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Why The Standoff At The Bundy Ranch Is A Very Big Deal
Submitted by Michael Krieger of The Liberty Blitzkrieg blog,
If you haven’t been following the unfolding drama at the Bundy Ranch about 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas you need to start now. The escalating confrontation between irate local residents and federal agents of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has the potential to take a very dangerous turn for the worse at any moment, as hundreds of militia members from states across the country are expected to descend upon the area and make a stand with 67-year-old Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy.
Before I get into any sort of analysis about what this means within the bigger picture of American politics and society, we need a little background on the situation. The saga itself has been ongoing for two decades and the issue at hand is whether or not Mr. Bundy can graze his 900 head of cattle on a particular section of public lands in Clark County. Cliven Bundy has been ordered to stop on environmental grounds to protect the desert tortoise, but he has stood his ground time and time again. As a result, the feds have now entered the area and are impounding his cattle. According to CNN, Between Saturday and Wednesday, contracted wranglers impounded a total of 352 cattle. The Bundy family, as well as a variety of local residents have already had confrontations with the BLM agents. Tasers have been used and some minor injuries reported. Most significantly, militia members from across the country have already descended upon the area and it seems possible that hundreds may ultimately make it down there.
To me, the argument of who is right and who is wrong in this situation is the least interesting part of the story. I have noted time and time again that the feds are becoming increasingly out of control and belligerent to American citizens. We know the stories (think Aaron Swartz) and we know the overall trend trend. However, the reason the Bundy Ranch confrontation is so interesting, is that for whatever reason this particular incident seems to be striking a chord of dissent. It is often times the most random, unforeseen and innocuous things that spark social/political movements. This standoff has it all.
From CBS News:
LAS VEGAS (CBS Las Vegas/AP) — Militia groups are rallying behind a rancher whose cattle are being seized by the federal government.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that two militia members from Montana and one from Utah have arrived at Cliven Bundy’s ranch.
“We need to be the barrier between the oppressed and the tyrants,” Ryan Payne of the West Mountain Rangers told the Review-Journal. “Expect to see a band of soldiers.”
Payne said that militias from New Hampshire, Texas and Florida are likely to join and stand with Bundy and stay at his ranch.
“They all tell me they are in the process of mobilizing as we speak,” Payne told the Review-Journal, adding that hundreds of militia members are expected.
Lawmakers are adding their voices into the fray, criticizing the federal cattle roundup fought by Cliven Bundy who claims longstanding grazing rights on remote public rangeland about 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas.
Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada said he told new U.S. Bureau of Land Management chief Neil Kornze in Washington, D.C., that law-abiding Nevadans shouldn’t be penalized by an “overreaching” agency.
Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval pointed earlier to what he called “an atmosphere of intimidation,” resulting from the roundup and said he believed constitutional rights were being trampled.
The fact that a U.S. Senator and the Governor are publicly coming out agains the feds is in my opinion a very big deal and may signal the beginning of a true fracturing in the social fabric. Something that I have been expecting for many years.
Heller said he heard from local officials, residents and the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association and remained “extremely concerned about the size of this closure and disruptions with access to roads, water and electrical infrastructure.”
The federal government has shut down a scenic but windswept area about half the size of the state of Delaware to round up about 900 cattle it says are trespassing.
Sandoval said he was most offended that armed federal officials have tried to corral people protesting the roundup into a fenced-in “First Amendment area” south of the resort city of Mesquite.
The site “tramples upon Nevadans’ fundamental rights under the U.S. Constitution” and should be dismantled, Sandoval said.
People being rounded up like cattle in these bullshit “First Amendment areas” is completely unacceptable.
BLM spokeswoman Kirsten Cannon and Park Service spokeswoman Christie Vanover have told reporters during daily conference calls that free-speech areas were established so agents could ensure the safety of contractors, protesters, the rancher and his supporters.
Meanwhile, federal officials say 277 cows have been collected. Cannon said state veterinarian and brand identification officials will determine what becomes of the impounded cattle.
The kindling for social upheaval has been growing in America for quite some time. Disrespectful and ignorant statements from billionaire oligarchs like Sam Zell only make it worse. The question in my mind has always been what will the catalyst be to spark the brushfire? Will it be the Bundy Ranch? We’ll have to wait and see.
Personally, I hope cooler heads prevail and there is no violence, because once you head down the road of violent confrontation between the people and the feds you are opening up a can of worms that will not easily be bottled up again. In such a situation, everybody loses. However, my long-term fear is that unless the government and its puppet masters on Wall Street and elsewhere in big business change course, social upheaval will prove inevitable, whether the Bundy Ranch sparks it, or some other incident down the road. These are troubled times and they are likely going to get worse before they get better.
This picture basically says it all:
Full article here.
+++++++++++
The latest news is a 'win' for Bundy for now...
The gathering of rancher Cliven Bundy's cattle in northeast Clark County has been stopped by the director of the Bureau of Land Management.
Bundy is meeting this morning with Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie to discuss a possible solution to his dispute with the BLM.
Metro Officer Jesse Roybal confirmed that Gillespie was in the Bunkerville area this morning to meet with Bundy.
The BLM had been using contract cowboys to round up Bundy's 900 head of cattle that have been grazing over 600,000 square acres in northeast Clark County for more than 20 years without his payment of grazing fees.
Neil Kornze, director of the BLM, made the following statement this morning:
"As we have said from the beginning of the gather to remove illegal cattle from federal land consistent with court orders, a safe and peaceful operation is our number one priority. After one week, we have made progress in enforcing two recent court orders to remove the trespass cattle from public lands that belong to all Americans.
"Based on information about conditions on the ground, and in consultation with law enforcement, we have made a decision to conclude the cattle gather because of our serious concern about the safety of employees and members of the public.
"We ask that all parties in the area remain peaceful and law-abiding as the Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service work to end the operation in an orderly manner.
Ranching has always been an important part of our nation’s heritage and continues throughout the West on public lands that belong to all Americans. This is a matter of fairness and equity, and we remain disappointed that Cliven Bundy continues to not comply with the same laws that 16,000 public lands ranchers do every year. After 20 years and multiple court orders to remove the trespass cattle, Mr. Bundy owes the American taxpayers in excess of $1 million. The BLM will continue to work to resolve the matter administratively and judicially."
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Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
Guess the government needs to become familiar with this one.
Cow manure cowboy thinks that he is entitled to free feed for his cows. The guy is a parasite and freeloader, but then of course, most people from Mesquite are just grifters working for Casinos. Imagine if Chevron started fracking on his land and not pay him a nickel.
Written like a true freeloader, grifter and parasite who doesn't eat beef or gamble
Oh.
Who's the Freeloader? The guy who has been feeding his herd for decades on TAXPAYER owned land - for free!
Check your facts and property rights please.
You lost your fact-free battle on Soros Media Matters yesterday, now you're coming to ZH to spread your know-nothing nonsense with glib catch-phrases and a few green and red checks by accomplices?
The Bundy family Homesteaded the land and grazing rights in 1877, improved the range with irrigation. They have had possession and use of this land and free range for 137 years, longer than you have been alive and longer than BLM armed bureaucrats existed.
Under our Fifth Amendment the Feds have no right to seize that land for Desert Tortoise, Reid Family Chinese ENN solar plant deals or anything else without just compensation.
Claiming the family owes BLM over a million dollars in fines after BLM killed desert tortoises and cost taxpayers over a million dollars to stampede and separate calves from cows and body slam, taze and arrest unarmed people exercising their First Amendment rights on public right of way is specious to say the least, two unconstitutional federal court decisions without a jury of peers trial or no.
This is not going to be yet another Open Society NGO tyranny takeover on American soil under our noses if We The People can help it.
Either we respect freedom, justice, life, property rights and responsibilities under our Constitution or we end America.
Our choice.
Not yours trying to perpetuate tyranny of the minority or mob rule.
http://bit.ly/P6SHpc
It really bothers me that they seperated the very young caves from their Mothers. That is cruel and not necessary. Plus, they supposidly killed another 125 plus cattle by running them to death in the extreem heat with their helicopters. There is no excuse for this type of cruelty to animals.
The Nevada territory was owned by the USA before Nevada became a State and before Bundy showed. They aren't doing a land grab, it's always been public land.
Even if these United States owned that land, Homesteading creates ownership and property rights.
The BLM is unconstitutional on its face, and their regulations are more so.
So, he can pay the back taxes? He doesn't want to own the land, just freeload off the grazing rights.
Perhaps you didn't read where his family homesteaded the land and improved it (irrigation, etc) over 140 years, thus establishing a claim on it that long predates the existence of the Bureau of Land Mismanagement.
no back-taxes are owed to be paid at all.
Actually the USA didn't even technically exist as the USA and certainly didn't hold the territory when Nevada was not yet a state. So, you really are very ignorant. Public land means STATE LAND not FEDERAL land.
The government doesn't make ANYTHING. Everything the government has is stolen from the taxpayers and from other countries.
Speaking commie yet? It's called FREEDOM low life. No, not perfect but your choices are? You could be in a gulag BTW. Give credit where due, ingrade entitlement drone. Text while driving much?
Are you daft? Theft by government is robbery of freedom, the exact opposite.
As for the gulag: the prisons of America, the real gulag, have more people imprisoned than any other country on Earth, including Russia and the actual Siberial Gulag.
some of these anti Fed groups scream about the Fed, and yet take every handout they can get-my Republican Grandpa hated the Federal government-but he was not too proud to take on HUD jobs to rapair or restore HUD houses
He's a tax-payer, he's part-owner. BLM is 0% owner of that land, so they shouldn't be paid a dime.
Your never going to see Patriotic Americans go Militia for EBTs, but then there's Bundy. Sigh.
How about securing the border instead of securing cattle.
The number of gov.shills that have entered the discussion since yesterday is so amazing that I quit reading new comments. Hay shills! got clever a taste for turtle stew?
One of our bloggers commented that the BLM's arguments about the tortoises didn't have a leg to stand on, especially in view of BLM culling the same breed of Desert Tortoises at another location because there were too many for them to manage.
I immediately had a vision of a turtle with legs retracted on top of a fence post!
It seems to me the People of America are mad as hell and are not going to take it anymore.
The feds learned that almost 20years ago, this was a freeloader and the new crew came out. Nice show but for the wrong reasons.
Here is the face down and victory of the cowboys on video.
Learn the lesson America. You do not win your freedom sitting on the couch at home.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD61YFxUga4&list=UUvsye7V9psc-APX6wV1twLg
Greg Hunter with Fabian Calvo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDZOoC4EyCE (China is #1 employer in major cities across....~America~)
It's not over - on the ground report shows that, even though the BLM have backed off, and Bundy's supporters have begun to retrieve some of the frightened and mistreated cattle, Federal agents are patrolling the perimeter, and snipers were caught skulking around encampments.
If the supporters start running night patrols for self defense, the shot heard around the world my yet be fired.
“Nevada Cattle Rancher Wins ‘Range War’ With Feds” – Er, not so muchWe got a direct report from site - read it.
http://bit.ly/1eBodBI
There is always one circle we can all gather in.
It's the Dance Circle!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtvlBS4PMF0
indeed.
' "The BLM is setting a dangerous precedent in announcing that it will pick and choose who has to follow federal laws and who it will reward for violating them," [Bob Mrowka] added.'
Ya, it's called the muthafuckin' Constitution.
State law first, federal law last.
It's not interstate commerce to graze.
It's not navigable waters.
It's not land given to the Federal Government by Nevada.
That ends it. Until people with guns show up. Then it's On like Donkey Kong.
more moooooooooo
less poo....
It's on and crackin' homies. Join or Die.
We said that in '96, when the Blood Games were shut down - thanks to the Columbiana County Ohio Unorganized Militia - almost two decades ago. Are we now talking about a State of the Union address moment?
Is round two coming?
http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/04/13/3132972/blm-to-pursue-effort-to...
And here is a good commentary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW28j7IU_ME#t=204
TRUTH!...it's what's for dinner!
(PS: Big bless on all the commenters here. Even the negative nancys:)
Trolls are heavier in this thread than I can remember.
I SMELL FEAR...
"Trolls are heavier in this thread than I can remember."
"I SMELL FEAR..."
You are correct. They are realizing the immensity of being on the wrong side and are therefore, spamming all they can to save their pathetic jobs. Too bad, too sad. The ratio is 99% to the 1%. The righteous side will win. Be wise magicians and choose well, which side of the fence you are going to be on when the balloon goes up. We are all Bundys now.
For the crew...and bad guys too...Love knows your name...we are all the same.:
The Emperor has no cloths anymoar and everybody knows...
Fear is power that no longer controls...
Oh follow yer hearts me mates...
With liberty and freedom...we all haves a date.
See Our Armed People take back what was lost...
The BLM is no longer the boss...
Yes give thanks...
And no moar tanks...
Free trade and prosperity is the call...
For this we pray...for one and ALL.
Like I said above, BLM is taking in over 6 BILLION a year in fees. They don't want any threat to their cash cow..../rimshot
he claims ancestral grazing rights. not sure about the truth of it. though the worrisome part is supporters were being penned in "1st amendment protection zones". these people had comitted no offense. a right applies everywhere, the duty of the state is to protect them at all times and locations, and you don't trample over other some rights to protect another.
is the turtle endangered everywhere else or just on this parcel? BLM
has to demonstrate it is applying similar constraints on all its biome, and
not doing prejudice to one man's stock. what about proximate private land?
what studies show its decline? have any less draconian measures bern tabled?
Sir Alex Jones used his intuition very well last week in figuring out how harry reid is behind the Bundy snatch the ranch and cattle heist. It was God at work forcing truth to the surface. Alex is close to blowing the babylonian ship out of the water. The money trail will lead the way.
Here is the real deal. Alex has hit the edge of the biggest scam in American history. The bushes, clintons, obama, have all sold America out to china for the loans to their MIC connections, and companies to profit from this scam war on terrorism. Isreal and many of the foreign countries have insanely profited from the out of control defense industry. It was all set up and is funneled to them by them, and not to the American people.
Many of the politicians have been profiteering handsomely for years now on the false fake war on terror. In this scam, they have collaterallized almost every property in America and sent the titles to china in order to attain all those loans that will never be paid back. China holds the liens on America. This has been said over and over here. Conceivably, the chinese think they will own all the public lands and national parks because America will never be able to pay off these loans to the banksters, bushes, clintons, and obama. The tricky planned cleverness is in how the banksters would never allow America to pay back these loans. These criminals all owe the chinese these trillions of dollars, not the American people.
What we saw in Nevada may happen all across America starting in California when the chinese come next year to claim it all after the crash. The huge sellout by all these duel citizens and zionist puppets to profit their zionist masters has been ongoing for decades. It is all meant to crash this country into ludicrous never ending war madness just before the criminals run off with all those billions leaving America holding the bag in a surprise attack, or an instigated world war to cover their criminality.
http://breakingdefense.com/2013/10/chinas-fear-of-us-may-tempt-them-to-p...
Do some homework and see an exposure of the other half of the harry reid sellout of America to china story. Expand it to ALL the criminals in govt selling out America to china by collaterallizing the lands and resources, all knowing the debt can never be paid. Ask, did the American people vote to give china all our properties, national parks, and public lands so the banksters and politicians can profit from these endless useless baseless wars? Are the American People happy with the MIC and foreign countries profiting from America's tax payer dollars forever? It must be widely known that whoever is responsible for this sellout, is guilty of premeditated treason and crimes against the American People.
Here is a new related interview.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDZOoC4EyCE
The chinese did not pay for the land to put the solar plant on, they were owed it in the loans for war deals The fake sales paperwork was just a formality in the illegal transference of America's Public lands to the chinese profiteers. There is a lot more of this kind of selling out of America going on, and planned for the future as the ship sinks. THIS IS WHY THE TROLLS ARE COMING OUT OF THE WOOD WORK~THEY WANT TO PROTECT THIS SCAM THAT ALL THE POLITICIANS AND BANKSTERS AND WALL STREET CRIMINALS ARE INVOLVED IN. IT IS THE BIGGEST SELLOUT IN AMERICAN HISTORY!
Harry is not the only sellout salesman, or the only one with chinese business contacts either. All those who vote for more war are guilty of this selling out of America and THIS IS WHAT THEY ARE TRYING TO COVER UP. If you follow the money trails and tie more of these criminals to the chinese money for wars in return for American lands and resources, you will see the corruption and sellout of America goes deep, and all the way up to the top.
"Because it looks like our wonderful new administration is granting the Chinese eminent domain as collateral for US debts. Yea you read that right. That means when we can no longer pay for all this massive spending the Chinese can call in the loans and take our land."
http://beforeitsnews.com/economics-and-politics/2013/11/obama-signs-deal...
http://www.knowthelies.com/?q=node/3778
http://dcon2012.wordpress.com/2009/02/28/obama-grants-us-land-to-china-a...
Here is a place to learn about harry reids corruption:
http://www.futurnamics.com/reid_bundyranch.php
The latest from WND:
http://www.wnd.com/2014/04/reid-smelling-anything-but-rosy-in-ranch-figh...
!
soo much for precedent.
http://www.fbi.gov/portland/press-releases/2010/pd041610.htm
http://www.dailytidings.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100710/NEWS02/7...
http://www.bendbulletin.com/csp/mediapool/sites/BendBulletin/News/story....
Seems like the mass mind is getting it all at once. This is a huge land for debt scam to pay china off for the endless baseless war loans with the collateralized public lands of America in return for all the trillions of dollars the bushes, clintons, and obama borrowed for the MIC and defense scam. These criminals that borrowed this money to fight and subsidize their private companies in the MIC can pay the chinese back themselves. The American people and this country do NOT owe china anything.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOylk4kWfJQ
Two questions: Is it actually federal land or state land? If it's federal land, where do the feds get the authority to hold land in Nevada?