Filmmaker Michael Moore predicted that President Trump is going to change the name of Obamacare but ultimately “retain” most or all of the law.
Moore called on the federal government to adopt a government-run, single-payer healthcare system instead of remaining a nation that “shits on its own” people.
“[Trump is] trying to find a way to have his cake and eat it too, basically. He likes being popular. He likes his ratings. He does not want to be seen – and he said this during the campaign – as the guy who is throwing 20 million people out on the curb. He said that because he wouldn’t be very popular then,” Moore said on a conference call Thursday evening held by the Progressive Democrats of America.
“He will look for a way to retain as much or most, even all, and I think he’s learned that the worst thing about Obamacare to his supporters is the fact that it’s called Obamacare. And I think he’s just going to change the name, you know, the man is all about branding,” he added.
Moore continued, “I think he’s figured out the bad branding of it for my fans if it’s called Obamacare, so we’ll just change that.”
The Academy Award winner said he fears that historians and anthropologists will not understand the American government’s decision not to provide universal healthcare for so long.
“Civilized countries that have universal healthcare – no country, no group of people, no tribe shits on their own to the extent and the level that we do to each other; it’s the most embarrassing and humiliating thing about this great country,” he said on the call.
“Humans anyplace else, what they don’t do is shit on their own. They need their own for their own defense. They need their own for their own survival – they need their own. They need to protect their children, not say to the child, ‘sorry, no, we got rid of Obamacare. We won’t help you. You’re sick? Tough,’” he added.
Moore argued that the “fatal flaw” of Obamacare is it left the healthcare system in the hands of the “profit-making” insurance companies, which is why people are “legitimately upset” with the law’s effects such as premium increases. He thanked President Obama for the “baby step” of pushing the Affordable Care Act through, but said now is the time to create a single-payer system.
“They have to make as big a killing as possible for their shareholders, and the only way they can make that enormous killing is to screw over people who are sick, people who need to see a doctor, need to deny them as much coverage as we can or charge them as much as we can. And that’s why ultimately this system cannot survive if we really want to say we have a universal healthcare system,” he said.
He also praised the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for an “incredible” 3-0 ruling against Trump’s executive order that bans travel from seven Muslim-majority countries. Trump tweeted in response, “SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!”
“The more we can discombobulate him, the better,” Moore said.
Moore also reiterated his support for Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) as chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
“We’re doomed” if Ellison does not win, he said.
The conference call was held to mark the 10th anniversary of Moore’s documentary Sicko.
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