Revenge at last?

[yankeedoodle]

Remember the Bundy Ranch, where Cliven Bundy, with many supporters, stood-up-to and stood-down the Bureau of Land Management, and other government agencies?

Many people declared victory, and some speculated what would happen next?

Now, maybe, we know.  RT is reporting as BREAKING NEWS that Cliven Bundy's sons are in an armed stand-off.  Most likely, they've been set-up for arrest, or worse.

Armed militia, incl. Bundy bros, occupy forest reserve HQ in Oregon, call 'US patriots' to arms
https://www.rt.com/usa/327762-armed-bundy-militia-oregon-ranchers/

Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy's three sons and "about 150" militiamen have occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge HQ to protest the pending imprisonment of two Oregon ranchers accused of arson, arguing the federal government has no authority in local cases.
DETAILS TO FOLLOW

[yankeedoodle]

Very little coverage on the MSM in the US.  Very curious.

#OregonUnderAttack: People slam lack of govt action after Bundy's militia takeover in Oregon
https://www.rt.com/usa/327809-bundy-militia-oregon-reaction/?utm_source=browser&utm_medium=aplication_chrome&utm_campaign=chrome

Read on link above if you want to see pictures, read tweets in the story, etc. 

Clive Bundy's armed rancher militia taking over a federal building in Oregon seems to have aroused no concrete action from the government, compared to notable standoffs such as Ferguson, where minorities were involved.

To the surprise of many, local media also painted a deceptively benevolent picture of the armed group's hostility.

Bundy and his supporters, numbering anywhere from 15 to 150 marched to protest the jailing of two of their fellow Oregon ranchers accused of 2001 and 2006 arson attacks, Dwight Hammond and his son Steven. Their argument is that the federal government has no authority in local cases, and that the reason for the ranch fires was not illegal and was for farming-related purposes.

But the armed group then unexpectedly took over the headquarters of the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM), 50 miles outside the small town of Burns, in the Masher National Wildlife Refuge. Not many people have been able to get close enough to get an accurate picture of the situation. But the group has been issuing demands and they carry a strongly revolutionary message. It has not ruled out violence to achieve its means.

This has, naturally, led to accusations of terrorism by those online who see Bundy's actions as unlawful, to put it mildly. Those people also believe it is groups like blacks and Muslims who are typically and often unfairly associated with the word. Outrage grew over both a lack of response from the National Guard, as well as the mainstream media's avoidance of issuing labels where white people are normally concerned.

Ferguson was the obvious comparison.

Owing to the location's remote nature, the authorities largely acted the same as the journalists and issued warnings for people to stay away from the area. They promised more information to come and the sheriff told US media there would be action by "multiple agencies" in the morning.

Meanwhile, the following tweet by news heavyweight ABC then had some questioning their sight.

It didn't take long for the broadcaster to become a target.

The outrage has been going on since Saturday night, as people gathered under the hashtag #OregonUnderAttack, in dismay over the media's ignorance of what appeared to be blatantly unlawful use of force.

Few media outlets even covered the hostile takeover, people complained.

[yankeedoodle]

Is this a scheme to steal land from the Paiute tribe?  If and when the Feds sweep in to drive out these rebels, will they, oh-so-conveniently, grab-up the Paiute land, also?  After all the ruckus, who will pay attention when the Paiute say "Hey, what about our rights?" 
http://earthfirstjournal.org/newswire/2016/01/03/militia-musters-to-transfer-paiute-land-to-mining-ranching-interests/

Militia Musters to Transfer Paiute Land to Mining, Ranching Interests
Harney County, Oregon scenic images
Harney County, Oregon scenic images
by Steve Russell / Indian Country Today

Some of the same armed "militia" involved in the Cliven Bundy affair in Nevada have occupied federal land in Oregon formerly reserved for the Northern Paiute. Ironically, the "legal" basis for starting a fight with the federal government is that sovereignty "really" belongs to Oregon rather than the Paiutes, who have seen their federal trust land shrink from over one and a half million acres to a tiny remnant of 760 acres in Burns, Oregon, where this current armed standoff began.

Cliven Bundy is a Nevada rancher who engaged in an armed standoff with the federal government in 2014 when some of his cattle were seized over 20 years of unpaid grazing fees. "Militia members" and "patriots" from all the western states and phototropic politicians from as far away as Arizona joined Bundy. Video at the time showed "militiamen" taking aim at federal officers, and the authorities decided a bloodbath over grazing fees was not sensible. When the federal agents stood down, the militias declared a major victory.

This Saturday, January 2, the war over federal authority continued when an unknown number of militia members seized a building in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and Ammon Bundy—Cliven Bundy's son—released a video urging like thinking people to arm themselves and come to Oregon, declaring, "We're going to be staying for several years."

The "militiamen" claimed the occupation of the empty building was accomplished by 150 armed men. The armed occupation of Malheur Wildlife Refuge grew out of demonstrations over the impending deadline for Steven Hammond, 46, and his father Dwight Hammond, Jr., 73, to report to federal custody to begin serving five years in prison each for arson on public lands.

At the Hammonds' trial, the government argued that the fires were set to cover up evidence of poaching activities. The Hammonds did not deny setting the fires but claimed their purpose was to destroy invasive species.

In the 2014 standoff, Cliven Bundy claimed that federal agents had no authority in Nevada. He now claims the same of Oregon, stating Saturday, "United States Justice Department has NO jurisdiction or authority within the State of Oregon."

If anything is clear-cut about Indians in the Constitution, it is that relations with Indian nations are a federal responsibility. Carrying out that responsibility in Oregon, President U.S. Grant established the Maiheur Indian Reservation for the Northern Paiute in 1872. It is no coincidence that the historical reservation shares a name with the Maiheur National Wildlife Refuge, site of the current armed standoff.

White settlement nibbled at the Maiheur Indian Reservation until the Bannock War in 1878, which ended with surrendered Paiutes and Bannocks on the reservation being removed, officially to the Yakama Reservation in Washington Territory. Unofficially, Paiutes had scattered all over the Western States that comprised their aboriginal lands. The Burns Paiute Reservation is the remains of the Maiheur Reservation and the Maiheur Wildlife Refuge is an alternative use for the federal land, for those who believe the federal government exists.

As in Nevada, the Bundys claim the only lawful authority in the area is the Harney County Sheriff David Ward, who they have petitioned to take the Hammonds into "protective custody" from the U.S. Marshal.

In a video posted on YouTube, Ammon Bundy said, "This is a time to stand up."Willamette Week reported that militia members have been arriving in Burns, Oregon, for weeks.

Jon Ritzheimer made a farewell video for his family before heading out to fight with the "oppressive, tyrannical" federal government and posted it on YouTube. If he were not promising to "die a free man," his rant about the Constitution would be humorous. While he would fail my constitutional law course, his, ahem, unusual reading of the document loses some humor value when he offers it as a reason to "lay my life down to fight against tyranny," tyranny put in place by "kids who never got their hands dirty who went off to college" and came back thinking they know as much about land management as farmers.

Ammon Bundy claims on video to be doing God's work and says of the 2014 standoff, "because people came, we are free." He also claims that the U.S. Attorney threatened to get the Hammonds assigned to "a less desirable prison" if they kept consulting with the militia and that would be "a death sentence." Urging people to join in, he referred to the occupation of the Wildlife Refuge as, "This wonderful thing that the Lord is about to accomplish."

The Oregonian reported that one of the occupiers is Ryan Payne, an army veteran who claimed to have organized snipers to target federal agents during the 2014 standoff at the Bundy ranch in Nevada.

Another veteran of the Bundy standoff, Blaine Cooper, told The Oregonian, "I went there to defend Cliven with my life."

Oregonian coverage was up to date as of early January 3, and included this statement on the situation from Harney County Sheriff David Ward:  After the peaceful rally was completed today, a group of outside militants drove to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, where they seized and occupied the refuge headquarters. A collective effort from multiple agencies is currently working on a solution. For the time being please stay away from that area. More information will be provided as it becomes available. Please maintain a peaceful and united front and allow us to work through this situation.

According to reporting by the Associated Press, the Hammonds are not as quick to advocate shooting at federal officers as Cliven Bundy. The AP quoted a letter from the Hammond family lawyer, W. Alan Schroeder, to Sheriff Ward: "Neither Ammon Bundy nor anyone within his group/organization speak for the Hammond family." Dwight Hammond himself told the AP that he and his father intend to turn themselves in on January 4 as ordered. "We gave our word that's what we would do, and we intend to act on it."

While state and federal law enforcement agencies discussed how to end the occupation without bloodshed, Cliven Bundy from his Nevada ranch and the occupiers in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge used social media to call for supporters to come to Oregon. And come armed.

[yankeedoodle]

The Bundy's have definitely been set-up.  The federal government is getting it's revenge.  Provocateurs are in control, it seems: 

Jon Ritzheimer is a former US Marine from Arizona. Last May, he called for a massive anti-Islam rally outside a Phoenix mosque once attended by the two men who tried to attack a "draw Mohammed" cartoonist competition in Garland, Texas. Event security gunned down the attackers before they could do anything, however. Ritzheimer's rally drew far fewer than 3,000 people he hoped for.

Blaine Cooper, who can be seen in a video with Ritzheimer asking for more citizens to join the militia and "avoid bloodshed," was enlisted in the US Marine Corps but never went to boot camp, according to the Washington Post.


Another prominent member of the militia at Malheur is Ryan Payne, an electrician from Montana who had taken part in the 2014 Bundy standoff. According to the Washington Post, Payne had told reporters at the time that he served as an Army Ranger. His records, however, show him serving in military intelligence instead.

Some of the groups critical of the government view Payne with suspicion. Writing at the Oathkeepers website, a novelist by the name of Shorty Dawkins even said that Payne might be a government provocateur, and rejected Bundy's stand at Malheur as "the wrong action at the wrong time" that "serves no useful purpose." 

https://www.rt.com/usa/327932-oregon-standoff-ranchers-feds/?utm_source=browser&utm_medium=aplication_chrome&utm_campaign=chrome

[yankeedoodle]

Here is an interview with Sheriff Richard Mack, who has been on the site, and is warning that this is a set-up.  One hour.
http://gcnlive.com/JW1D/index.php/archivespage?showCode=7&thedate=2016-01-04&todate=x

[yankeedoodle]

Mike Vanderboegh, founder of the Three Percent movement wrote this on the initial day of the standoff:

I was first apprised of this a few minutes ago by folks on the ground out in Oregon. They report that Payne, Ritzheimer and every other "tiger-talking" fruit, nut and federal provocateur previously identified from the Bundy standoff were now in possession of the building and daring the Feds to do anything about it. My initial reaction was to observe that at least afterward we'll know who the federal snitches are because they will be the only ones who survive the raid to take back the building. My understanding is that this premeditated action has been condemned by the Oregon Three Percenters and other groups but the fact of the matter is that these people are writing checks that they expect the rest of us to cash in our blood. And the Hammonds themselves are disavowing this action in the strongest terms.

Special Ops Called into Oregon as 'Fake Militiamen' Exposed as Fed Provocateurs by Real Militia
http://thefreethoughtproject.com/oath-keepers-adamantly-oppose-armed-takeover-u-s-special-operations-forces-assigned-oregon-siege/

[yankeedoodle]

 Is The Oregon Occupation Being Stage-Managed?\
http://www.mintpressnews.com/212606-2/212606/

US and international media have been abuzz in recent days with the ongoing armed occupation at the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon.  The social media space has been, quite predictably, polarized with many on the far right lionizing the armed occupiers as "patriots" and "heroes" defending a just cause in the name of "liberty."  Naturally many liberals and assorted leftists have condemned the occupation, pointing out both the relevant legal and historical issues at play here, including the vicious tradition of white militias in the US, the blatant disregard of environmental regulations, and much more that is well beyond the scope of this article.

But what has been missed by seemingly every pundit, left and right, who has chimed in on the Oregon occupation is the unmistakable stench of provocation.  Simply put, something is off about this whole story, and it struck me from the first moment I read about what was happening, who was involved, and who wasn't involved.  Specifically, there are indications that this entire fiasco has been manufactured by either government agencies themselves or some other private forces for any number of reasons.

If this sounds like "conspiracy theory" to you, it should; I am here theorizing about a potential conspiracy [studio audience gasps].  While the media, academia, and other assorted handmaidens of the ruling class have conditioned many on the Left to recoil in horror at the mere mention of the word, the fact remains that conspiracies are everywhere, that the government and corporations are involved in them, and that refusing to question received narratives and facts for fear of being tarred and feathered as a "conspiracy nut" is precisely the sort of mindless twaddle that has become all too pervasive on the Left.

And so, armed with my bullshit detector, and with full knowledge that many potential angry emailers have already stopped reading, I now dive into the morass that is the #OregonOccupation.

Questions about the Key Players
While much can be said about Ammon Bundy, the son of Nevada rancher (and well known racist) Cliven Bundy, the real suspicion lies with three of the "activists" widely regarded as instrumental in organizing the occupation.  By examining what is known and unknown about these three shady characters, a much different picture begins to emerge, one in which a publicity stunt-cum-armed occupation is less an act of protest, and more an act of provocation.

First up for scrutiny is Ryan Payne, an Army veteran and one of the spokespeople for the occupiers both in Oregon, and during the 2014 standoff at the Bundy Ranch in Nevada.  Speaking of the ongoing Oregon occupation, Payne told the New York Times, "We will be here for as long as it takes...People have talked about returning land to the people for a long time. Finally, someone is making an effort in that direction."  Leaving aside the hilariously wrongheaded idea that public lands can be seized and given over to private landowners, and that that would somehow qualify as "returning land to the people," it is Payne himself who deserves further investigation.

Payne, who served in the US Army in Iraq from 2003-2005, is described in his Army Commendation Medal certificate as having performed "exceptionally meritorious service as a long range surveillance senior scout observer and assistance team leader" while being part of the 519th Military Intelligence Battalion.  It strikes me as curious, if not completely suspicious, that a young white veteran of military intelligence happens to have been part of both the Bundy Ranch standoff and the ongoing occupation in Oregon.  But maybe I'm just paranoid, right?  Maybe he's just some right wing young veteran with an overzealous desire to effect political change.  Well, maybe.  But when you consider that this nobody from Nowhere, Montana has become one of the main participants of these two actions in Nevada and Oregon, and that he's been at the center of nearly every aspect of both incidents, it should certainly raise some questions.

But don't take it from me.  Gary Hunt, a right wing, pro-militia blogger writing at Canada Free Press, had this to say about Payne, "[Payne provided] 'meritorious service' at Bunkerville[the Bundy Ranch standoff in 2014], holding the chaotic mass of militia and molding them into a cohesive force." That certainly does not sound like some Johnny-come-lately just trying to be part of some cool anti-government action.  Instead, that sounds like an intelligence operator, someone coordinating actions and groups and maintaining operational security, among other responsibilities.  In short, Payne appears from all indications to be a focal point of both episodes.

However, "molding the militia into a cohesive force" was not Payne's only contribution to the 2014 standoff.  According to the Southern Poverty Law Center report entitled War in the West:  After watching the [viral Cliven Bundy] video from his home in Anaconda, Montana, 650 miles away, Ryan Payne, 30, an electrician and former soldier who had deployed twice to the Iraq war, became enraged [...] Payne left that day with another member of his militia, Jim Lardy, and drove through the night, a few sleeping bags in tow, burning up cell phones hoping to bring every militia member they could. On April 9 he sent out an urgent call for the militias to mobilize. 'At this time we have approximately 150 responding, but that number is growing by the hour,'...Militia snipers lined the hilltops and overpasses with scopes trained on federal agents. What happened was not unplanned. As Payne later told the SPLC, he had ordered certain gunmen [sic] 'to put in counter sniper positions' and others to hang behind at the rance [sic]. '[M]e and Mel Bundy put together the plan for the cohesion between the the Bundys and the militia.... Sending half of the guys up to support the protestors...and keep overwatch and make sure that if the BLM wanted to get froggy, that it wouldn't be good for them.'

According to Payne's own words, and those of his supporters, there is certainly ample reason to suspect that this 30 year old veteran was more than simply a participant in this saga, but that he was one of the principal organizers of nearly every aspect of the event, from recruitment and media penetration to operational control.  Payne's message to his fellow right wing militia brothers certainly has the air of provocation as he suggests that they be prepared to lay down their lives in armed struggle against the federal government. "All men are mortal, most pass simply because it is their time, a few however are blessed with the opportunity to choose their time in performance of duty," Payne explained in a thinly veiled threat of potentially lethal violence.

As I adjust my tinfoil hat, allow me to suggest that such words as those uttered by Payne reek of the tactics of agents provocateurs whose objective it is to incite violence in order to either discredit a particular targeted group or to effect a confrontation designed to escalate a given conflict.  While impossible to say definitively, it seems just based on his words and deeds, that Payne has become what amounts to a coordinator of the militia movement.  Whether he is still working for military intelligence, some other intelligence or law enforcement agency, or the FBI, it seems clear that Payne deserves far more scrutiny than the controlled corporate media has given him.

Interestingly, The Oregonian reported the following:  Among those joining Bundy in the occupation are Ryan Payne, U.S. Army veteran, and Blaine Cooper. Payne has claimed to have helped organize militia snipers to target federal agents in a standoff last year in Nevada. He told one news organization the federal agents would have been killed had they made the wrong move.  He has been a steady presence in Burns in recent weeks, questioning people who were critical of the militia's presence. He typically had a holstered sidearm as he moved around the community.

So not only is Payne one of the main coordinators and organizers of the occupation, he seems to also be doing double duty, acting as a liaison while obviously gathering intelligence about the participants, the non-participants, critical voices in the community, etc.  Again, one could say he's just a zealous right winger trying to help a cause.  But when you combine the various threads of evidence about his background and his activities, my suspicions are certainly raised.  It seems I'm not alone, as many commenters on right wing blogs use phrases like "plant" and "Fed shill" and "agent" when describing Payne.  According to sources involved in the Bundy Ranch standoff, some were even accusing Payne of precisely that from the very beginning.

Then there is the man known as Blaine Cooper (given name Stanley Hicks) who poses on his Facebook page in military fatigues with sniper rifles and a veritable potpourri of other weapons claiming to be a "patriot" defending the rights of citizens.  Cooper aka Hicks enlisted in the Marines in the Delayed Entry Program which allows prospective soldiers a year before they have to report to boot camp.  However, according to US Marine Corps records, Cooper/Hicks never showed up.  This failure to honor his signed commitment, coupled with more than a dozen arrests and convictions under the name Stanley Hicks, might account for why he changed his name to Cooper and reinvented himself as a self-styled militia leader.

Cooper/Hicks is well known on YouTube within right wing militia circles, with tens of thousands of views of his various videos.  He has also falsely presented himself as a member of the Oath Keepers, another militia organization that has featured prominently in various exploits, including their much maligned visible presence in Ferguson, Missouri at the height of the protests over the murder of Mike Brown.  Here is what Stewart Rhodes, a founder and President of the Oath Keepers had to say about Cooper/Hicks (see also here and here):

Actually, he [Cooper/Hicks] has never been a member of Oath Keepers. Being a felon, he is automatically disqualified and inelligible [sic] for membership in our org, nor has he ever tried to join. He has paraded around in an Oath Keepers T shirt, and misrepresented himself as being onr [sic] of us, and has used our logo without our permission in some of his idiotic crap he has done. He is a loose cannon retard and blow-hard...But he is not an Oath Keeper.

Interestingly, the Oath Keepers, along with a number of other militia organizations, have been quick to distance themselves from the Burns, Oregon occupation, and from the likes of Payne and Cooper. According to a statement on the Oath Keepers website, the organization disavows the actions of Payne, Cooper & Co., making clear that "In the Hammond case, there is no clear and present danger of the family being mass murdered, there is no stand off [sic], and the family has no intent of starting one ... If you want to go protest, by all means do so ... but do not allow yourselves to be roped into an armed stand off [sic] the Hammonds do not want."

Similarly, the Oregon chapter of the Three Percenters, another right wing militia organization, released a statement on their Facebook page in which they explained that:

Unbeknownst to the Idaho 3%, Oregon 3%, it's [sic] leaders, associations, rally participants, or the citizens of Harney County; these actions were premeditated and carried out by a small group of persons who chose to carry out this takeover after the rally [emphasis added]. The 3% of Idaho, 3% of Oregon, The Oregon Constitutional Guard, and PPN organizations in no way condone nor support these actions. They do not mirror our vision, mission statement, or views in regards to upholding the Constitution, The Rule of Law, or Due Process.

Such strongly worded disavowals and condemnations indicate that Payne, Cooper, and their cohort are manufacturing this incident entirely.  Whether or not the disagreement between the militias and the occupiers is purely a matter of tactics, or something more deeply rooted, including suspicions about the motives and connections of Payne and Cooper, this is a question for those involved in these groups.  At the very least however, it seems that segments of the right wing militia movement are not exactly embracing these actions.

Finally we come to the loathsome buffoon Jon Ritzhemier.  If that name rings a bell, it should; Ritzheimer was the organizer and sponsor of the "Draw Muhammad" contest in Phoenix, Arizona which made national headlines.  One important aspect of the protest outside a Phoenix area mosque which coincided with the contest was the fact that Ritzheimer was deliberately provoking both the Muslim community and the hardcore right wingers who participated in the protest.  Ritzheimer described the rally as being "about pushing out the truth about Islam."  However, according to the event's Facebook page (since deleted but quoted by the Washington Times), "This will be a PEACEFUL protest in front of the Islamic Community Center in Phoenix AZ... Everyone is encouraged to bring American flags and any message that you would like to send to the known acquaintances of the 2 gunmen...People are also encouraged to utilize their second amendment right at this event just in case our first amendment right comes under the much anticipated attack."

While Ritzheimer talked up his event as a "peaceful protest," it's quite clear that there was a not so subtle implied threat of violence, just as there was at Bunkerville, just as there is in Burns, Oregon today.  The salient point is not that these are gun-toting lunatics, but rather that they are being lured into a potentially dangerous and violent confrontation by an individual whose intentions are suspect to say the least.

A further indication that Ritzheimer's objective is provocation rather than protest is his outlandishly stupid, and incredibly irresponsible, "roadtrip" to New York where he planned to confront the Muslims of America organization which had referred to him as the "American Taliban."  What is particularly interesting is that Ritzheimer was in communication with the FBI throughout the trip until he allegedly cut off communication.   How does an allegedly anti-government right wing activist spend hours talking on the phone with Federal agents?  Perhaps, as some are likely to say, I'm reading too much into this.  Well, the right wing militia types who have been suggesting that Ritzheimer is a provocateur might also be "reading too much into this."

As well known patriot blogger and journalist Patrick Henningsen of 21st Century Wire acerbically wrote in the lead up to Ritzheimer's rally:  The net result of this elaborately staged event is that it may have opened the flood gates for some of America's craziest paranoid and politically warped individuals to fall off the edge of reality altogether...."Come armed to march on the Mosque while holding-up cartoons of Mohammed" and wearing T-Shirts that say, "F*** Islam"...? Apparently the police and the FBI are cool with that. No safety risk? Really?  Hmmm. Doesn't that sound a little crazy? Not really, if you consider that this is probably a stage-managed event.

Cui Bono?
The question of motive is obviously front and center when considering the potential that the entire Oregon Occupation is being staged.  Why would the handlers of these potential agents provocateurs want to do this?  Here are some, but certainly not all, of the possible motives:

1Create a situation that is likely to escalate in order to then use it to justify everything from increasingly draconian anti-terror legislation (especially "domestic" terrorism) to potential dragnet policing of the radical fringes on both left and right. Nothing would justify a crackdown on radical environmentalists, armed self-defense organizations (be they Oath Keepers or the Huey P. Newton Gun Club), revolutionary communists and anarchists, and other such groups better than a nice, messy, dramatic event in Oregon.

2Use this event, and others like it, as a means of discrediting, dividing, and factionalizing not merely the right wing organizations, but all groups who see corporations and the State as the enemy. As communist writer and journalist Harriet Parsons correctly wrote in 1980:

The state's tactics fall into two broad categories, spying and provocation... The government boasts that over 87% of the information on revolutionaries collected by the state comes from informants, members of organizations solicited by the police or people placed within a group to gather information. Once in the organization, the informants worm their way into key positions in order to have access to critical information about the leadership and tactical plans... In some cases, agents within will try to push the line of the organization to an incorrect position on the right or left so as to discredit the Party's work among the masses... Excellent examples of this technique can be seen in the government's disruption of the mass organizations engaged in the anti-war movement in the 1960s... FBI agents often offered to supply dynamite and weapons to the radicals to encourage terrorist action which would raise public sentiment against them and make them vulnerable to legal prosecution.

3Manufacture some sort of heroism or martyrdom on the part of the occupiers in order to promote right wing extremist ideology which will appeal to an increasing segment of the population, particularly in light of recent developments ranging from the ascendance of Trumpism to the ongoing economic breakdown of the middle class. In doing so, the ruling class then 'lances the boil' of activism and revolutionary energies, directing them to fascistic, nationalistic dead ends rather than to a genuine mass movement centered on the rights of working people and the poor.  In other words, social engineering.

Naturally there are likely many other possible motives for manufacturing the sort of fiasco that is unfolding in Burns, Oregon.  Whatever the true motives, one thing is clear: what's happening in Oregon is dangerous, unproductive, and dare I say, counter-revolutionary.

I should note that, as if it weren't already plainly obvious, I'm not a supporter of right wing militia groups in the US, though I do share some of their concerns in regards to the police state and the corporate entity called the US Government. Nor am I a fan of that nebulous thing called the "Patriot Movement," riddled as it is with anarcho-capitalist claptrap, radical libertarian pseudo-politics, racism, xenophobia, and outright fascism.

However, that aside, it is important to separate what's real from what's manufactured.  There are real people with real grievances and a genuine desire to roll back the fascist police state in this movement.  It is precisely such activists who are the REAL target of the Oregon occupation, and along with them, so too are any radical activists who want to use direct action to effect change.

While many on the left and right are mesmerized by Bernie and Trump and the non-revolutionary "revolutions" they represent, the ruling class knows perfectly well that true revolution will come from below.  Oregon might just be yet another effort to cut the legs out from under it.

This article was published with permission from StopImperialism.org

[yankeedoodle]

There goes the Bundy ranch. 

'Send Mr. Bundy the bill': Judge wants Oregon militia to pay $70k a day for security costs
https://www.rt.com/usa/328695-judge-bill-oregon-militia/?utm_source=browser&utm_medium=aplication_chrome&utm_campaign=chrome

An Oregon judge says that he will send the ranchers and anti-government activists the bill for security costs that have been piled up because of their standoff with the federal government.

Harney County Judge Steve Grasty said the cost of setting up security measures for Ammon Bundy and his militia is between $60,000 and $70,000 a day.

"We're going to send Mr. Bundy the bill," Grasty told KTVZ-TV.

The militia has been occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Preserve in eastern Oregon since January 2, and schools in the areas were closed until Monday due to security concerns. The protesters, many of whom are not from Oregon, claim that they are standing up for a pair of local ranchers who are serving five years in prison on what they believe are trumped up terrorism charges for starting a brush fire. They have also demanded the transfer of the federally owned land to the county, according to KTVZ-TV.

In addition to the costly increase in security that Bundy and company brought, Grasty said that the "bill" would be for the salaries of teachers and other public employees who didn't go into work when schools and government buildings were closed due to the standoff.

Grasty also urged the community not to provide supplies for the protesters, who have asked for items such as cigarettes, tampons and coffee creamer.

"No matter how you feel, do not bring food and supplies up to the refuge," Grasty said.

The judge called the protesters "armed thugs," but also said that there's "no way to deny" that the standoff started a necessary dialogue about federal land management policies.

Grasty has previously made his voice heard on issues of conservation in eastern Oregon. In September, he wrote an opinion piece for the Oregonian, criticizing litigation that prevented the Bureau of Land Management from using machinery in efforts to preserve the grouse, a type of bird.

Harney County Sheriff David Ward, who has said that he agrees with the protesters' views but not their tactics, set up barriers and other security measures around the courthouse and his office in response to threats against county officials.

Ward issued a statement on Monday saying that he and other officers "will not be intimidated," and urged militants from out of state to leave.

"There's an hourglass, and it's running out," he said. "Go home."

[yankeedoodle]

Talks.  Who knows what will happen.



Oregon militia leader Ammon Bundy has begun talks with FBI
https://www.rt.com/usa/329866-oregon-militia-fbi-talks/?utm_source=browser&utm_medium=aplication_chrome&utm_campaign=chrome

The leader of a group of armed protesters who will have occupied a US federal wildlife refuge for 21 days as of Saturday has begun negotiations with the FBI for the first time.
After almost three weeks of occupying a federal building, Ammon Bundy arrived unannounced at the Burns Municipal Airport on Thursday, close to where federal officials set up a staging area for the standoff with the protesters. He said that an FBI negotiator had reached out to the group two days earlier by sending 14 voicemails on his phone from the negotiator, who gave his name as Chris.

"I'm a face-to-face kind of guy," Bundy told the negotiator over the phone, according to the Oregonian. "You reached out to me ... I'm not sure exactly what you wanted to talk about."

The conversation was streamed online by another of Bundy's group. 

Bundy said that the militia is "not going to escalate" the standoff, and he promised to speak with the FBI again on Friday.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown expressed her frustration with the fiasco by sending two letters to the Obama administration on Thursday. The first was sent to President Obama, and the other was addressed to FBI Director James Comey and Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

"[There is] harm that is being done to the citizens of Harney County by the occupation, and the necessity that this unlawful occupation end peacefully and without further delay from federal law enforcement," the governor wrote to President Obama.

The governor's letter to the heads of the FBI and the Department of justice claims that the group is intimidating the citizens of Hamey county, and suggests the group is itching for a fight.

"The harm being done to the innocent men, women and children in Harney County is real and manifest," the letter reads. "With each passing day, tensions increase exponentially.

"The residents of Hamey County are being intimated [sic] in their own hometown by armed criminals who appear to be seeking occasions for confrontation."

The FBI seemed to agree with the governor's sentiment. On Thursday, the FBI said in a statement that the standoff has caused "tremendous disruption and hardship" for people in Burns, Oregon and that their "response has been deliberate and measured as we seek a peaceful resolution."

[yankeedoodle]

Revenge at last: Bundys in jail.  http://www.mintpressnews.com/213133-2/213133/

This might be the last interview of Lavoy Finicum.  2+ minutes.
http://video-embed.oregonlive.com/services/player/bcpid1949055967001?bctid=4723317073001&bckey=AQ~~,AAAAPLpuSqE~,a1DdoZJH5WQo4iWaJj1w_CktvJfhQVVG

[Ognir]

[tweet]692436968827949058[/tweet]
[tweet]692437691816939520[/tweet]

[tweet]692441515726077953[/tweet]
[tweet]692441781254918145[/tweet]

[rmstock]

Whats wrong with the Bundy's ? Have they done anything wrong in their support for the Hammond family?
They only drawed the eyes of the World on what reportedly Russian speaking BLM personnel were doing in Oregon.
Why don't you mention that Robert "LaVoy" Finicum , a rancher from Arizona and supporter of Oregon ranchers
Dwight and Steven Hammond, got murdered in cold blood by the Feds ?

[yankeedoodle]

Whats wrong with the Bundy's ?

The Feds got revenge against the Bundys because the Bundys blocked them in Utah, and forced them to withdraw, and this gave the impression that the Bundys had won.  The Feds don't like that - they REALLY don't like that.  For some reason, the Bundys left their ranch for this mission in Oregon.  Was it a trap?  Who knows.

What we do know is that the Feds got their revenge in Oregon for what happened in Utah, because they now have the Bundys in jail.  They murdered Finicum simply because they wanted to.  He was doing a lot of talking, and they answered him with their guns.   

Ranchers like the Bundys and Hammonds are like the Indians in the 1800s.  They won't be allowed to win.  Sitting Bull beat the Army at the Battle of Little Big Horn, but then Sitting Bull was murdered and his tribe was massacred at Wounded Knee.  http://www.linecamp.com/museums/americanwest/western_places/wounded_knee_massacre/wounded_knee_massacre.html

[yankeedoodle]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ_1etw31HQ&feature=youtu.be

[yankeedoodle]

Revenge at last:  Amman and Ryan Bundy were arrested during the Lavoy Finicum murder, and, now, Cliven Bundy has been arrested.  The Feds got their revenge.  Now, the question is, who are the agents that controlled the Bundys, so that they would move into this trap?



Cliven Bundy arrested en route to protesters
Oregon standoff may end Thursday morning

http://www.wdsu.com/national/oregon-standoff-fbi-surrounds-occupiers-at-wildlife-refuge/37932700

Cliven Bundy, the rancher who gained prominence for protesting grazing rights in 2014, was arrested in Portland, Oregon, late Wednesday, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office.

The Oregonian reports that Bundy faces a conspiracy charge to interfere with a federal officer related to the 2014 standoff at his ranch -- the same charge lodged against two of his sons, Ammon and Ryan, for their role in the Jan. 2 takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Burns. He also faces weapons charges.

Bundy, 74, was booked into the downtown Multnomah County jail at 10:54 p.m., The Oregonian reports.

The refuge's current occupiers said -- during a purported live stream of a conference call between protesters, activists and conservative Nevada lawmaker Michele Fiore -- they were prepared to leave Thursday morning.

The audio was live streamed on YouTube.

Fiore told those on the call that Mike Arnold -- Ammon Bundy's lawyer, who Fiore says was in the car with her -- spoke with the FBI. She said the agency promised it would stand down Wednesday night and allow her to be at the FBI checkpoint on Thursday morning when the occupiers turn themselves in.

CNN affiliates based in Portland are reporting that Fiore is on her way to the refuge.

When asked about the deal, Beth Anne Steele with the FBI told CNN that she was not able to comment.

Surrounded

The live stream started after the FBI surrounded those occupying the refuge.

According to the agency, one of the remaining occupiers rode outside barricades at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. When agents tried to approach him, he sped off back to the refuge.

After that, the FBI said agents "moved to contain the remaining occupiers by placing agents at barricades both immediately ahead of and behind the area where the occupiers are camping."

The FBI said no shots were fired and it is continuing to negotiate with those inside the refuge.

"The FBI has negotiated with patience and restraint in an effort to resolve the situation peacefully," said Greg Bretzing, special agent in charge of the FBI in Oregon. "However, we reached a point where it became necessary to take action in a way that best ensured the safety of those on the refuge, the law enforcement officers who are on scene, and the people of Harney County who live and work in this area."

Four people are believed to be still occupying the refuge.

'God has put us on this path'

Earlier on the call, the occupiers sounded concerned that the FBI planned to move in Wednesday night and that it would lead to their deaths. At times, they seemed to embrace that outcome as fatalistic.

When one woman -- presumed to be Fiore -- asked David and Sandy about their families, a man responded, "God has put us on this path. Our families are already taken care of; they weren't in our lives much before all this because God made sure we didn't have that to weigh us down so that we could do this," one man said.

The people on the phone could be heard debating conditions for which they'd be willing to leave the refuge.

At one point late Wednesday night, more than 66,000 people were listening.

Wednesday marks day 40 of the occupation.

Ammon Bundy and others started out demonstrating against the sentencing of Dwight Hammond and his son Steven, ranchers who were convicted of arson on federal lands in Oregon.

But a January 2 march supporting the Hammonds led to the armed occupation of the refuge, with protesters decrying what they call government overreach when it comes to federal lands.

Bundy and other members of his group were arrested during an incident along a highway last month.

At the same time, law enforcement officers shot and killed LaVoy Finicum, one of the protest group's most prominent members.

[yankeedoodle]

Revenge at last: proven in Federal government words.

Here is a link to the pdf file containing the Federal charges against Cliven Bundy.  Under Count One, the very first words are: "Beginning in at least March 2014 and continuing to on or about the date of this Complaint,..."

Thus, with a charge beginning in March 2014, they have sought, and gotten, revenge for the Bundy stand-off, probably with the help of agents who provoked the Bundy sons to take their protest on the road to Oregon, where the trap was laid.  Who were the agents?  Who knows?

https://www.splcenter.org/sites/default/files/2-11-16-nev-clivenbundycomplaint.pdf

[yankeedoodle]

New Evidence Shows Foul Play, Cover-up by FBI and OSP in Shooting of Lavoy Finicum – DOJ Opens New Investigation
http://21stcenturywire.com/2016/03/09/new-evidence-shows-foul-play-cover-up-by-fbi-and-osp-in-shooting-of-lavoy-finicum-doj-opens-new-investigation/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWLHiU8gYWY&feature=youtu.be

[rmstock]

Unbelievable ! Donald Trump is the only current Presidential Candidate who has spoken out about
this. The rest of the D.C. Gang is ordered to standdown and keep liptight about it.


Trump: Nevada, US need a president who obeys rule of law
by Donald J. Trump , 12:31 p.m. PST January 28, 2016
http://www.rgj.com/story/opinion/voices/2016/01/07/trump-nevada-us-need-
president-who-obeys-rule-law/78422530/

  "The United States of America is a land of laws, and Americans value the
   rule of law above all. Why, then, has our Congress allowed the
   president and the executive branch to take on near-dictatorial power?
   How is it that we have a president who will not enforce some laws and
   who encourages faceless, nameless bureaucrats to manage public lands as
   if the millions of acres were owned by agencies such as the Bureau of
   Land Management and the Department of Energy? In Nevada, the lack of
   enforcement of immigration laws and the draconian rule of the BLM are
   damaging the economy, lowering the standard of living and inhibiting
   natural economic growth. The only way to change these circumstances is
   to bring to Washington a president who will rein in the federal
   government and get Congress to do its job. It's not that we don't have
   talented people in D.C. It's that we have no leadership there.
   
   The BLM controls over 85 percent of the land in Nevada. In the rural
   areas, those who for decades have had access to public lands for
   ranching, mining, logging and energy development are forced to deal
   with arbitrary and capricious rules that are influenced by special
   interests that profit from the D.C. rule-making and who fill the
   campaign coffers of Washington politicians. Far removed from the
   beautiful wide open spaces of Nevada, bureaucrats bend to the influence
   that is closest to them. Honest, hardworking citizens who seek freedom
   and economic independence must beg for deference from a federal
   government that is more intent on power and control than it is in
   serving the citizens of the nation. In and around Clark County, the
   situation is even worse.
   
   Because the BLM is so reluctant to release land to local disposition in
   Nevada, the cost of land has skyrocketed and the cost of living has
   become an impediment to growth. Where are the city and county to get
   the land for schools, roads, parks and other public use areas if they
   have to beg Washington for the land and then pay a premium price for
   it? How are people who see a future in Nevada to find housing and
   employment if the federal government is inhibiting economic
   development? How are businesses to find the employees to fill the jobs
   that could be created if there were better leadership in Washington?
   Unfortunately, many of the jobs are filled by those who came to this
   country illegally.
   
   Illegal immigration costs the people of Nevada over $1.2 billion a
   year. That is nearly $6,000 for every man, woman and child in the
   state. Those are tax dollars that could go to build those schools,
   roads, sewers, water treatment plants and all the other services needed
   for a growing economy. Illegal immigrants absorb tax dollars from
   public schools, public health and public safety. Illegal immigration
   suppresses wages and undermines the ability of workers to organize and
   seek better working conditions. Illegal immigration is an affront to
   the very rule of law valued by all Americans and most assuredly by all
   Nevadans.
   
   What is needed in Washington is a president who will rein in the
   executive branch and work with Congress to make sure the legislative
   branch does its job. What is needed in Washington is a president who
   has the will, strength and courage to lead. What is needed in
   Washington is a president who is not beholden to special interests and
   who is only interested in putting America and Americans first.
   
   When I am elected president, I will bring the executive branch back
   inside the Constitution and will work with Congress to put America
   first. I will lead the effort to gain meaningful tax reform, trade
   reform and education reform. I will lead the effort to protect your
   right to worship as you see fit and your right to protect your family
   and property with the right to keep and bear arms. Together, we will
   make America great again.
   
   Donald J. Trump, a Republican, is a businessman and a candidate for
   president of the United States. "