Health Policy: The vortex of Doom

Tim Humphries writes in support of a private solution for our ailing health system.

I remember vividly during my Teenage years playing a computer game called Doom. The first person shooter game pitted you against monsters of grotesque form and required you to dispose of them with various weapons.

You might think that talking about an old cgi computer game would be disconnected from a discussion about this country’s health policy. However to me the nihilistic nature of Doom and this countries health policy seem inextricably linked.

Rudd Takes an Election Gamble

Rudd's hospital gamble has made this election year a whole lot more interesting, writes Andrew Lewis.

Kevin Rudd recently announced a major reform to the way public hospitals are funded, in an attempt to fulfil his election promise that if the states continued to underperform in the administration of public hospitals, then he would take over the public hospital system.

Our 6.3 GP visits per year are more likely to be the result of a sick health system, rather than Australians becoming sicker

We aren't necessarily getting sicker, despite the statistics, writes Monique Beguely.

News that Australians are becoming sicker than ever with an average of 6.3 GP consultations per annum, the highest in the Commonwealth, is more likely to be a result of systemic problems within Australia’s health system – not because Australians are becoming sicker than ever, as the new reports are claiming. 

Hospital Boards - true health reform starts on the ground

Abbott is heading the right way by pledging community control of hospitals, writes Terry Barnes.

Tony Abbott and Peter Dutton’s ambush of the Prime Minister last Sunday is the first shot fired by the Coalition in the 2010 election health debate.  Despite the carping of some pundits and Big Government healthcare advocates, it is an effective shot that’s characteristic of Mr Abbott.