I do not understand why it is as popular as it is for Americans to make fun of their own country. I understand why it has some popularity, but the success of Michael Moore means that making fun is very popular indeed.
Moore's latest movie Sicko interviews sick people in various countries. The Americans he interviews tend to be sick but not, for various reasons, being healed. He then interviews people in Canada, UK, and France who are sick but getting good care. The implication is unavoidable: if you get sick, you do not want to be in the United States!
What bugs me is that he could have made the same movie with the opposite conclusion. He could have interviewed people in foreign countries who suffer on wait lists. He could have included quotes from foreign countries' health ministers saying that their systems were about to financially collapse. He could have interviewed people who were saved by drugs developed in the United States. Heck, he could have talked the universal care that Americans do have once they reach a certain age.
Michael Moore chose for his movie to smear America.
At least his facts check out, unlike in previous movies. However, as much as I am glad that people can legally produce material like this in my country, I am disturbed by the number of people who credulously consume it.