The Bundys are at it again.

[Son_of_a_Rich]

The best thing they could do to get their message home would be to go Masada if the feds show up. That’d teach 'em.

[Chetumal]

@Son_of_a_Rich

I And the feds not cooperating by just ignoring them.

I think that is exactly what is happening. Not a single mention of them in my google news feed either yesterday or today. LOL

[TroutMan]

@Bayard

On NPR’s top-of-the-hour news summary this morning, they referred to the “militants” occupying the building. I thought that was kind of interesting. I hadn’t seen or heard other mainstream sources use that term for them. I like that better than “occupiers” or “protesters”. Maybe we can start adding “extremists” and “terrorists” to the mix now.

The Oregonian has been calling them militants. Here’s their reasoning.

The dictionary defines “militia” as this: “a group of people who are not part of the armed forces of a country but are trained like soldiers.” There is no indication that members of the group at the Malheur refuge are trained like soldiers. A fuller definition is: “a: a part of the organized armed forces of a country liable to call only in emergency; b: a body of citizens organized for military service.”

Those definitions, from Merriam-Webster, do not seem to fit. However, editors recognize that language is a living thing and dictionary definitions do not always fully capture the cultural and contextual meaning words take on.

But at the end of the day, to us, “militant” seems more accurate than “militiaman.” Militant is defined as “having or showing a desire or willingness to use strong, extreme, and sometimes forceful methods to achieve something.”

As much as I disagree with every aspect of their action, I can’t see calling them terrorists yet. Their goal is not to create terror, they haven’t hurt anyone. If the situation changes, I will certainly reassess.

[AlsoNamedBort]

@Son_of_a_Rich

I wonder how Bundy reinforces his position as dominant chimp. I don’t know if this occupation will ever deserve a book, but a comedy movie might work- civilization breaking down as cold sets in and food runs out. And the feds not cooperating by just ignoring them.

I vote for H. Jon Benjamin to play Ammon Bundy

[Section_Maker_Jupe]

jeez you people are funny!!! When I read “hardened militia”…I just thought…

      Softened Militia

and all those eating flour comments!!! ha!

And why do people wear cowboy hats in winter? Summer, sure no problem.
But when its 20-30F? Thats like putting a frozen bucket on your head.

I like heavy wool caps, with earflaps!!!

[John_Mace]

@AlsoNamedBort

I vote for H. Jon Benjamin to play Ammon Bundy

Good resemblance (although your link didn’t work for me), but: “Benjamin was born on May 23, 1966 to a Jewish family[2] in Worcester, Massachusetts”. Not THAT kind of temple!!!

[doorhinge]

@Section_Maker_Jupe

…And why do people wear cowboy hats in winter? Summer, sure no problem.
But when its 20-30F? Thats like putting a frozen bucket on your head.

I like heavy wool caps, with earflaps!!!

(post shortened)

Cowboy hats can be made of heavy wool and some even have ear flaps.

*Stetson Gus with Ear Flaps - Soft Wool Cowboy Hat

Take on mother nature’s worst side in the Gus with Ear Flaps. This wool cowboy hat will keep your head dry & warm yet keep you looking stylish with money in your pocket. Pull the ear flaps down for those extra cold days or tuck them up inside either way you will combat mother nature. This style is also available without ear flaps. Made by the same the great company, Stetson. Don’t worry if you happen to sit on it, its crushable.*

https://www.hatcountry.com/stetson-gus-with-ear-flaps-soft-wool-cowboy-hat.html

[Steve_MB]

@Son_of_a_Rich

The best thing they could do to get their message home would be to go Masada if the feds show up. That’d teach 'em.

Fortunately, the Feds seem to be prudently denying Bubba Haram the opportunity to martyr themselves in the name of the Idiotic Cowliphate and earn themselves 72 nubile cousins in Paradise.

[Rhodes]

@enipla

Send in a group of little old ladies to re-open the visitor center and ignore these guys. Except for free coffee and information brochures of course.

You want to see tough? Send in the grandmothers.

Ammon and Captain Moroni abstain from coffee religiously.

[lance_strongarm]

@D_Anconia

Do you have a cite for this? If someone is making minimum wage, or thereabouts, they’re not likely to much in taxable income as a retiree.

I’m just saying that some of those people who pay no taxes are just in a certain part of life where they wouldn’t be expected to. They are taxpayers, just not in the given year.

A federal wildlife refuge is not a “service” in any normal sense of the word.

It absolutely does provide services in the sense of the word appropriate for this discussion, which is how ecologists, economists and political scientists use the word. It provides benefits to people.

[lance_strongarm]

@davidm

MSNBC is currently reporting that the “protestors” are bringing in heavy equipment. I’m not sure what they mean by “heavy equipment”.

The protesters can’t possibly be “bringing in” anything. The authorities aren’t letting anyone inside.

Some sympathizers are coming to the area near the refuge, but they aren’t being let in or allowed to bring anything to the guys occupying the building.

[Dangerosa]

I’m beginning to think terrorist and even militant are the completely wrong words.

improv comedy troop? fuck-ups? The planning did not extend to someone who OWNS A RANCH figuring out how to take care of his own damn cows while he was busy holding a federal park building.

'I Need to Get Home': Oregon Occupiers Hint at Exit Plan

[Grsz11]

@lance_strongarm

The protesters can’t possibly be “bringing in” anything. The authorities aren’t letting anyone inside.

Some sympathizers are coming to the area near the refuge, but they aren’t being let in or allowed to bring anything to the guys occupying the building.

Cite? I didn’t think the law was anywhere around.

[billfish678]

Despite having been ridiculed for decades as perhaps the most useless weapon ever developed, the lowly potato gun came into its own in the Great Bundy siege of 2016. Being able to remain supplied with Idaho’s best, they were able to maintain and grow a groundswell of support the some historians maintain was the pivotal moment that eventually led to the overthrow and downfall of the US federal government.

The first known working model, made by a Boy Scout troop in 1952, can be at the National Freemen Historical Museum and Baitshop, located just outside of Boaz, Alabama.

[doorhinge]

@Colibri

…There does seem to be a large amount of hearsay and bullshit flying around about this, with virtually no confirmed information.

(post shortened)

I hold the media responsible for the flying bullshit. There was no armed standoff. There never was an armed standoff. I suggest that the media “created” the standoff bullshit to attract viewers. “Armed standoff” sounds even more exciting.

There are no federal LEO’s present to confront the protestors. There are no federal LEO’s present for the protestors to confront. There are only the protestors and the media.

The media have been reporting that a county deputy is saying the protestors must leave. A county deputy who has no jurisdiction concerning the federal property. I guess that fills some airtime?

The media badgered the protestors into coming up with a name for themselves, which they did. But what was the point? It makes it easier for the media to identify the protesting groups in their “reporting” but the named group never worked together before and might not in the future.

Who closed the schools? The feds? The county deputy? The school board (or whatever it’s called) in Oregon? Why did they close the schools? Was it because the news media had told everyone that there was an armed standoff?

The media seems to be controlling the story and inventing news when they need to.

[lance_strongarm]

@Grsz11

Cite? I didn’t think the law was anywhere around.

The refuge is closed.

Of course there are authorities keeping people out. Otherwise there would be perhaps hundreds more joining them, many bringing supplies and ammo.

[doorhinge]

@lance_strongarm

The protesters can’t possibly be “bringing in” anything. The authorities aren’t letting anyone inside.

Some sympathizers are coming to the area near the refuge, but they aren’t being let in or allowed to bring anything to the guys occupying the building.

Who told you this? Which media outlet?

There doesn’t seem to be any federal LEO’s blocking the protestors from leaving or arriving.

[lance_strongarm]

@doorhinge

The media have been reporting that a county deputy is saying the protestors must leave. A county deputy who has no jurisdiction concerning the federal property.

Doesn’t mean he didn’t say it. And he actually just “asked” them to leave. Or he was talking to protestors outside the refuge who have come to support the Bundys.

The media badgered the protestors into coming up with a name for themselves, which they did. But what was the point? It makes it easier for the media to identify the protesting groups in their “reporting” but the named group never worked together before and might not in the future.

So now you blame the media for that? If the protestors didn’t want a name, they didn’t have to create one.

Who closed the schools? The feds? The county deputy? The school board (or whatever it’s called) in Oregon? Why did they close the schools? Was it because the news media had told everyone that there was an armed standoff?

No, because they don’t know whether there WILL be an armed standoff.

Which has nothing to do with the media.

The media seems to be controlling the story and inventing news when they need to.

The media don’t control anything. They just report stuff. Get over it.

[MindsEye_Watering]

@lance_strongarm

The refuge is closed.

Of course there are authorities keeping people out. Otherwise there would be perhaps hundreds more joining them, many bringing supplies and ammo.

Cite?

[steronz]

@doorhinge

(post shortened)

I hold the media responsible for the flying bullshit. There was no armed standoff. There never was an armed standoff. I suggest that the media “created” the standoff bullshit to attract viewers. “Armed standoff” sounds even more exciting.

The feds are around, they’ve shut down the roads. They are armed. The protesters are inside, they know damned well they’re not welcome there. They are also armed. Neither side wants to make the first move.

How is this not an armed standoff?