Just who is Cliven Bundy?

For most people not living in the US, I suspect this is fairly meaningless, but as a follower of foreign news I'm interested in the perspectives of Americans on the issue of Nevada cattle rancher Cliven Bundy.

Bundys family has been embroiled in a dispute with the federal government, specifically the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for decades. The government claims that Bundys cattle is damaging the protected public land, for which Bundy has not paid for the use of. He has also not paid numetrous fines that have been slapped on him for years. Bundy claims the state owns the land, not the federal government and his family have been ranchers there since the 1880's, and have a right to use it for grazing. The federal government want to use the land for renewable energy projects - by all accounts - and are also concerned about the wellbeing of local wildlife; not a position taken by their Washington predecessors when they were regularly detonating atom bombs in the Nevada desert of course, but the world has changed...perhaps.

Washington Post: timeline of dispute

The dispute came to a head this week when armed BLM agents and police descended on Bundys locale and confiscated most of his cattle. The 'feds' were confronted with a large and angry mob of Bundy's supporters and after some deliberation for now at least have stood down and returned the cattle to Bundy. Senetor Harry Reid a key opponent to Bundys position, and an advocate of the BLMs action has said 'This is not over'

The situation could get very ugly if the BLM return more heavy handed. What is likely to happen next and does anyone have any sympathy for Bundys position in this?

It's pretty clear that both sides of the media coverage are coming from a not-very-well-hidden agenda related to what's generally called "culture wars" these days. That said the conflict of interest seems to me as much rural vs. urban as conservatism vs. progressivism, but maybe I'm just more likely to view it that way because my own country's political landscape isn't as divided into two big camps as the United States' is.


Edited by Toaster Mantis - April 19 2014 at 05:58

It's just that the media both left and right has attached so much cultural baggage to the Cliven Bundy affair that I'm somewhat more certain of this blowing up somewhow. (figuratively, not literally)

Toaster Mantis wrote: It's just that the media both left and right has attached so much cultural baggage to the Cliven Bundy affair that I'm somewhat more certain of this blowing up somewhow. (figuratively, not literally)

No it will not.

Though Fox News surely it's trying.

Blacksword wrote: For most people not living in the US, I suspect this is fairly meaningless, but as a follower of foreign news I'm interested in the perspectives of Americans on the issue of Nevada cattle rancher Cliven Bundy. Bundys family has been embroiled in a dispute with the federal government, specifically the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for decades. The government claims that Bundys cattle is damaging the protected public land, for which Bundy has not paid for the use of. He has also not paid numetrous fines that have been slapped on him for years. Bundy claims the state owns the land, not the federal government and his family have been ranchers there since the 1880's, and have a right to use it for grazing. The federal government want to use the land for renewable energy projects - by all accounts - and are also concerned about the wellbeing of local wildlife; not a position taken by their Washington predecessors when they were regularly detonating atom bombs in the Nevada desert of course, but the world has changed...perhaps. Washington Post: timeline of dispute The dispute came to a head this week when armed BLM agents and police descended on Bundys locale and confiscated most of his cattle. The 'feds' were confronted with a large and angry mob of Bundy's supporters and after some deliberation for now at least have stood down and returned the cattle to Bundy. Senetor Harry Reid a key opponent to Bundys position, and an advocate of the BLMs action has said 'This is not over' The situation could get very ugly if the BLM return more heavy handed. What is likely to happen next and does anyone have any sympathy for Bundys position in this?

It's obvious he's ignoring the law...period. Others have been paying rental fees for grazing for many years (including a Republican Congressional female land owner in another state  so why should he be exempt? You don't hear the GOP mention her and others though and they make this guy out to be some kid of martyr. Typical GOP nonsense imo.

A massive racist!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2014/04/24/cliven-bundy-wonders-if-black-people-were-better-off-as-slaves/

No. Those two people were quite useful compared to him. 

http://blog.sfgate.com/fiore/2014/04/23/cliven-bundys-home-on-the-range/


Turns out he's not only a freeeloader but a racist...

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/bundy-i-want-tell-you-one-more-thing

http://www.politicususa.com/2014/04/24/negro-expert-conservative-patriot-cliven-bundy-explains-racist.html


Edited by Slartibartfast - April 26 2014 at 06:35

Edited by Slartibartfast - April 26 2014 at 06:34

Hey, why would you choose them over a bunch of paranoid schizophrenics with guns?