Oregon Refuge Standoff, and the Derp of Knee-Jerk Politics

Well, the fifth day of the year is almost over, and I've yet to blog once! I guess that tells you about my waning desire to blog of late. Utterly committed to keeping it going, but very low on the blogging bug. Too bad I never managed to monetize the thing, that might have done the trick! Annnnyway. . . .

The one thing capturing my attention (especially with sheer boredom setting in with the pre-Iowa, post-never-ending-months-of-campaigning 2016 battle) is the Oregon standoff. It's funny. It's stupid. It's absolutely larded with misinformation, complete with a compounding and conflicting back-story. And the best part is, this is the best they could do.

Don't believe everything you read. Particularly in a Facebook meme.

For years now, the fringy-fringe of the increasingly mainstream fringe of the conservative-Republican-Libertarian side of politics have been threatening revolution. Whether it's over legal gay marriage, abortion, gun "grabbing," government overreach, race wars. . .pick one or all. They've been threatening "2nd Amendment Solutions." The loons over at FreeRepublic have been itching for Civil War for at least since Obama was elected, probably as far back as the Clinton years. And it was easy to laugh, conjuring images of obese, older white men (and a few women) riding their hover-rounds in formation, with big old guns strapped across their backs to compensate for. . .shortcomings.

They're always a combination of vague on reasoning and solutions, and OCD-levels of detailed on their conspiracy theories. They can belch out long strings of data about what the government has done that aggrieves them. It's barnacled with half-truths, supposition, illogic, lies and loads of Alex Jones' InfoWars tinfoil-hat conspiracy crap. Do you see the meme posted here? It's culled from the Facebook page of one of my mother's conservative friends. It has more than a half dozen errors in it. Here are the ones I'm aware of:

- The Bureau of Land Management was created by FDR in 1946, which pre-dates 1964 by 18 years.
- The Hammonds were accused of setting at least one of the fires to cover up poaching crimes.
- Their fires spread to federally owned land. Which is. . .federal land. . .even if portions of it were being leased by the Hammonds.
- The charge was arson, not "terrorism."

That gun is pointing at the Feds. No one was shot. Isn't that something?
Image from Business Insider.

- They weren't charged with "terrorism" again, or ever.
- The BLM didn't send them to prison, a judge did, after a jury found them guilty.
- They were sentenced to complete their original mandatory minimum sentence, as the original judge didn't follow the correct sentencing guidelines.

To top it all off, the Hammonds themselves willingly turned themselves in. They don't support these yahoos in their "freedom fight." The Bundy family and their allies are not from Oregon, either. In fact, it would seem that the Bundy family--not content with their conservative fame when they held of the Feds at gunpoint and miraculously weren't fired upon--is simply spoiling for a fight. They're looking to start that insurrection the conservative whack-a-doodles have been promising for so long. By taking over a closed bird sanctuary. Ooh, how daring. But they are armed and dangerous, I suppose. Idiots strapped to the tits with weaponry usually are. And one can't help but wonder if they would even still be breathing if they were any other group, taking over a government installation with weapons. Any other color, specifically, but I imagine even any other religion, any other political ideology, any other kind of lethal weapons, rather than guns. I suspect we'd have nuked the site from orbit, metaphorically speaking.

But the meme above is eaten whole by people like my mother's friend. They'll immediately believe anything that seems to comport with their politics. They'll somehow blame it on Obama. And they'll insist Trump is the answer. And I'm sure The Donald would insist that he is too! Because he's just as vague but certain as they are.

[Excerpt]
 
Bundy Boys Promise To Hold Refuge Until People 'Claim It'



Wow, talk about a nanny state. For all the proclamations about liberty and freedom, Ammon Bundy is behaving like a protective grandma. . . Read more at: Crooks and Liars

Right Wing World: WTF is Wrong with White, Conservative America?

I've voiced my discomfort and displeasure for the level of discourse in political discussion over the last few weeks. There is a far more strident, far more knee-jerk, hair-trigger defensiveness and offensiveness. It isn't confined to the extreme right-wing--or maybe even entirely on the right--but it is pretty much confined to white people. The same folks who are extremely defensive about being accused of racism (indeed, if they are, they'll claim the accuser is playing "the race card") seem to be eager to be openly racially antagonistic.

Image from source, NewsCorpse

After a series of high profile cases of black men killed by police officers being turned loose without so much as a slap on the wrist, many people--not just black people--have been very upset about what seems to be a pattern. Various forms of protest have sprung up, to keep attention focused on the problem. Though several of these cases can be murky to wade through, and often the victim is not as pure as the driven snow, the fact remains: if a cop kills a minority, regardless of his offense (and sometimes the "offense" isn't even a crime), it is rare for him to even be indicted, let alone tried for a crime.

Somehow, this has become a partisan issue, largely right-against-left. It's even been conflated with the torture report, with exactly the same battle lines, mostly right wingers in favor of wide latitude for torture and police use of force, versus the left against torture, and for more stringent review of police methods. Ironically, the right is usually against strong government power, apparently making an exception when it is used against people the right doesn't like. But here's where it gets really weird.

White people pointing guns at law enforcement at the Bundy Ranch.
Image from DuaneGraham.WordPress.com

Two police officers were brutally shot to death in New York City this weekend. And instantly Right Wing World turned it into a political firestorm. The killer (dead himself from a self-inflicted gunshot) is apparently absolved of the crime. Instead, it is the fault of President Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder and Al Sharpton. I have no idea why. And it's frankly disgusting.

If this were merely some anonymous internet chatter, or in the hobbyist blogosphere, that would be one thing. But it's prominent voices on the right, media personalities, elected officials. What the hell is going on here? Why is the right so anxious to turn the deaths of fellow Americans into some bizarre counter-point to a protest movement? No serious figure on the left has advocated violence against the police, and if they have, they would be instantaneously denounced (seriously, if there have been any, I hereby denounce them this instant).

I know that Right Wing World has been racially on edge for a long time, and that for 6 years they've desperately wanted to use the N-word openly. I'm honestly very surprised it hasn't popped out on FOX "News" or talk radio by now. But this is nuts. And it overlooks a very, very important fact: Two Tea Party following, Bundy Ranch protestors left that protest, went to Las Vegas, and killed two cops. How many on the right blamed themselves and their own leaders for that? >crickets<

[Excerpt]

NAUSEATING: Fox News Absolves Cop Killer Of Responsibility For Murders
 
Conservatives have long portrayed themselves as the voices of personal responsibility. They insist that the traditional values encompassed by patriotism and faith demand that individuals be accountable for their actions. But when it comes to the brutal assassination of two New York police officers, Fox News exploits the tragedy to lay the blame on innocent people that they regard as political adversaries. . .

Read more at: NewsCorpse

Right Wing World: Cliven Bundy Jumps from Republican to a REALLY Nutty Party

In this installment of Republicans Really Need Better Heroes, we have Cliven Bundy. He's the Nevada rancher who is grazing on federal land, but doesn't want to pay the bill. For some reason, this has inspired a following of alleged "Constitutionalists," who were--for a time--interrogating fellow citizens. That "I don't get it" would be to state, and understate the obvious.

But ol' Cliven isn't happy with more people than just the BLM, and liberals, and O'Bummer. He's dumping the whole GOP! So where'd he go, the Tea Party, right? Well, no, since the Tea Party is just the base of the Republican Party. Instead, he picked the party that was tea bagging before tea bagging was cool: The Independent American Party. These are not independents, you understand. It's an actual collection of like-minded people, and they're bananas.

I remember when I first moved to Nevada almost 20 years ago, reading about the Hansen family, all of whom were IAP. They're anti-federal government, like Bundy. But they went significantly around the bend on most issues. The oddest thing is, these uber-conservatives are against government issued ID, which puts them at odds with the uber-conservatives who are trying to implement Voter ID. here's a link. And remember, her platform is presented with a bit of polish for the election. But I think you can see where the IAP is coming from. And since Cliven Bundy apparently doesn't believe the federal government exists, he should fit right in.

Image from source, Wonkette

Anyway, I don't know if the Hansens ever secured any significant office, but they keep trying. Janine Hansen is running for Congress, and if you want to see what she's all about,

Again, Republicans: find better heroes.

[Excerpt]

CLIVEN BUNDY QUITS REPUBLICANS, JOINS FORCES WITH SOMEONE EVEN MORE UNTETHERED TO REALITY

Those sensitive to such things may have sensed a great disturbance in the Loonosphere over the weekend, as Cliven Bundy left the Republican Party and signed up with the Independent American Party of Nevada, the local version of the rightwing Constitution Party. And why does this matter? It is not insignificant, because Cliven’s new party is also the home of the awesomely batshit David Lory VanDerBeek, who we profiled a while back when he was predicting civil war and expecting Obama to come and kill him. Mr. VanDerBeek (motto: “I don’t put spaces between the three chunks of my last name”) is still out there — way out there — being a Sandy Hook Truther and running a can’t-lose candidacy for Nevada Governor. . .

Read more at: Wonkette

Cliven Bundy Institute for Higher Learning (A Kenny Pick Ad Parody)

Cliven Bundy's unbelievable oddness and overt racism has been upstaged of late by the Los Angeles Clippers owner, Donald Sterling. Poor guy! Kenny Pick, of Turn Up the Night and The Stephanie Miller Show has come up with a way to get poor ol' Bundy Back in the spotlight!

 

Bundy, Bundy (A Rocky Mountain Mike Song Parody)

There is a great hue and cry from Right Wing World over Cliven Bundy. Those who didn't either slowly back away from Bundy's racist comments, or just instantly denounce him, have decided that Bundy was taken out of context. Yes, the media apparently sneakily edited his hour-long press conference down to a useable length, in an effort to make this virtuous man sound like a bigot!

Not really, of course. There isn't any context that fixes the racism that permeates Bundy's comments. But at least there is humor to be mined from this whole sordid affair, and Rocky Mountain Mike knows how to pan for that gold! To the tune of The Mamas and the Papas' Monday, Monday, naturally.

 

Surprised that Cliven Bundy is a Racist? You Shouldn't Be.

I know I've used Rachel Maddow on the blog a lot recently, but this is the best breakdown I've seen on this story. Over the last day or so, it's come out that Cliven Bundy, the latest rightwing hero, is a seriously politically tone-deaf racist. But if you've been paying attention to the story, that really shouldn't be a surprise. Because the "sovereign citizen" movement that Bundy is a part of is rooted in white supremacist lore. This crazy, "the federal government doesn't exist" crap that Bundy has been espousing should have tipped off dolts like Sean Hannity (and the rest of FOX "News" and Right Wing World) that this guy was a little off.
 

Jon Stewart Volleys Back to Sean Hannity Over Cliven Bundy

When will FOX "News" and Sean Hannity learn? You can't beat The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. You can't do it, but please keep trying. It's comedy gold, and you're spiking that ball right into Stewart's sweet spot. Hilarious. And now that Cliven Bundy--Hannity's favorite 'merican--has proven to be an unapologetic racist? Even sweeter. Glad it became known before Stewart tapes for the day!

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook,Daily Show Video Archive

Sean Hannity's WEAK Response to Jon Stewart's Takedown

As I said earlier, the more you find out about the Cliven Bundy cattle grazing story, the more wobbly the tea bagger posse side's "freedom fight" becomes. But Sean Hannity took up the cause, and Bundy has hailed him as a hero. So, Hannity can't very well abandon the goofy cause, right? So, when Jon Stewart took the whole story down in an inspired Daily Show on Monday night, Hannity was obliged to respond.

Now, if you want a sight to behold, it's when the reverse happens. If Stewart is attacked by a FOX "News" personality, for instance, his responses are legendary. Sometimes complete with a gospel choir! Hannity? Not so much. The man is a dolt. He couldn't argue his way into a refund at Home Depot. Here's the evidence.

[Excerpt]

Sean Hannity hits back: Why didn’t ‘suck-up’ Jon Stewart ask Obama about Bill Ayers?

Fox News host Sean Hannity responded on Tuesday to criticism from The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart — by virtually ignoring Stewart’s whole argument. “He’s kind of obsessed with this program,” Hannity said. “Then he took clips of me from previous shows — by the way, dating back more than eight years — to try and discredit what I was saying and that I was being hypocritical when it comes to following the rule of law. . .”

Read more at: Raw Story

What Happens in NEAR Vegas : Cliven Bundy' Claims to "Ancestral Land" Bunk

1800s, huh? Sure, dude, whatever. The longer this story goes on, and the more I learn, the more I think the supporters of Cliven Bundy are just mental cases. What exactly is the claim of "freedom" here?

Tell us another one, Clive. Image from source,
8NewsNow

[Excerpt]

I-Team: Bundy's 'ancestral rights' come under scrutiny

Federal authorities remain silent about their next plans to confront Cliven Bundy at his Bunkerville ranch. Both sides are fighting over history, with federal courts denying Bundy's claims of "ancestral rights" on the Virgin River valley. The I-Team dug into century-old records to examine Bundy's claims. . .

Read more at: 8NewsNow

Jon Stewart Doesn't "Get" Cliven Bundy Protest Either

Image from source, Mediaite

Turns out, my confusion over exactly what supporters of Cliven Bundy are standing up for isn't really confusion. They don't really know either. Their thinking that the government response to twenty years of delinquent payments was "excessive," is pretty much all they've got. Beyond that, you've got Bundy--who claims to not recognize the existence or authority of the United States government--a fringy nut, who owes the government a whole lot of money, but doesn't want to pay. How that drew out a demented tea bagger posse, I have no idea. But I suspect they've been itching for "go time" (armed insurrection) for some time, and they took this as a trial run.

Jon Stewart, of course, has a funnier take than I do. That's why he gets paid the big bucks.

[Excerpt]

‘Who the Hell Is on This Guy’s Side?’ Stewart Tears into Hannity for Bundy Hypocrisy

Jon Stewart tackled the Cliven Bundy situation (which he described as a classic “boy has cow, boy breaks law for 20 years, boy loses cow story”) Monday night, tearing into Sean Hannity in particular for hypocrisy when it comes to “people scamming off the taxpayers. . .”

Read more at: Mediaite or watch the video here.

Rachel Maddow: FOX "News" Wants a New Waco; Ruby Ridge

Who knows why FOX "News" seems to want to egg on arch-conservatives, in order to turn the "Bundy Ranch" thing into another Waco or Ruby Ridge. But they sure seem to.

Grazing Cattle! (Another Rocky Mountain Mike Parody)

I'll freely admit to still not really getting this whole Cliven Bundy cattle grazing dispute. I mean I get that this Bundy guy is peeved and doesn't want to pay the rev-en-ooers. But try as I might, I can't figure out what kind of leg he has to stand on, or exactly what the "freedom" principle is here.  But the good news is, it's provided fodder for yet another Rocky Mountain Mike parody, and this one is inspired: Blazing Saddles, writ large! It's great! And it makes as much sense as anything else. And how weird is it. . .Cliven. . .Cleavon?!?