Oregon standoff a bizarre affair

There’s an act of terrorism taking place as we speak, and the government isn’t doing anything to stop it. Armed thugs have taken over federal buildings and now occupy federal land set aside for public use.

Yahoos with guns … the Bundys!

No, no, no, not Al Bundy and his dysfunctional family from Married With Children. No, we’re talking about the other Bundys, you know, the Nevada Bundys, the ones who got away with illegally grazing their cattle on public land — for decades — and then got away with threatening law enforcement with firearms.

You know, the racist dad, Cliven Bundy, who wanted to tell us “one more thing about the Negro.” Sean Hannity’s best friend.

Those Bundys.

So, onto YouTube I go to find some video from the standoff at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon. And what do you know? A whole bunch of crazy right-wingers are posting comments on the videos by the “patriots” posting the videos.

Except, the people commenting, crazy, off the wall and insanely out there fringe conservatives and libertarians (really, what’s the difference?), all these people commenting are questioning whether the standoff is real or not.

“This smells of a false flag operation,” one dramatic viewer writes and then a slew of like-minded people reply, many agreeing, pointing out “facts,” imagined or fabricated, that prove it is, just like the one guy says, a false flag operation.

A “false flag operation,” for those who don’t know, is an event planned and carried out by the government to make the patriots look guilty, or bad.

You see these knuckleheads coming out in droves on YouTube claiming Sandy Hook never occurred, that it was a “false flag operation” by that damn Obama to set up a situation to take away everyone’s guns.

And of course they want us to believe the attack of September 11, 2001 was an inside job, a “false flag operation” to start the war in Iraq, make billions for Haliburton, etc. Both of which happened, but there is no credible evidence the Bush Administration — or even the Obama Administration — had anything to do with 9/11.

Really. There’s a lot a liberal — or anyone for that matter — can say about the George W. Bush Administration to prove he’s the second worst president of the past 60 years, but planning and carrying out the destruction of the World Trade Center and the deaths of nearly 3,000 Americans — not to mention the thousands of first responders who are now sick or died as a result of their work at the WTC — that isn’t one of them.

And Barack Obama did not fake Sandy Hook. The people really hurt by these nutty claims are the loved ones of the victims.

The other claim made by the fine folks responding to the so-called patriot videos on YouTube: It’s Agenda 21 in action!

“What the …”

From Wikipedia: “Agenda 21 is a non-binding, voluntarily implemented action plan of the United Nations with regard to sustainable development.^[1] It is a product of the Earth Summit (UN Conference on Environment and Development) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. It is an action agenda for the UN, other multilateral organizations, and individual governments around the world that can be executed at local, national, and global levels. The “21” in Agenda 21 refers to the 21st Century.”

In the crazy, right wing conspiracy nut universe it is a devious plan to implement a one world order that will deny freedoms to good Americans and take away their guns.

All the favorite right wing conspiracies involve disarming the public. No administration, Republican or Democrat, has ever tried, but it’s still a popular component of conspiracy theories.

So there’s all that. Just go to YouTube and search “Oregon standoff.” You’d be surprised how many people are out there supporting Ammon Bundy and his merry band of tough guys. And the other crazy, right wing nuts, like the Oath Keepers, who denounce it for being such a badly conceived and executed plan.

One of the guys who was at the wildlife refuge was exposed for claiming to be a Marine Corps veteran when in fact he is not: Brian “Booda” Cavalier, Ammon Bundy’s personal bodyguard. He claims to be a retired Marine who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.

His code name is “Fluffy Unicorn,” unless he’s mad at the press. Then he’s “Raging Unicorn.”

How about unabashed liar? Now Booda, the Raging Unicorn has left the compound.

The interesting part of this story: it was first reported by the Daily Mail out of the United Kingdom. Gosh dang it, scooped by the Brits.

Then there is the squabbling. The different militia factions are fighting amongst themselves. There was one group, the Pacific Patriots Network showed up to offer security for the compound, which Bundy and his merry band of tough guys have renamed, the “Harney County Resource Center.”

But really, it’s still the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

So this Patriot Network showed up, decked out in camies and bulletproof vests and toting assault-style weapons, to keep everyone on both sides safe and to broker a peaceful solution. According to them, they met with the occupiers and law enforcement.

That’s the funny part: these gun-toting cowboys are going to protect the FBI.

At any rate, Ammon Bundy said he didn’t want them there, with their guns, so the Pacific Patriots Network packed it in and left the same day they arrived (Saturday Jan. 9).

It was reported one occupier, Joe Oshaugnessy, took money he had raised for the cause and went to spend the rest of his time in a nearby motel, drinking himself silly. One of his buddies called Oshaugnessy a “Deserter” and a “coward.” Ouch.

Oshaugnessy fired back on Facebook, claiming a smear campaign has been launched against him. Oh dear, there’s trouble in right wing conspiracy paradise.

Where are the authorities as this goes on? The Harney County Sheriff, Dave Ward, has asked these people to leave, the townspeople have asked them to leave, birders that look for birds on the refuge demanded they leave, and even the ranchers who were re-imprisoned for arson after burning federal lands, Dwight and Steven Hammond, have asked them to leave.

But they stay, we are told, because they are hoping to have an armed confrontation with the feds. Teach the federal government a little something about who really runs this country.

No federal officers, or state or local law enforcement, appear to be trying to arrest any of these guys. Members of the occupation travel in and out of town to eat good food at local restaurants without being so much as hassled about spitting on the sidewalk.

This merry band of tough guys who were so prepared for a siege they had to start begging for help through social media, requesting snacks and warm socks on their second day.

My theory: these guys are such a disorganized, laughable bunch, the authorities, including the FBI, are sitting around, laughing their butts off, waiting for these guys to implode. And then they’ll do what they should have done after that B.S. in Nevada 19 months ago: serve them with arrest warrants and bring them to justice once they begin to leave. They aren’t going to stay, it’s cold at the wildlife refuge; it’s supposed to be 11°f at night.

Obviously the feds can’t allow them to stay. The birders are missing some prime winter habitat observations. And this time that can’t let these yokels walk away without any consequences, like they did in Bunkerville, Nevada.

With un-armed African-Americans being gunned down for far less, it just sends the wrong picture: a bunch of gun-toting white guys daring federal law enforcement to have a firefight with them and then being allowed to walk away.

Top photo found on Twitter.

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UPDATE: Did you hear the one about the two members of the Y’all Quaeda movement that got into a drunken argument with one another?

Of course this happened in Texas, far from Oregon, but they were part of the same Y’all Quaeda movement that either supports — or condemns — the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

Charles Carter and Vincent Smith were planning a “Paul Revere 2016 Final March to Restore America” demonstration; they said on their Facebook page, “It is being planned as a march/caravan starting from multiple points on the west coast, and advancing across America gathering steam and troops, with its final destination Washington DC and Final Aim at removing the corrupt leadership that has taken over our beloved country and ousted her God and constitution.”

They got a few followers as well, over 1,400. There was a Road Captain and a chaplain, plus a man of god who had a fiery sermon about that evil Obama (go down the FB page a bit), Pastor Greg Locke. It was truly inspiring to Hee-Hawdists everywhere.

And then Charles Carter and Vincent Smith got into a drunken argument and Smith was armed with not one, but two firearms. Now some claim Smith was sober, which could very well be true. The local authorities have not released any details.  But at some point Carter allegedly grabbed one of Smith’s guns and pointed it at Smith, and Smith, who … well just read this description posted on the “Paul Revere Final …” page:

“I am compelled as to what has happened with Charles Carter and Vincent Smith from the Paul Revere event. The event that sky rocketed in a week has gone to hell and a handbasket in less then 24 hours Charles is dead, shot in the fore head by Vincent Smith. I was in chat with Charles Carter most of the morning and I could see in his post that shit was not right within him. Shortly after Vincent shot Charles then I was on the phone with him and he explained what happened, Vincent was attacked by Charles that was liquored up and enraged. Charles attacked Vincent, snatched his side arm from him and was going to shoot Vincent. Vincent had a spare gun on him and was SOBER and faster then Charles Carter. Vincent Smith I Pray for You Brother as I am Praying for Charles Carter. I Pray that you both find peace. The Texas Marshal has ruled this a self defense, and from talking to Vincent IN DEPTH I Bill Williamson BELIEVE HIM! If I am wrong them so be it. I just wish I was able to call Charles as he ask 15 minutes sooner then I did but unfortunately I couldn’t… Lord please help me figure this out, please stop everyone from jumping the gun and making un informed judgments.”

This all happened on Sunday, January 10. Smith claims to be a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. If that’s true I wonder how his command is going to take his shooting someone and being armed, even if it is off base.

Just posted on their Facebook page: the march is still on.

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And there is this: Ammon Bundy and his brother Ryan hauled reporters out to a remote section of land to watch as the Hee-Hawdists tore down 80-feet of fencing, saying the rancher had asked them to do it.

Turns out the rancher, Tim Puckett, didn’t give them permission to remove the fence and he is very upset about it. His ranch hands have repaired the damage.

Thanks to Daily Kos for bringing these two items to my attention.

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UPDATE: As if this situation couldn’t get any funnier … As reported by Occupy Democrats: one of these Y’all Quaeda knuckleheads got himself arrested for “unauthorized use of a motor vehicle” after speaking one of the federal trucks from the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge to go buy snacks at a local grocer.

Kenneth Medenbach was pinched as he drove into town, with cheap “Harney County Resource Center” stickers plastered over the fish and wild life logos on the truck. Medenbach already has a warrant out for his arrest dating back to November when he was arrested squatting on federal land. One of the conditions for his release then was that he not occupy any federal land. Seems he broke that agreement.

This is not a very bright bunch of terrorists, although they say they are willing to use violence if anyone tries to enforce the laws of Oregon and the United States. So that they remain a danger to the surrounding area.