What is Digg?302 Comments
- orfilms, on 10/11/2007, -31/+373It's not a matter of "selling ones vote" as you put it. I don't think anyone expects the MooreWatch guy to change his views on Moore, or the free healthcare issue (although, in his situation, it's hard not to). The point is to be greatful to someone who did you a good deed. I could understand if Moore came out and made this a big deal in the media, but he has not - and so far refuses to even comment on the matter. You can doubt Moore's intentions but his actions in this matter have been 100% good, and the guy won't even give him credit.
- Tabou, on 11/09/2007, -9/+160"The wise man forgets insults as the ungrateful forget benefits." Chinese Proverb
- polymyxin, on 10/11/2007, -9/+158How is it a publicity stunt? The only way we know Moore made the contribution is because this guy went private eye on him. The contribution was anonymous; attempting to stay behind the scenes and not reveal your identity makes for a ***** publicity stunt.
- davidave, on 10/11/2007, -17/+142this guy owes michael moore a big debt of gratitude in more ways than one. aside from the obvious money issue, this guy's livelihood is built around a silly anti-michael moore theme. michael moore is doing double duty putting food on this guy's table. i mean i don't know a lot of webhosting, but if you're sinking money into just that and not turning a profit, can't you just get a cheaper host?
this guy's sense of entitlement is mind boggling. douchebaggery prevails. - JigoroKano, on 10/11/2007, -10/+129@sanman
Yeah *that* was the moment people realized rassling ain't fo real real. - HarryHunt, on 10/11/2007, -13/+127What this guy fails to understand is that you can be grateful towards someone and still disagree with them.
Kenefick also fails to understand that because now he's acting like an ass about it, he's losing both his credibility and the respect of his readers. So basically he's achieving the opposite of what he was out to achieve.
Also, Moore's decision to support the guy despite him being his "enemy" shows some real grandeur. I think Moore appreciates people opposing him just like he's opposing president Bush and his cabinet. That's by the way the primary concept of democracy, something which Kenefick also doesn't seem to understand.
In other news: "fick" is the German word for "*****" and so "Kenefick" is really "*****" which probably means he had intecourse with John F. Ken(n)edy. - WilliamDavis, on 10/11/2007, -6/+92@ DiggerXtreme
"You just cannot buy some peoples' convictions, and many feel such an effort to be insulting. Is anyone here willing to sell their vote?"
He didn't have to pledge allegiance to Michael Moore to take the money. He even said "$12,000 was like manna from heaven at that time."
I'm not a giant fan of Michael Moore, but he can send me money. And exactly who's going to blame anyone for accepting money from Michael Moore when:
"I was being bled dry by the scumbag that used to host the server on which this site resides. My business was almost dead, my wife was very, very ill and I was racking up a few little health problems of my own."
Not to mention, if a hosting company is bleeding you dry, then you have some SERIOUS money problems. - SickMonkey, on 10/11/2007, -8/+84"Want free health care ? Go to Canada and wait like everybody else ! ( and take that ratty baseball cap and shove it up your ass )"
I really don't know a whole lot about the Canadian Health Care System, but my in-laws are from Canada and they love their health care system. My mother in-law had to have surgery to have a portion of her bowel removed and she received great care from the hospital. It didn't cost them a dime either and there was no wait for the procedure. Their taxes are lower their too, even with the free health care, so they must be doing something right.
In contrast, a friend of mine here in the States developed a serious - life-threatening - condition where her heart began to periodically stop, her lips would go blue, and should would stop breathing and pass out. She belongs to Kaiser and after having to first see her general doc to get the required referral, she eventually got on a three week waiting list to see a heart specialist. Everyone who knew her was really concerned about the long wait and several calls were made to the heart specialist's office to see if her appointment could be moved up, but not a single call was ever returned. Thankfully everything turned out OK, but I doubt she would have had these problems in Canada. - consonance, on 10/11/2007, -5/+79There are some people who are talking about how Kenefick was right to be irritated and grateful at the same time. But if you read Kenefick's response, would you call that grateful? The guy doesn't even say thanks. He takes the money, tracks down the source of the check, and finds out it's Moore.
Kenefick is assuming that it Moore knew he would find the source of the money. That's a pretty big assumption. If Moore wanted Kenefick to know he gave him money, he could just give it to him quietly in person; I'm sure Kenefick would be genial to Moore's face but retain his stance and still get the money.
But instead Kenefick tracks down the source, calls Moore a dick for helping him and only says at the very end that it helps his wife. Again, no thanks given. This not about preofessionalism; he's attacking Moore's CHARACTER for helping his wife, even though it's Moore's POSITIONS that Kenefick hates.
Do those things sound like the actions of a grudgingly thankful man? No. Those sound like the words of a guy who cannot separate profession from person. Was Moore trying to "buy [his] silence?" No. Moore was showing compassion to a rival. Kenefick was too proud to admit that maybe Moore is actually a nice guy at heart. Even if your "enemy" saves your wife's life, wouldn't you still express at least a semblence of thanks? Kenefick doesn't. He acknowledges that his wife will be fine for the time being, but thanks in no part to Moore. That is why Kenefick is an *****. - ecorona, on 10/11/2007, -7/+81The ONLY way to see passed all the propaganda ***** is to pay attention to someone's actions and not their words. Michael Moore's actions are objectively and undeniably excellent and to anonymously aid a political enemy requires an enlightenment.
- an0nymous, on 10/11/2007, -7/+71It was an anonymous contribution. The guy didn't have to track Moore down. Moore asked nothing of him.
He didn't even respect Moore's desire to remain anonymous, much less say thank you, as any polite or gracious person would.
WHAT A ***** DICK..
Moore's gesture deserves respect, as much as I personally dislike his tactics. - Cerpin_Taxt, on 10/11/2007, -9/+72"Want free health care ? Go to Canada and wait like everybody else ! ( and take that ratty baseball cap and shove it up your ass )"
It's amazing that someone with opinions like that believes that they should be first in line for health care. No system is perfect, but I strongly believe that nobody deserves priority because of financial status. If a poor person is ahead of me, so be it. If i had my way, you would be at the back of the queue, scumbag. - polymyxin, on 10/11/2007, -5/+62@ciproxr (#6766561)
Yeah, Moore definitely *knew* that the guy would call the company that issued the check, call the bank holding the funds, call a hotline to check on checks issued by the company, locate branches of the bank, and determine their proximity to Moore's home.
A very cunning plan indeed. - Matt2k, on 10/11/2007, -3/+56> My mother in-law had to have surgery to have a portion of her bowel removed and she received great care from the hospital. It didn't cost them a dime either and there was no wait for the procedure. Their taxes are lower their too, even with the free health care, so they must be doing something right.
And that's exactly true. The Canadian healthcare system isn't perfect by any means, and there are still instances of cost cutting and shuffling you towards cheaper procedures, but by and large it is vastly superior.
Case in point: I run a support group for young children with idiopathic and progressively degenerative scoliosis and kyphosis, to the point where these kids eventually end up with a tracheotomy, on a ventilator, or dead. I know of personally, as in have met face-to-face, two people that have moved because they could not afford the 'experimental' treatments. One family moved to Canada; and then flies BACK to the United States for the surgery! The other moved from Indiana to Texas because Indiana Medicaid dropped them from the system by instituting some sort of absurd lifetime cap and by moving to the state of her physician, got her placed in a more lenient category.
It is a pitiful state of affairs when the most powerful country in the world is unable to take care of its genuinely most needy citizens. Can you imagine not only having a critically ill child, but being force to move from your country to care for them? Can you even imagine what an emotional toil that is? - titokane, on 10/11/2007, -12/+58This guy had two options --
Option 1 - Accepting the money. From now on, any time he bad-mouths MM he's going to have to deal with a ton of people saying "I can't believe that you're doing that after he gave you $12,000 to help your family!" - and that's not to mention his own conscious probably doing the same thing.
Option 2 - Declining the money. From now on, he's the guy who ignored his family's needs just to prove a point.
Obviously accepting the money is the smarter thing to do, for the sake of his family, and people can talk all they want about how MM had no agenda when doing it, or that the guy is a jerk or whatever, but think about it:
Michael Moore just stuck his "Arch Nemesis" into the biggest lose-lose situation of his life. - geronimo, on 10/11/2007, -4/+49"As you all may remember, I was being bled dry by the scumbag that used to host the server on which this site resides. My business was almost dead"
Anger is strong in this one. He accepted a handout yet he probably rants on about welfare recipients. Some day he will resolve his issues because this guy seems like he has a lot of issues to resolve. - Gaki, on 10/11/2007, -5/+49"Want free health care ? Go to Canada and wait like everybody else ! ( and take that ratty baseball cap and shove it up your ass )"
It's not free ... we just pay for it in our taxes and not privately. Centralized collection of funds and payment for doctors means some huge efficiencies for the Canadian system as a result. I've read a couple of studies that showed Canada's system costing less than half the per-capita cost in the US for roughly similar care.
I'm so sick of the complaints about long lines for procedures because most of it is BS. The Feds have chopped the money they give to the Provinces to cover their share of Health Care every year since 1980 ... you can't gut a system of funds like they have and expect it to continue to perform the way it did in the old days. That being said, some pretty innovative approaches are being taken which are REALLY helping the lines, i.e. dedicated clinics for high-demand procedures like hip replacements and, in some cases, the lines have virtually disappeared. Doesn't stop the Conservatives up here from endlessly carping about the lines because they have a vested interest in tearing the curent system apart.
As for comparing it to the States ... wait time statistics in the US are bogus and everyone knows it. Add in the 30% of the population that has zero insurance (that's a ***** of a lot of "nevers" to add in) and you'll get the correct stats. Until that day comes, the stats are only measuring the wealthier Americans and most of the western world knows it. - pathy, on 10/11/2007, -1/+43I'm curious, what exaclty would the benefit of Moore revealing it was him do?
'I donated $12,000 to you in your time of need!'
'Thanks, you're a decent human being.'
... Perhaps I'm missing something? The guy sounds like he had quite a lot of financial problems. Although being British, I don't exactly know what Moore's getting up to, so who knows. - kevyn, on 10/11/2007, -5/+44“If it was you, Mikey…your $12,000 doesn’t buy my silence. It won’t buy my affection, nor will I shy away from talking about whatever may or may not be in your new film. I’ll still be the same guy, expressing my opinion and trying his best to research facts you tend to skip over or ignore. All you bought for your money - if it was yours - was the peace of mind of knowing you actually helped someone who needed it.”
- thats all he did...get peace of mind knowing that he actually helped someone who needed it - id say that was a pretty big thing - merwin, on 10/11/2007, -8/+47This dude is INSANE. If you go to his website www.moorewatch.com , you'll see a more recent update, including:
"Was I supposed to roll over and stop looking for the flaws in everything Mikey says? Was I supposed to stop telling the truth? Was $12,000 supposed to buy me off?
Are any of you that cheap?
If Mikey had called me up and said “Look, man, I know we disagree on everything, but I just wanted to help. No strings attached, and I hope she gets better.” that would be an amazing gift and a real piece of altruism.
He. Didn’t. Do. That.
He’s leaking and using this in whatever way he can think of to promote his film. He paid $12,000 so that you, the press, would focus on what a “nice guy” he is and in the same breath, make me look like a jerk. He’s getting you to denounce and discredit me and keeping his hands clean so it’s not a Goliath-crushes-David scenario."
---------
Let's get this straight... if Moore had CALLED HIM and said here's the money, no strings attached, then it would have been ok? But since he didn't want his name attached to it, it's NOT OK? This guy is delusional! - Lifestory, on 10/11/2007, -4/+40The money helped his wife. That's all I care. Publicity stunt or not, that action did help someone.
- sathias, on 10/11/2007, -5/+41It's not a massive publicity stunt to make an anonymous donation. A massive publicity stunt would be to get on film him giving his detractor a big oversized cheque.
- balerhgae, on 10/11/2007, -3/+39Yeah, well some idiots can't differentiate between hating someone's actions or words, and hating someone personally. This sounds like one of those *****.
I have respect for, say, Ben Stein, but I disagree with a lot of his political opinions. - tempest993, on 10/11/2007, -3/+35I am definitely no Michael Moore fan (quite the opposite), but no matter what, $12k is a pretty damn substantial donation, especially to some who clearly despises you. I never thought I'd say this, but props to Michael Moore, regardless if this was a PR stunt or not.
- inactive, on 10/11/2007, -6/+30Awesome Bible Quote:
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"
(Matt 5:43-Matt 5:44) - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -2/+26That's pretty poor form by the anti-Moore guy. Moore kept the donation anonymous. This anti-Moore guy goes out of his way to expose the anonymity and then complains about the person making the donation. What a wanker.
- Matt2k, on 10/11/2007, -2/+25The guy's reaction to learning who sent him the money illustrates just how obsessed he is with Michael Moore. He could have accepted the money without comment. He could have accepted the money with a polite tip of the hat, from one rival to another. Instead he acted like a little child. I don't know if that's what Moore knew what would happen, or what, but it certainly worked in Moore's favor all around.
- merwin, on 10/11/2007, -3/+26@xen0blue
That's because Cheney (along with a few other selected individuals) are responsible for near 1,000,000 deaths in the middle east. No amount of charity could make any sane person say anything nice about that ass. - WilliamDavis, on 10/11/2007, -1/+24He needs 2 new businesses then.
- bjornski, on 10/11/2007, -3/+25And either way it would have been an ANONYMOUS donation, except that this ***** had to investigate and dig into find who his benefactor was.
AND THEN make a big ***** issue over it.
I didn't see Michael Moore using this as publicity ANYWHERE until this *****-for-brains came out and INSULTED Michael for doing it.
Give the money back, you ungrateful *****-smoker. - redvsion, on 10/11/2007, -5/+27Perhaps I'm biased. For whatever reason, despite the fact that he's a celebrity and certainly has his own agenda to fulfill, I'd like to think that a charitable donation is just that; a charitable donation. Now, if Moore uses this donation against his critic, or uses it to place himself up on some morally-righteous pedestal, then naturally all respect I have for him in this matter will be lost, as well as a bit of my own faith in humanity. I'll be watching for that in the coming months.
That being said, Jim Kennefick is an *****. I understand his need to comment on the matter in order to maintain a degree of credibility, but come on. Regardless of his motives, Michael Moore did a nice thing for him, and he basically took the money and spit in his face. This kind of reaction would only be acceptable if he refused the money. Since he didn't, some degree of thanks are in order. This doesn't mean that he has to change his views on Moore, and he has every right to say so. But for *****'s sake, if you take the money, thank the man. You can still disagree with him, hell, you can still hate him for all I care, but if there is even the chance that the money was given in earnest, at least acknowledge it as such. "I accept and appreciate your donation, even though I still don't like you" would have been an appropriate response, I think.
Moreover, if the money really was only a ploy for publicity, isn't Kennefick falling right into Moore's trap? And what man, in a moment of desperation, would be so concerned as to where the money came from? I agree with polymyxin, I don't think anyone would have expected him to track down the origins of the check, and certainly not immediately. That's a lot of effort to go through, and I think this guy needs to get his priorities straight. A sick wife ought to be way more important than a personal agenda. - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -2/+23Helping my wife survive a fatal disease tends to squash any beef I have with that person.
This guy is just a hate monger. - Showtime101, on 10/11/2007, -5/+26Have people forgotten how health care works in America? If you can't afford it, you die. It's as simple as that. With regards to this specific incident it sounds like Jim Kenefick has a "kept woman" and I would like to hear her opinion on Michael Moore contributing 12,000 dollars to her health fund regardless of predisposed pseudo conservative opinions on Mr. Moore. This almost reminds me of "The Green Mile."
- rac3r5, on 10/11/2007, -4/+24HealthCare from a Canadian Prespective
Yes we have free BASIC healthCare. But we have to pay after a certain amount of care, i.e. days spent in the hospital. We also pay a monthly premium to the government. I'm on the lower end of the pay scale and I pay about $53 CAD a month. So its not completely free, but it wont completely run you dry like in the States. Like everyone, we have our problems. If you go into an emergency room, sometimes it takes forever to get attended to. Recently there was a case here where this guy lost his fingers at the workplace and he went to the hospital and waited forever. By the time he got help, they weren't able to re-attach his finger. Our nurses don't allow nurses from other parts to join very easily. If a nurse from the Phillipines or India or even Ireland goes to the UK or Germany or the States she can easily get a job. If they come to our province, they can't. Our nurses union has created an artificial shortage and is driving the cost of care way up. A senior nurse here easily makes more than $100K CAD with all the overtime and stuff.
On the contrary to what some people posted, we also pay higher taxes. We have our Federal and Provincial income taxes, EI and Pension tax. Then when we go to buy goods there is another sales tax about 14% and our gas is also higher since there is a federal and provincial government surcharge on each litre of gas sold as well as a sales tax on the total cost of that gas. So we get taxed out of our mind here.
One thing to note here is that private clinics are a big no no. Ppl don't want private organizations to profit from the sick here.
I think the states still has a chance to make things right. They should try to adopt a Canadian model for their health care, but try to learn from our mistakes. Instead of spending so much of money on weapons research, the states could spend the same amount of money helping their people. Imagine the trillion $$'s going to Iraq war, the other couple of billion being spent on bases around the world, the billions being spent by covert operatives, the billions being spent on weapons research. Thats a lot of money that could go towards helping your own people. Also regulate the cost of business generated by medical providers. There is a lot of corruption that drives up the cost of things.
Thats my 2 cents... - leathergnome, on 10/11/2007, -3/+20douche bag
–noun
1. a small syringe with detachable nozzles; used for vaginal lavage and enemas
2. jim kenefick - Showtime101, on 10/11/2007, -5/+22Here's an example or two:
WASHINGTON // Residents in and around the nation's capital woke up one recent morning to the sort of bad news that we like to think doesn't happen in America: A child died from lack of dental care.
Deamonte Driver, a seventh-grader in Prince George's County, died Feb. 25. Bacteria from an abscessed tooth had spread to his brain, doctors said. Two operations and eight weeks of care and therapy failed to save him. Total cost: more than $250,000.
His mother, Alyce Driver, worked at low-wage jobs. She did not have health insurance. Between her struggles to get coverage and wide cracks in Maryland's public health-care system, her child never got the $60 tooth extraction that would have saved his life.
Now Deamonte's story is just one in a stack of horror stories that Marian Wright Edelman, head of the Children's Defense Fund, trucks over to Capitol Hill to urge Congress to close gaps in health coverage for children.
The stories are horribly sad. They include children like Devante Johnson, 14, who died in Houston in March. His kidney cancer went untreated for four months because of a paperwork snafu. A Texas state representative intervened, but by then it was too late.
There are stories of children whose families lost health coverage when the families moved from one state to another.
Some children get caught without coverage because their parents must constantly reapply for it, even when they stay in the same state. Others are trapped in the gap when state Medicaid eligibility levels or the federal Children's Health Insurance Program levels are too low and private insurance too expensive. That $40 billion, 10-year program, commonly known as SCHIP, is up for reauthorization. The program provided health-care coverage for an estimated 6 million children who otherwise would not have been covered. States are free to design their programs, helped by federal grants and subsidies.
There's a good chance the program will be reauthorized at current funding levels, insiders say. But with health costs skyrocketing, that would be, in effect, a cut.
Bills to double SCHIP spending over the next five years are being pushed by Rep. John D. Dingell, Democrat of Michigan, and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Democrat of New York.
Who could oppose this noble effort on behalf of children's health? The usual suspects. There are ideologues who have never found a government-funded health program they didn't dislike. There also are budget hawks who quite reasonably worry about what revenue needs to be raised or what program needs to be cut in order to pay for it.
What's needed is leadership to persuade Congress that children shouldn't be allowed to slip through the growing cracks in health-care coverage. "Covering all children is an achievable goal in 2007," Ms. Edelman told me. "It won't happen without large-scale mobilization and public awareness."
Ms. Edelman's organization endorses a similar bill by Rep. Robert C. Scott, Democrat of Virginia, that would add pregnant women, mental, dental and vision care. It would also equalize access to prevent children in poorer states from being shortchanged.
Ms. Edelman's husband, Peter, was an assistant secretary in the Department of Health and Human Services in President Clinton's administration. But the Edelmans parted company with the Clintons over the 1996 welfare-reform law.
The good news is that child poverty has declined sharply since then, helped by a largely healthy economy. But the working poor are having a tougher time making ends meet, especially amid rising health-care costs.
We have the best health-care system in the world, we are constantly told, and that's true. But the best in the world doesn't do much good to those who can't gain access to it. Everyone should have coverage. Our children are the best place to start. - bjornski, on 10/11/2007, -12/+29So...he apologizes TODAY, after being dragged out into the public about his absolute douchebaggery.
Sure, NOW that he's an ungrateful *****, he saves face.
Before the public called him out for being the undeserving, ungrateful piece of ***** that he is?
Pure vitriol and hate. No thanks, no gratitude. Just hate.
Let this guys wife die. Then he can at least say "I didn't take that commie liberals money!"
And he can be SO proud that he "stuck to his guns". I'm sure his wife would be proud, too. - jun2san, on 10/11/2007, -3/+18This guys is an idiot. If he really wanted to further his agenda, he shouldn't have even mentioned that he found out the money was from Moore. It would have been smarter for him to say "well guys, I found out the money came from another anti-moore organization. I just want to express my gratitude."
- merwin, on 10/11/2007, -1/+16Think about it... if you just spent the last year or two working on a project about healthcare being screwed up, wouldn't you be somewhat focused on helping out? And who better to help out than your enemy? I think there was some guy that was born some 2000 years ago (famous carpenter) that said something about being nice to your enemies.
- Ruckgesicht, on 10/11/2007, -3/+18So his main business is in a side project? I'm confused.
- Gaki, on 10/11/2007, -3/+17Michael Moore "manipulates" facts to portray them in a certain light, which to the right wing is supposedly something to absolutely distrust and hate him for.
Of course, it is what EVERY SINGLE DIRECTOR IN THE HISTORY OF FILMS does, but that's beside the point, apparently. So is the fact that Michael Moore isn't even the worst suspect at it. The liberty people like Hannity, Coulter and O'Reilly take with facts is absolutely mind-boggling. Michael Moore slants, while those three often outright fabricate their material. Watching Coulter get nailed on The Fifth Estate for "inventing" the fact Canada sent troops to Vietnam was priceless. There are lies, damn lies and then the Right Wing media. - break99, on 10/11/2007, -1/+15If you believe that, you're naive.
- Shaman760, on 10/11/2007, -2/+16Maybe his conservative readership can hold a prayer circle for them and heal her because they can't (won't) raise the $$ for them.
Ungratefulness like this never ceases to amaze me. - ZZax, on 10/11/2007, -0/+14I see this guy basically has two choices
1) Be principled and turn down the money because he has some fundamental grievance against Moore
or
2) Sincerely thank him and say something like "While I disagree with Moore's viewpoints and film-making tactic (and may do so again in the future) I am truly thankful for this gift to help my wife." - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -4/+18Don't you mean his detractors' biggest nemesis!
You probably still believe in the accuracy of "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED"!
Jerk - Klydethegreater, on 10/11/2007, -2/+16An American reich winger who is a tool. Get outta here!
- workharderscum, on 10/11/2007, -11/+25I guess he was worried that later on Moore would come out and reveal himself as the source to illustrate some point about healthcare in the US. This guy is trying to pre-empt this, but is doing it in a way which makes him look petty and ungrateful.
- Badtastic, on 10/11/2007, -3/+16Interesting example of contrasting human values.
Moore anonymously helps his worst critic thereby demonstrating values like humanity and compassion. (By the way, acting anonymously = "no strings attached") Critic exposes Moore's anonymous gesture and basically spits in Moors face but hangs onto the generous live-altering donation.
It almost makes one feel sorry for the unfortunate critic for exposing himself as such a tragic little human being. - bjornski, on 10/11/2007, -4/+16This piece of ***** should give the money back.
Stabbing the person in the back who possibly saved his wifes life.
Does MM get even a pathetically dishonest "thank you"? No, he gets a full throated "***** YOU!"
Give MM his money back, you undeserving, worthless piece of *****. - eclectro, on 10/11/2007, -4/+16"Want free health care ? Go to Canada and wait like everybody else ! ( and take that ratty baseball cap and shove it up your ass )"
Well I live in Utah, USA and had to wait three months to see a specialtist. So I am not really seeing the point of that statement. -
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