The Many Mistakes Leading to the Malheur Takeover

[phantom power]

The short-term problem is that the lackadaisical effort by law enforcement, going all the way up to the Obama administration, of dealing with these people does nothing but empower these people to continue in their actions, threatening government officials, and committing violent acts across the West. Like everything else in the United States, this is largely explained primarily by race, as black, Muslim, or Latino groups would probably be dead by now. But angry whites after Waco and Ruby Ridge has spooked federal large enforcement to be fearful of acting in any forceful way against violent whites, even to the point of just shutting off the power or blocking the entrance to the wildlife refuge. It’s pathetic. It’s also dangerous.

There are several longer-term problems too. The first is that Republicans actually empower right-wing paramilitary activities and terrorism. This is hardly unknown to the left. But the extent to which they force the government to not investigate right-wing groups is remarkable.

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It’s not as if the government doesn’t have the capability to deal with these people. But when you have one of the two major political parties openly embracing fascism, it’s hardly surprising that it would intimidate the other party into not investigating those fascist groups. The mistake DHS made was letting Republicans push it around.

There’s an even longer-term problem, which is the disaster that is federal grazing policy, as this western rancher states.

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Grazing cattle on federal land is never going to be completely ecologically sound. There are ways however to continue this human traditions of doing so while mitigating the ecological impact. But, as is not really surprising given how a large bureaucracy like the U.S. government works, we are failing to do so.

http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2016/01/the-many-mistakes-leading-to-the-malheur-takeover

[99th_Monkey]

1. I couldn't agree more, that ignoring these armed-to-teeth white supremacists is misguided

I'm not suggesting creating another Waco, but i do agree there are definitely things
the FBI & ATF could and should be doing, that they are not.

a) cut off all access (in & out) to the Federal facility and lands involved,
surround the place with wide perimeter if necessary.
b) cut off all utilities, jam the cell phones, water, electricity, etc.
c) wait them out and arrest them when they leave, or use tear gas, as needed to force the issue.

This is not rocket science people! Ignoring these dangerous armed domestic terrorists is just wrong,
and if someone ends up getting seriously hurt or killed before it's over, the Federal Gov't will be
culpable.

[Wellstone ruled]

2. After the Bush/Cheney election

in 2001. The Republican and Dino's defunded the the BLM to a point they had to eliminate hundreds of Enforcement Officers and Rangers. This appeared to be one of the fix is in things. Mentioned before of a Regional office that had some 50 plus Rangers and Enforcement persons,all but one was terminated and replaced with volunteers,and all they do is hand of info at that office. The one remaining fellow is Enforcement,and he is going to or had retired leaving no one in a enforcement status for one of the largest BLM districts in the south west. Closest Enforcement for that District is Hundred and Twenty miles away. And you wonder how the Bundy crap went down.