Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Weekend Contributor
Cliven Bundy, the Nevada rancher and scofflaw, was hailed by some people as a folk hero and patriot recently when he—and his followers–engaged in a standoff with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Caty Enders (Esquire) described the scene in Bunkerville, Nevada, as pundits and politicians descended on the Bundy camp last week “to throw in their American flag hats with the BLM protestors.” She said that a FOX News van had been parked by the side of the road for days—and that “militia snipers kept a trained watch” up on a ridge “as Bundy held court.” She added that disciples of Bundy came from far and wide “to share their personal theories as to why the government was enforcing a court order.”
Bundy has had a number of advocates who have spoken in support of his militant stance against the BLM. Those advocates included some prominent politicians and members of the media. Sean Hannity was one of Bundy’s biggest boosters and helped to make him into a folk hero. Hannity talked with Bundy on a number of occasions on his Fox News show. Joan Walsh (Salon) asked a pertinent question about Bundy on Friday: “How does a guy who declared early on ‘I don’t recognize the United States government as even existing’ become a folk hero in the first place?” She said that both Hannity and Fox News should have realized that the Nevada rancher was “too toxic” prior to his “ongoing self-exposure as a racist.” She added that the extremism of Bundy’s statement about the US government “should have been warning enough that Bundy was not only crazy but dangerous…”
Enders posed a question that was in the same vein as Walsh’s: “Exactly how difficult was it, though, to determine pretty early on that Bundy and his followers were using the threat of force to back up some terrifyingly misguided beliefs?” Enders provided some insight into the thinking and beliefs of Bundy and disciples of his with whom she talked.
Members of the Bundy Brigade Speak Out
Enders spoke to a militia member named Mark who was affiliated with the Oath Keepers group. Mark explained to her “the truth behind public land management.” He said, “The assumption is that the BLM is part of the federal government. But we need to check the facts on that one. The BLM doesn’t work for the government: they work for the United Nations. They might as well be wearing blue helmets. If we find out there’s money being exchanged between Harry Reid and the Chinese government, no one should be surprised.”
Another Bundy disciple told Enders that “Bar-certified lawyers, like the ones who prosecuted Bundy, have sworn loyalty to the British government, whose statutes encourage sex with clients. ‘That’s what they do with all their clients.’”
Enders spent time talking to a former cop who chuckled as he related a story about one of his buddies who once worked as a sheriff in New Mexico. He said his buddy got into some trouble after he pulled over a group of illegals one night. He said his pal “didn’t have room to haul ‘em all, so he put a chain around their neck and put a padlock through it, went to the next one, then he chained ‘em to a tree!” Enders said that the former cop then buckled with laughter as he told her how his friend “left ‘em and went to town to get his pickup to haul ‘em all back in. So, you might imagine, that didn’t play well — ha! You’re a young’un, but everything wasn’t against the law, way back when.” The former cop also told Enders that it was now being proved that the Bureau of Land management was acting on orders “from Troy and Harry Reid, who want to build a solar farm on the land — or a wind farm.”
One of Bundy’s disciples drove a beige sedan covered with the following message:
IF YOU WERE BORN IN 1980 AND AFTER. YOU MAY BE IMPLANTED WITH A GOVERNMENT MICROCHIP WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE: GOOGLE DOCTORS THAT REMOVE MICROCHIPS.
Cliven Bundy, God’s Messenger
During the time that Enders spent at the Bundy camp, she witnessed one of the public addresses the Nevada rancher made to his followers. She said that as Bundy—who had just been given a standing ovation—took the stage, he didn’t seem pleased. She said that Bundy reproached the crowd “for failing to follow the word of God – to the letter …”— which he claimed was being “delivered through him.” He wasn’t happy that his supporters failed “to follow his instructions to tear down the toll booths at Lake Mead and disarm the Park Service.” Bundy added, “The message I gave to you all was a revelation that I received. And yet not one of you can seem to even quote it.” He continued, “The records of our bible — how long have they been kept? Thousands of years. They’ve been turned over generation after generation, buried, and all kinds of things happen to ‘em. And yet, here, something I felt was inspired [by God] and yet we haven’t even carried it forth for even a couple of days. Shame on us.”
Bundy expressed frustration because his followers hadn’t been able to deter the BLM “within an hour”—“as the revelation had prophesied.” When an hour had passed, Bundy reportedly got into his bulldozer and decided to march on the BLM himself. His dozer got stuck in the mud—and that led to Bundy’s receiving yet another revelation: “It come to my mind real plain — the good Lord said, ‘Bundy, it’s not your job, it’s THEIR job.’” Bundy reiterated that revelation a little differently in an effort to ensure that his followers understood what he had just told them, “This is not my job, it’s YOUR job.”
Bundy said that he received a message that morning after he prayed. He claimed that he heard a voice say, “Sheriff Gillespie, your work is not done. Every sheriff across the United States, take the guns away from the United States bureaucrats.”
Uncivil Disobedience
Even The Weekly Standard–as well as Glenn Beck–has been critical of Cliven Bundy. The magazine’s Scrapbook explained the whole Bundy situation with regard to grazing fees and court rulings. The Scrapbook said that what had transpired over the years didn’t sound “like the dread hand of tyranny, in Nevada or Washington, oppressing an innocent farmer, or pushing some law-abiding citizen around.” It said it sounded, instead, “like a rancher gaming the system to his own financial advantage, and disguising his scheme in populist rhetoric: refusing to pay a tax which others must pay, and ‘tying up the courts’—for two decades!—as he continues to ignore the law.”
The Weekly Standard:
Far from acting in an arbitrary or capricious manner, the federal government has shown patience and forbearance in the face of lawlessness that customarily lands people in jail. It is worth noting that Bundy’s rancher-neighbors and the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association, who contend with the same federal policies, offer him little support.
Apocalypse Cow – Welfare Rancher, Part 1 (The Daily Show)
Apocalypse Cow – Welfare Rancher, Part 2 (The Daily Show)
SOURCES
Fox News’ new laughingstock: Cliven Bundy — and Stephen Colbert — will destroy Sean Hannity (Salon)
Uncivil Disobedience (The Weekly Standard)
The views expressed in this posting are the author’s alone and not those of the blog, the host, or other weekend bloggers. As an open forum, weekend bloggers post independently without pre-approval or review. Content and any displays or art are solely their decision and responsibility.
Nick Spinelli
CNN Money April 2013. Disability Skyrockets.
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So have voter id laws by smart ALEC right-wing legislative bodies in questionable-government states.
That does not make the case that there is a problem with voter fraud even though voter fraud has increased 100% (it is up 1 case from zero cases).
Percent of increase establishes only that there is an increase, not a problem.
Disability increasing is not ipso facto evidence to make the case that fraud is increasing because disability is.
Racism increase allegations on this thread, since that is the topic,
have, to the contrary, been supported by scientific papers aplenty.
Nevertheless, those real factors are poo pooed by those commenting here who want to save the world from the vote fraud epidemic on some other planet (perhaps Kolob?).
Dredd – the biggest joke in academia is that there is no science in social science.
Mr Keebler,
Per your request.
A series on the social science involved in symbolic racism begins (Symbolic Racism: A Look At The Science).
Prof. Turley: Sorry for the early morning attempt at humor.
Note to self: Wait for the second cup before bloggoing
Nick: In answer your question from yesterday, I would not necessarily want to see innocent people killed or wounded, and especially not anyone’s dog. But people like Bundy ought to be bear in mind that they’re putting the people around them at risk as they provoke confrontation with authorities.
Losers love company and Koresh and Jim Jones cared little, if anything, for the lives and well-being of those who worshiped them; they were caught up in their own private drama and thought they were entitiled to the casualties. This guy Bundy seems like he has some serious mental problems along the same lines.
As I said earlier, Bundy boorishly represents the worst of America; spoiled, ignorant, and bellicose. These are the same qualities that allowed us to be dragged into a war in Iraq. In fact, the amazing thing is that we’re not involved in more wars than we currently are.
Mr. Spinelli,
I know you don’t like to read links, but this is from WaPo and it explains that “40%” issue pretty well. Please take a look at it – it beats an empty trope.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/09/18/who-doesnt-pay-taxes-in-charts/
Mr. Spinelli,
Quite right that there will be more non-payers in the future. They are not deadbeats. They are the elderly. I’m sure you do not begrudge them those additional years.
It’s really important to take a look at what those numbers reveal. It’s not too helpful to just say 40% don’t pay income taxes. We ought to want to know who, and what, and why. .
Annie,
There’s a CPS interview tape over at raff’s communication post. Gotta chance after your coffee, take a look and let me know what you thing?
Start rebuilding our infrastructure, create jobs, and people will pay taxes.
We could start with the grid. Let’s not wait until it all blows. Christsakes. We are a country of short term thinkers who then scream when neglected things fail.
Flat tax – excellent plan for the rich. Sucks for the poor. Ask Steve Forbes (or probably any libertarian).
Mr. Spinelli,
I believe some of those 40% have so little income that they don’t owe income tax. They get a pass and I hope our support. I haven’t figures, but I bet a lot of those people are retired and living on social security. Others are disabled vets. Others are simply disabled. Others are single mothers working at Walmart. Others might be ill, as your sister was. Others may have enormous medical bills which result in huge deducts.
Another portion of those 40% are very wealthy and manage to game the tax laws (that were written to protect them – like hedge fund managers) and they should have nothing but our contempt.
Your taxes, and mine, are not too high. Tax rates are lower than ever. We both live very well. San Diego is not so bad December thru April.
Plus, if you want better services, you need to pay for them.
Teji, We disagree, but your humor and civility is so refreshing. And, we all wish there were edit and delete functions w/ wordpress. But, it gives the blog the edge of being like live TV! “Live, from DC, it’s the Turley Bloooog!”
randy, I’ve read my brief and pretty precise comment again. I made no comment about Romney’s tax situation other than I pay a higher %. I think there should be a 3 tiered. simple, flat tax. Regarding people not paying income taxes, there are profound problems when more and more tax pressure is put on people who do pay taxes. At the rate we’ve been going, it’s estimated in 5-10 years, depending on the economy, more than half of the people in this country will not be paying income taxes. That, is a problem.
Nick I know you did not mention Romney and I was using that reference from another post in response to yours. You also seem to ignore the reason that more people will not be paying taxes besides most corporations who do not pay, is that more people will be getting less of our national income. I think THAT is a REAL concern, not that there are “free loaders” running around sucking from the hard working folks like yourself. Now if you were as concerned with fairness in the tax code or policies, you SHOULD be joining us on the left in demanding that corporate welfare and ripoffs cease and stop robbing US and the US government with their fraudulent practices. This is no new problem since Abe Lincoln had to contend with the same kind of crooks in his time when he called capitalists blood suckers when they delivered shoddy goods and cheated the Union. I would hope that you would instead join the progressives like Teddy Roosevelt who ran on the Progressive party ticket. Now THAT would make more sense.
I wish there was a way to edit the posts after having been posted because of the typos. Sorry about that.
Teji, I pay a LOT higher bracket than that. I’m always leery of people who think taxes should be higher, knowing that over 40% of adults pay NO income tax. “Yeah, you need to work more, the govt. needs to become more morbidly obese.”
Nick, It is truly strange how you think.. You have no problem with Romney paying less than HALF a percentage of what you pay on income that is probably well over one THOUSAND times your income, yet you think taxes are too HIGH on HIM? Then you complain about 40% of people who are too young, disabled, or make TOO LITTLE to pay taxes. Just how much tax do you think minimum wage workers should pay? Even a slight tax will eat up a FAR higher proportion of their income than you or Romney pay. We all pay sales taxes, property taxes, etc such taxes are a bigger percentage of their income than Romney pays. So even the working 40% pay a higher percentage of their income than Romney does on his income. Since when is THAT FAIR or equitable?
Oliveoyl,
I did indeed delete a number of your comments as part of a thread to open taunting and childish digs on both sides. Despite constant requests for posters to pull back from the personal postings, some (including yourself) have continued along this same line of tit-for-tat postings. When I find individuals engaging in such postings, I delete as much of the thread as I deem necessary to try to return the page to adult conversation. I am astonished that you considered all of your comments to be in compliance with our civility policy, but there were not. I am not sure why posters want to stay on this thread or this blog to post endless digs and complain about the postings of others. Indeed, we have seen the appearance of new posters who seem to primarily be entering the site to start fights or fuel tensions. I will ask everyone to again ignore people you consider to be trolls. If you are constantly commenting on posters that you consider unfair, it reflects a curious if not a creepy obsession. If posters, including some of the new posters engaging in these personal comments, want to join us in substantive and mature conversation, you are most welcomed. We like different voices and different views. However, I ask that you simply ignore people who you believe are rude or ridiculous and email me if you believe someone has violated the rules. The last series of deletions were down after I checked into the blog and found literally dozens of endless personal observations from posters. There are blogs that relish that type of stuff. This is not one of them.
randyjet – at that tax rate romney is paying a heck of a lot more taxes than I am.
Paul, Please explain why the fact that Romney is paying a LOT more taxes than I do relevant at all. In fact, during the 50s the top tax rate was around 90% and the US was doing very well. THAT figure is a LOT more relevant for the rest of us and our country.
Nick: Sorry to say but that is a very myopic view as far as taxes are concerned. With the amount of loop holes in our tax code, we have one of the.lowest tax paying corporations in the world. It is also true that many do not pay income taxes and you should ask yourself on what if they do not make enough money? But they do pay all kinds of other taxes?
Ask Mitt for some tips to lessen your burden but on the other side, I think you and I should not complain about paying taxes because we are earned money. I have no problems pitching in.My tax bracket is high as well.
As far as the obese government is concerned, you are wrong again as compared to the past ones. Do not forget we are paying sins for the past Presidents, Reagan included who juggernauted our defence manufacturing with no needs which added to the deficit along with Cheney paying $1000.00 per toilet in Iraq to his Halliburton with no other bids who was also responsible for our soldiers getting electrocuted while taking showers.
The fact is our Govt will have to become more “obese” in order to treat our veterans who fought the losing and unnecessary wars,for decades to come.
Let me quite what Jesse Jackson said after his mistress gave birth to an illegitimate child, “Keep Hope Alive”.:-)
Taxes are too high and govt. is way too big.
Nick: That sounds like Mitt Romney saying after paying 12% in taxes on April 15th.:-)
Wicked, raff. Wicked.
I just ran across this NYT article that details more thieving scoundrels – although this time the thieves aren’t “the usual suspects”.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/28/business/one-therapist-4-million-in-2012-medicare-billing.html?src=twr&_r=0
I call for MORE government! We need to hire more regulators so we can catch those who would steal from government programs. I’m sick of hearing how taxes are too high followed by complaints of ineffectual enforcement.
We’re being suckered. The Right and libertarians will starve all the programs and then turn to us and say – “see, we told you the government couldn’t do anything right”.
Vince,
My money is on Ted.
Nick,
That is an excellent post. I hope that you can keep postings like this all the time. To the point. Good work. This is the civility the professor is asking for.
Hopefully, Al Bundy. Vince, like the ATF in Waco, I think the BLM cowboyed up like the ATF in Waco. The Feds could have just arrested Koresh in town. And, as you wisely suggest here, collected their fees when the cattle were sold. But you know, the govt. often likes to do a Nuke LaLouche and “announce their presence w/ authority.” That’s a Bull Durham reference. The govt. should be more righteous, patient, and SMART than the Koresh’s and Bundy’s of this world.