Cliven Bundy Ranch

[elfismiles]

At scene of Nevada ranch standoff, 'citizen soldiers' are on guard
The conflict between cattleman Cliven Bundy and the federal Bureau of Land Management has attracted scores of self-styled militiamen who tote semiautomatic guns and share his antigovernment views.







http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-nev ... 4816.story

[American Dream]

Cliven Bundy on 'the Negro': Why his words aren't a huge surprise (+video)

The Nevada rancher who took on the BLM now posits that 'the Negro' may be better off as slaves. The link between racially offensive views and a certain strain of far-right politics seen at the Cliven Bundy ranch is well established, analysts say.

By Patrik Jonsson, Staff writer / April 24, 2014



Flanked by armed supporters, rancher Cliven Bundy
speaks at a protest camp near Bunkerville, Nev., April 18, 2014.


http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2 ... rise-video

[brainpanhandler]

He's a mid-term sideshow like Terry Schiavo.... I am not saying the situation is fake but the circumstances of the importance most certainly are.

Yes, it really does have that appearance. It has many useful props that resonate; recognizable name, American cowboy archetype, Bunkerville location. Good theater.

The Bureau of Land Management wikipedia page is full of "citation needed" notices. I haven't looked at the editing history, but it looks like a battleground. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_of_Land_Management

One question to ask is who benefits by the right wing media whipping this up into a story worthy of national attention?

Speculation on potential purposes:

1)Renew and further deepen the hatred of the the portion of the population that completely distrusts the federal government to do anything useful at all, like regulate mineral rights on federal property (think shale oil, fracking/natural gas).

2)Drive the wedge more deeply between groups that might otherwise find common cause. Can't have environmentalists and sovereign citizen/militia types ever find any reason to do anything but fear and hate each other, like opposing the Bureau of Land Management's decisions wrt how federal lands are used/abused/"managed". For the left/environmentalists this could mean a knee jerk reaction that the enemy of my enemy is my friend = thoughtless support for the BLM.

[Wombaticus Rex]

BPH, per your fruitful line of inquiry, the following link should be of keen interest.

Western lawmakers gather in Utah to talk federal land takeover

‘It’s time’ - Lawmakers from 9 states gather in Utah, discuss ways to take control of federal lands.

[American Dream]

Cliven Bundy Stands By Pro-Slavery Comments In Rambling Press Conference

Posted: 04/24/2014 5:36 pm EDT by Amanda Turkel
Huffington Post

WASHINGTON -- Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy doubled down on his controversial remarks about slavery Thursday, insisting that perhaps the "Negro people" were better off as the property of white owners because then, at least, they had gardens and chickens to tend to instead of being dependent on the government.

"Cliven Bundy's a-wondering about these people," said Bundy, referring to himself in the third person. "Now I'm talking about the black community. I'm a-wondering. Are they better off with their young women aborting their children? Are they better off with the young men in prison? Are they better off with the older people on their sidewalks in front of their government-issued homes with a few children? Are they better off, are they happier than they was in the South in front of their homes with their chickens and their gardens and their children around them, and their man having something to do? Are they better off?"

In recent weeks, Bundy has become a hero to some conservatives for his anti-government attitude. He and his armed supporters chased away Bureau of Land Management rangers this month who tried to confiscate his cattle that had been illegally grazing on public land since 1993.

This standoff made prominent politicians such as Sens. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) into Bundy fans.

But on Wednesday, The New York Times published comments that Bundy made Saturday at one of his daily news conferences. The rancher seemed to reminisce fondly about the days when blacks were slaves.

"And because they were basically on government subsidy, so now what do they do?" he asked, referring to African-Americans. "They abort their young children, they put their young men in jail, because they never learned how to pick cotton. And I've often wondered, are they better off as slaves, picking cotton and having a family life and doing things, or are they better off under government subsidy? They didn't get no more freedom. They got less freedom."

His comments set off a firestorm, with those same politicians now distancing themselves from him.

Bundy insisted Thursday that he does understand slavery and isn't glossing over what it was like.

"I might not have a very big word base, or vocabulary, I guess. But let me tell you something: When I say slavery, I mean slavery. I understand what slavery's all about, and there's no question in my mind about that I don't know what slavery's about," he insisted. "Slavery's about when you take away choices for people, and where you have forced labor and you transfer people and sell them and all of those kinds of things. Do you think that's what America's all about? Do you think that's what I'm about, America? If it is, you're sure wrong, because I don't believe in any of that type of stuff."

But there was widespread agreement Thursday that if Bundy is even wondering if blacks were better off being enslaved, he probably doesn't understand what slavery was. From Ta-Nehisi Coates at The Atlantic:

Enslaved black people were, with some regularity, beat with cowhide whips, tongs, pokers, chairs, and wooden boards. Nails were driven through their palms, pins through their tongues. Eyes were gouged out for the smallest offense.

When people like Cliven Bundy assert the primacy of the past it is important that we do not recount it selectively. American enslavement is the destruction of the black body for profit. That is the past that Cliven Bundy believes "the Negro" to have been better off in. He is, regrettably, not alone.

"Today, Bundy revealed himself to be a hateful racist," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who last week called Bundy's supporters "domestic terrorists." "But by denigrating people who work hard and play by the rules while he mooches off public land, he also revealed himself to be a hypocrite."

During his press conference, Bundy also talked about how scared he was during the Watts riots of 1965, recounting how relieved he was when a group of "black boys" didn't kill him.

[82_28]

This is clearly by now, a three ring circus. I stand by my ethereal "Terry Schiavo" approximation and also what BPH said. This is a potential clusterfuck.

Yet, I wonder. At this point is there really anything worth saving and protecting? These idiots are going to have to learn their own lessons -- on their own. No libtard will ever get through to them. The only thing we have in common is that we are open to ideas of government conspiracy -- but this libtard thinks they're going about it in all the wrong ways. Thus, I think that this bullshit has been drummed up. They are not doing this in their interests, thus there must be some incentive. I think that at this time, the incentive is largely hidden from the militia people, they are just reacting to something they imagine to be oppressive -- it is. But going about it in all the wrong ways.

How many times to you think these idiots cheered, hooped and hollered when they saw the footage of the US military decimating Iraqi villages and shit? Now they're the enemy? Come the fuck on. They know they could be obliterated with a flick of a switch -- yet remain totally unconcerned. Why would this be? Because they know nothing is going to happen to them. This is the result of a psychological operation overlayed upon a real thing (the illegal cattle grazing) and then prodding a situation into fruition by way of these people's deep passion for their personally owned firepower. This would have all gone unnoticed some 30, 50, 100 years ago. The feds would have just rolled in or the Pinkertons (who I have no doubt these fucks love the tactics of) and cleaned up. Also, there is basically no doubt this "posse" hates unions -- and yet -- here they are forming one. The real ones at least.

My bet is on this is an inordinately complex scam for the news cycles and narrative in the age of "social media". Say, what happened with these same types and their fake ass uproar over "illegals"? Say? Onto new agitprop!

[slimmouse]

My best guess is that eventually we will have enormous Corporations, in tandem with an assortment of economic spivs owning the entire Earth, with their thinly veiled, Lying Presidents, Prime Ministers, and so on doing their bidding, and reassuring you that, " all's well."

These Corporations and spivs own both sides of almost all political spectrums.

The heads of these corporations, along with the spivs, also have access to almost all the weaponry.

So this is how its gonna be, if enough people cant get their heads around what is going on here.

No big deal, I guess.

But one thing is for sure.

The Bunden Ranch saga and probably many more such ongoing examples, are not for the benefit of the environment, or for world peace, or any of the rest of that shite.

The way the world is now, simply isnt how it should be.

Unfortunately we have lunatics running the assylum.

Whats more, I reckon that they have been doing so for quite some time now.

Imagine being born into an assylum?

In such a case surely Lunacy becomes the norm?

[elfismiles]

04/24/14 Will Grigg

Will Grigg, blogger and author of Liberty in Eclipse, discusses Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy’s probably-well-intentioned but awkwardly racist critique of government dependence and the welfare state; the media’s habit of vilifying individuals who are targeted for government raids; why Nevada’s quasi-colonial relationship with Washington, D.C. needs to be remedied; and the BLM’s lesser-known persecution of the Dann family, who are Nevada ranchers and members of the Western Shoshone nation.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:08 — 13.3MB)
http://dissentradio.com/radio/14_04_24_grigg.mp3

http://scotthorton.org/interviews/2014/ ... ill-grigg/
http://freedominourtime.blogspot.com/20 ... tlers.html

[Sounder]

Rusty Hill has been in land development and knows this area.

There is a fair bit of useful perspective in this video.

[ShinShinKid]

I don't know what's worse, people somehow, some way defending what this very obvious imbecile said, or the fact that living out West, I know he's not alone in his thinking.
Really, when I heard that he is just voicing the secret thoughts of the majority of "conservatives" in this country, I couldn't argue...they really are just trying to "conserve" their old power structure...slavery, haciendas, company stores, indentured servitude...
Sure, only there's a couple hundred years of history and culture that you have to destroy first...only one way that can happen...nuclear war. Otherwise, it's time to for DIY cruise missle set for the back of his uninsured flatbed truck, or a good 10-football field shot that someone hears seconds after his old wrinkled head turns to a lumpy red meal-ready-to-eat for the coyotes. Quigley down under?

[Nordic]

This whole circus is why we should all turn off our tv's. Like I did. I can't believe how everybody is still being led around by this kind of shit. I mean we laugh at cats being tormented by laser pointers but humans are just as stupid.

[elfismiles]

Black Bundy Bodyguard: He's Not A Racist; "I'd Take A Bullet For That Man"
Posted on April 25, 2014


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_YqUd637JQ

CNN REPORTER: You're protecting this man and he's wondering whether African-Americans would be better off as slaves. How does that strike you?

JASON BULLOCK, BODYGUARD FOR CLIVEN BUNDY: It doesn't strike me any kind of way. This is still the same old Mr. Bundy I met from the first day of all this happening.

CNN REPORTER: But aren't those offensive comments to you

BULLOCK: Not at all.

CNN REPORTER: Not offensive?

BULLOCK: Because Mr. Bundy is not a racist. Ever since I've been here he's treated me with nothing but hospitality. He's pretty much treated me like his own family.

###

BULLOCK: I would take a bullet for that man, if need be. I look up to him just like I do my own grandfather.

CNN REPORTER: Why?

BULLOCK: Because I believe in his cause and after having met Mr. Bundy a few times, I have a really good feel about him and I'm a pretty good judge of character.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/ ... t_man.html

Unedited Tape of Bundy Emerges, Sheds Light on 'Racist' Remarks
4.25.2014


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agXns-W60MI

A new, unedited version of comments by Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy has emerged, and it sheds some light on the context of his remarks, universally condemned on Thursday as horrifically racist.

The 67-year-old Bundy, battling the U.S. government after federal agents stormed his ranch to confiscate his cattle in a dispute over grazing fees, said far more than what appeared in the New York Times and most other news accounts. While his grammar is pretty bad -- and his use of "negro" and "colored" considered politically incorrect (although they were both once preferred terms chosen by blacks) -- he actually was making a larger point, not simply deriding blacks.

In a YouTube video, he is filmed already in mid-sentence.

... and so what I've testified to you -- I was in the Watts riot, I seen the beginning fire and I seen that last fire. What I seen is civil disturbance. People are not happy, people are thinking they don't have their freedoms, they didn't have these things, and they didn't have them.

We've progressed quite a bit from that day until now, and we sure don't want to go back. We sure don't want the colored people to go back to that point. We sure don't want these Mexican people to go back to that point. And we can make a difference right now by taking care of some of these bureaucracies, and do it in a peaceful way.

Those comments appear to change the context of the next section, which was quoted in the New York Times. One clear point the rancher made: America has progressed since the 1965 race riots and "we sure don't want to go back."

Here are the heavily quoted comments from Bundy that followed the above section edited out by most news organizations.

Let me tell, talk to you about the Mexicans, and these are just things I know about the negroes. I want to tell you one more thing I know about the negro. When I go, went, go to Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and I would see these little government houses, and in front of that government house the door was usually open and the older people and the kids -- and there's always at least a half a dozen people sitting on the porch. They didn’t have nothing to do. They didn’t have nothing for their kids to do. They didn’t have nothing for their young girls to do.

And because they were basically on government subsidy -- so now what do they do? They abort their young children, they put their young men in jail, because they never, they never learned how to pick cotton. And I’ve often wondered are they were better off as slaves, picking cotton and having a family life and doing things? Or are they better off under government subsidy?

You know they didn’t get more freedom, they got less freedom -- they got less family life, and their happiness -- you could see it in their faces -- they wasn't happy sitting on that concrete sidewalk. Down there they was probably growing their turnips -- so that’s all government, that’s not freedom.

But Bundy went on after saying that -- and again, his comments were edited out of most reports.

Now, let me talk about the Spanish people. You know, I understand that they come over here against our Constitution and cross our borders. But they’re here and they’re people -- and I’ve worked side by side a lot of them.

Don’t tell me they don’t work, and don’t tell me they don’t pay taxes. And don’t tell me they don’t have better family structures than most of us white people. When you see those Mexican families, they’re together, they picnic together, they’re spending their time together, and I’ll tell you in my way of thinking they’re awful nice people. And we need to have those people join us and be with us not, not come to our party.

So, Bundy thinks Hispanics are hard-working family people, and laments the current plight of American blacks under the federal welfare system while saying there has been much progress and that "we sure don't want to go back." As always, there's more to the story than what the New York Times says.

http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/unedite ... st-remarks

[elfismiles]

Judas Goat Glenn Beck Colludes With CIA and CFR to Take Down Patriot Movement
http://www.infowars.com/judas-goat-glen ... -movement/

Black Soldiers: Cliven Bundy Is Not Racist
http://www.infowars.com/black-marines-c ... ot-racist/

[NeonLX]

The NYT's editing is rather...interesting.

I'm sorry, that is simply race baiting. Not to mention grossly disingenuous.

I never did get over their propaganda in advance of invading Iraq.

What the hell. I wouldn't by that rag with your money. Not sure I'd waste the lighter fluid to set it on fire, either

ON EDIT: I probably don't fucking know shit. I'm certainly tired of getting yanked around by media, mainstream or otherwise. The Bundy dude is essentially squatting on public land, no question. But to apparently magnify his comments, with so much editing...

OK, I don't know anything. Fuck it. I'm going to get up and do something useful, like cleaning the toilet or shoveling pig shit.

[Iamwhomiam]

I heard the whole interview unedited. Bundy offered this unprompted and through his limited abilities, probably was trying to make some point about the inefficacy of government programs, which might have been better addressed by someone complaining about the lack of jobs, especially among our minority population. He's simply ignorant and biased. Perhaps he's also a bigot.

And while any sensational situation will make national news, once one does no sordid bit is left unreported.

I doubt any of our RI participants would support armed government (military) intervention against their own citizens anywhere, ever.

But I bet a lot of us wouldn't mind mind seeing the government kicking some millionaire's arse, especially one whose been unfairly making his living from freeloading from the public trough.

Personally, I like my freedom. Aside from the occasional harangues from my petty landlord, I live life unimpeded by rules. I just make others play by the rules they agreed to when they entered the game.

However, some tea party pinkies hearing Bundy's words seemed displeased, some of his best allies boosting his cause: http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2014/04/24/nevada-rancher-nagourney

(I know, NPR. I'm so f'n brainwashed!)

Removed 'some' & 'the' from line beginning "However...".