Who is Michael Moore? Sicko documentary explained as Luigi Mangione mentions filmmaker in his alleged manifesto

Suspected UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson shooter Luigi Mangione seemingly mentioned the filmmaker Michael Moore in his alleged manifesto. Luigi Mangione was arrested and charged with murder on December 9. On Wednesday, December 11, journalist Ken Klippenstein published Mangione's alleged manifesto, which the former claimed was the "real one" and not "the forgery circulating online."

In the manifesto, when talking about the people who previously detailed the corruption and greed within the healthcare system, Luigi Mangione mentioned the name "Moore." This is likely a reference to filmmaker Michael Moore who directed the 2007 documentary Sicko. The film is a condemnation of U.S health insurance companies, based on patient interviews and global comparisons.

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Michael Moore compared the U.S. healthcare systems with those around the world

Michael Francis Moore became the youngest elected official in the United States when he was elected to the school board at the age of 18. However, years later, the former seminarian and Flit, Michigan, native's legacy lies in his vast array of socio-politically charged documentaries, shows, books, and other activities.

As mentioned earlier, Moore's Sicko was released in 2007. As per IMDb, the documentary was a scathing look at the United States healthcare system. Moore, who wrote and produced the documentary, interviewed patients who were denied treatment by healthcare insurance companies that allegedly chose to maximize profit at the cost of essential health services, leading to many bankruptcies and deaths.

Apart from health insurance and pharmaceutical companies, Moore also criticized politicians who enabled such behavior from these companies. According to IMDb, Moore cited President Richard Nixon's support of the then-emerging Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) as a reason for a lack of free healthcare in the country. Another reason was congressional pressure to push for corporate profit.

One of the most unique aspects of the documentary was Moore's comparison of the country's healthcare system with universal free healthcare systems around the world in countries like France, Britain, Canada, and Cuba. Through his comparisons, Moore was able to seemingly debunk various factors used to dissuade the pursuit of free healthcare.

Moore delivered a scathing comparison of the United States and Cuban healthcare systems by taking abandoned injured 911 Ground Zero survivors to Cuba to get healthcare. During the intake session, they were asked only for names and dates of birth instead of money or insurance cards.

The documentary explained at the time that healthcare costs in the U.S. ran nearly $7,000 per person. In contrast, in Cuba, only $251 was spent, despite the latter having a lower infant mortality rate and longer average lifespan. In one scene from the documentary, Moore showcased that a $120 medicine required by a 9/11 responder was available for only 5 cents in Cuba.

Before the Academy-award nominated Sicko, Moore's breakout moment came in 1989 at the launch of his documentary-making career with Roger & Me, a documentary about the Flint and Detroit automobile industry. Years later, in 2002, Moore released Bowling for Columbine, a documentary about gun violence focusing on the causes of the tragic Columbine High School massacre.

The documentary bagged the Academy Award for Best Documentary. In 2004, Fahrenheit 9/11, directed by Michael Moore, took a closer look at the Gulf War and George W. Bush's presidency. The documentary won the prestigious Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and, to this day, holds the record for the highest-grossing documentary ever made.

Moore is a Davison High School graduate and attended the University of Michigan–Flint before dropping out during his second year.

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"Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming"-Luigi Mangione's alleged manifesto

In the alleged manifesto published by Ken Klippenstein, Luigi Mangione addressed the "feds" and told them that he respected their work for the country. He stated that he wasn't working for anybody. All it reportedly took for him to do what he set out to do was "some elementary social engineering, basic CAD, a lot of patience."

Luigi Mangione allegedly wrote that his spiral notebook had some "straggling notes and To Do lists" and disclosed that his tech was locked down due to his engineering background. Luigi Mangione apologized for the "strife of traumas" created by what he had allegedly done, but at the same time, he stated:

"Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming. A reminder: the US has the #1 most expensive healthcare system in the world, yet we rank roughly #42 in life expectancy. United is the [indecipherable] largest company in the US by market cap, behind only Apple, Google, Walmart."

Mangione reportedly lamented the sad state of the growth of average life expectancy in the country when compared to the growth of health insurance companies like UnitedHealthcare. Luigi Mangione allegedly claimed that the companies had gotten too powerful and continued to abuse the country for profit because the people allowed them to get away with it. He further stated:

"Obviously the problem is more complex, but I do not have space, and frankly I do not pretend to be the most qualified person to lay out the full argument. But many have illuminated the corruption and greed (e.g.: Rosenthal, Moore), decades ago and the problems simply remain."

Luigi Mangione concluded the alleged manifesto by stating that this was no longer an issue of awareness and had "power games at play." He deemed himself to be the first to face it with "such brutal honesty."