Charlie Pierce: Ammon Bundy's sympathizers in Congress are scarier than he is

[cali]

The Oregon Militia Is Stealing From All of Us
And they've got friends in Congress all too eager to help.


Enough is enough. I mean, really. It's time for federal law enforcement to, you know, enforce federal law.

<snip>

The people of Harney County are fed up. The governor of Oregon is fed up. A group of armed jamokes—some of them with long criminal histories outside of the crimes they are committing at the moment—has seized federal property on federal land and the only people who seem sanguine about the whole business are the federal authorities. The thieves have been allowed to come and go fairly at will. They've been allowed to state their case at town meetings. And they've been allowed to return to the scene of their current crimes over and over again. Enough. If the FBI is still gun-shy about Ruby Ridge and about Waco, it has had enough chances to arrest these people without storming their winter clown encampment.


<snip>

Can someone please explain to me why Ammon Bundy wasn't arrested as he sat in the bleachers? Or on the way to the meeting? Or on the way back to the land he is attempting to steal from the rest of us? If the FBI had been this tender about people's feelings throughout its history, John Dillinger would have died in his bed at the age of 103 and Fred Hampton might still be alive.

<snip>

Now, the notion of handing federal lands back to the states—and, I guarantee you, thence to the tender mercies of the extraction industries—is an article of conservative faith. While Ammon Bundy and his burlesque troop blitheles commit their crimes in Oregon, a serious movement is afoot in Congress to hijack the public lands with a pen, rather than a gun. The dreaded "Grand Bargain" rationale is being trotted out.



<snip>


http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a41412/oregon-militia-federal-lands/

[riversedge]

1. I think the Feds-other officials are

afraid that there will be a shot out. I would be.

[rockfordfile]

2. I agree they're spooky creatures

[Solly Mack]

3. K&R

[DhhD]

4. Senate, conservatism to sell off federal lands and parks to those coming to buy it before it is

taken. Republicans claim they want to help. Must be nice to buy land for your private living quarters with road already in place, maybe water and electricity too. All on the taxpayers dime. Maybe there are state homestead laws that would allow free acreage. Perhaps Bundy could show Congressional members how to stake a free claim. Senators seem to be getting very rich while being in office.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/01/ken-ivory-federal-land-bundy

http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/the-conservationist/senate-this-land-isn%E2%80%99t-your-land
April 1, 2015
Senate: This Land Isn’t Your Land

http://www.hcn.org/articles/western-states-trying-to-take-back-federal-lands-get-a-boost-from-the-u-s-senate

https://www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/green/report/2015/10/27/124229/the-dog-whistle-politics-of-seizing-and-selling-american-lands-and-energy-resources-in-the-west/

That includes lands owned by the state too.
http://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/this-land-is-his-land/

[raouldukelives]

5. It's why they remind me of Wall St investors.

They group together and share strength and resources, bribe government officials and tear down the fences around our shared commons for their own exploitation and wealth.

[MH1]

7. The point of government is to protect individuals from exploitation by organized groups.

This applies to ANY organized group, be it the army or navy of a foreign country, a rapacious corporation, a criminal gang (oops, redundant), some hate group like neo-nazis, or this bunch.

Or government itself. Checks and balances are needed to protect us from government becoming an organization of thugs; and that is the point of democracy. It's far from perfect, but sure beats the alternatives.

Anyway that's why they remind you of Wall St. investors - one bunch of organized thugs out to exploit others, is pretty much the same as any other. They just differ in attire and tactics.

[raouldukelives]

8. You got it my friend.

[Mc Mike]

6. The repugs pull this shit all the time. It's well orchestrated.

Their top power creeps have an initiative they want to put over, like stealing publicly owned land, or eliminating womens' rights, or scapegoating immigrants or religious minorities, or demonizing federal enforcement agencies. Then up pops a crazy, well-armed right wing group of dirtbag lackey whitie zealots, who pull out their weapons, commit crimes, threaten and use violence, kill people and blow stuff up. And simultaneously the repug power brokers' other dirtbag lackeys, in elected positions and think tanks and media, rationalize defend excuse justify and legislatively codify those exact same initiatives.

They're always threatening civil war, it's a subtext in every fake grievance and outrage they scream and whine about. This legislative angle is just civil war by stealth, because they're sneaky little cowards, and as long as they get exactly what they want, they don't care how they get it. They're like spoiled toddlers with adult bodies and guns.

[forest444]

9. That pretty much sums up today's GOP.

The only major party in the developed world that meets all 14 criteria for fascism.

Lincoln and Ike must be really rolling in their graves.

[Mc Mike]

10. They're extremely bad for the nation, and planet, no doubt. nt.