The scary (but peaceful! so so peaceful) give us all the federal land guys forgot to bring food with them.

Imraan Siddiqi ‏@imraansiddiqi Jan 3
Do you think they would accept a falafel care package?

Isn’t the mail a federal thing?

Also…who do they think is going to deliver the snacks once they have arrived in Burns? How do they think anyone is going to deliver them? Also why didn’t they plan ahead?… Read the rest

On CNN at least one person gets it about Bundy’s army, saying they’re domestic terrorists, duh.

(On the other hand CNN has a breaking news headline at the top of the page saying Ammon Bundy “holds briefing” – as if he were an official. He’s not holding a “briefing,” he’s a violent criminal saying things on camera.)

Let’s begin with what to call the Oregon anti-government protesters who have taken over a federal building. The men, heavily armed, urging others to come support their cause, and claiming somehow that, while peaceful, they will “defend” themselves whatever it takes, are — by any definition — domestic terrorists.

It does not matter that they insist they are peaceful or some sort

Originally a comment by cazz on These are men with guns who have declared themselves outside the law.

This is the ‘new’ reality of the Rural West. Armed, well off, mostly white males looking for a fight. These are not the hunters and ‘varmint’ shooters of previous generations, but NRA and talk radio fueled bullies open carrying through parking lots and grocery stores looking for some reason to show off their faux manhood, any reason.

They have no reason for rebellion other than repeated refrains of “Government Comin’ for Your Guns” and palpable fears of the Pending Race War.

I’ve lived in the rural PNW for over 30 years, and I’ve watched this generation of “Patriots” with growing concern, … Read the rest

The New York Times on the fascist insurrection in Oregon:

Federal officials said on Sunday that they were monitoring the armed takeover of a remote federal wildlife refuge in the rural southeastern corner of Oregon.

Ok let me stop you right there.

Why are they monitoring it? Why are they allowing armed men to grab and hold a federal building, however small and remote? Would they be simply monitoring it if the armed men were black or foreign or Muslims?

The occupation, which began Saturday afternoon, appeared to be led by Ammon Bundy, a rancher whose family became a symbol of anti-government sentiment in 2014, when his father inspired a standoff between local militias and federal officials seeking to

Charles Pierce in Esquire on the fascist uprising in Oregon:

This is an act of armed sedition against lawful authority. That is all that it is, and that is quite enough. This is not “an expression of anti-government sentiment.” Flipping off the governor as he drives by is “an expression of anti-government sentiment.” What Alex Jones does every day is “an expression of anti-government sentiment,” and god bless them all for it. That’s what the Founders had in mind. This is not an “occupation” following “a peaceful protest.” That would be all those folks who got bludgeoned and pepper-sprayed out of Zuccotti Park a couple of years back. (And when exactly did ABC News decide it wasn’t a news

Unbelievable. From the Washington Post:

An armed militia took over a building at a national wildlife refuge in Oregon late Saturday and vows to occupy the outpost for years to protest the federal government’s treatment of a pair of ranchers facing prison time.

The occupation of a portion of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge 30 miles southeast of Burns, Ore., followed a peaceful march for ranchers Dwight Hammond, 73, and Steven Hammond, 46, who are scheduled to report to federal prison in San Pedro, Calif., on Monday after being convicted of arson, according to the Oregonian.

A peaceful march? By an armed militia? There is no such thing.

Among the occupiers are several members of the Bundy family,