The Cliven Bundy race controversy has infected/poisoned the Right

me | 4/26/2014 | self

[logi_cal869]

I was going to post a reply to another FReeper’s post on the Bundy race non-controversy, but my comments segued dramatically into a rant, supported by a host of sources.

What's amazing to me is the abject ignorance of people on the Right, including radio.

I won't name him, but I received the following email from a conservative radio host (also does national). This is what he wrote in response to my email critiquing him on calling Bundy a "bigot" and elaborating why he's not:

"Before the militarized blm…how was it overbearing for the blm to give him twenty years, two trips to federal court…and he owes the american people a million bucks. Sounds pretty lenient to me"

He failed to address the 'bigot' comment or why he made it, but chose to address my comment about the BLM being 'overbearing' (he believes the BLM response was appropriate).

As well, non-left foreign media FAIL to do due diligence in reporting and continue to parrot total falsehoods in their 'news'. The link I found the 'bodyguard' story at was here. Pertinent quotes:

"He has refused to pay $1million taxes on his herd"

and

"Officials had tried to round up Bundy's cattle and evict him on April 12 after 20 years of not paying federal taxes. However they were forced to give up after a militia of several hundred people, some of them armed with sniper rifles, turned up and threatened to open fire."

and

"Mr Bundy, a 67-year-old father-of 14 and registered Republican, is accused of not paying federal grazing taxes for his cattle for 20 years, and reportedly owes the government $1million."

Not once, or twice, but THREE TIMES they push the issue that he owes TAXES.

First, everybody here knows only Congress can levy Taxes. Levied fines, regulatory fees, et all, are the scourge of Progressives (stating the obvious & preaching to the choir, of course).

Secondly, it’s not the “$1.1 million” they’re citing. That’s the BLM’s cited total, of which the principal of the $1.1 million is likely only $200,000 or so and was offered to State and/or Local government in place of paying the BLM. But an overwhelming majority of any media on ANY side is too willing to omit honest facts.

Thirdly, citing as "taxes" the per-AWU 'grazing fees' , (plus) 'penalties' and (plus) so-called 'trespassing fines' is dishonest...a LIE. The dishonesty (or, as I prefer, “Gross Negligence”) on the part of the media is overwhelming. Do an internet search on “taxes” +”bundy” and you get 1.5 million + hits on ‘news’. It’s also infectious.

Without wasting time on links easily discovered, among the transgressors (in no particular order or ideology):

Daily Mail, Forbes, US News & World Reports, Daily Caller, Townhall, CNN, Huffington Post, Yahoo, American Thinker (poster), Washington Post, Washington Times, Examiner, Morning Call, Inquisitr…to name but a few.

The worst part about the ‘Taxes’ BS and the associated ignorance is that the Summary Judgment against Bundy is that it cites not a SINGLE USC law that he violated. Not ONE. BLM regulation only & supporting court cases. If they were taxes, the IRS would have thrown him in jail a long, long time ago (related, but different topic). At least there’s a bit of sanity coming from the right and being honestly reported (albeit in minority & obscurity) and even though Livingston misuses the word ‘taxes’:

David Livingston, a Republican member of Arizona’s Legislature, was one of them. “I’ve heard that this is about a guy who’s not paying taxes,” Livingston told Newsweek. “That’s not the issue. The issue is property rights and the federal government overreaching.”

As well, on Fox’s ‘The Five’ (liberal) co-host Bob Beckel states:

“I don’t feel sorry for the guy at all,” liberal co-host Bob Beckel said. “He’s a tax dodge. He oughta be indicted.”

To which Dana Perino asked:

“Do you feel the same about Al Sharpton?” Perino replied. “Al Sharpton owes $1.9 million, and the president did an event with him praising him just last Friday.”

(Perino also misses the boat on the ‘tax’ issue vs. BLM ‘fees’, ‘penalties’ & ‘trespass fines’)

Again, only in minority is sanity being displayed. But that doesn’t change the fact that the left has infected people on the right with what’s been described as ‘intellectual dishonesty’. Although the term was first used here by another FReeper in a derogatory sense, I think the term is perfectly fitting when properly applied (as I believe I have done). I'm really getting sick & tired of people spouting their opinions out the wrong end out of an abundance of intellectual dishonesty. Frankly, I think it exposes their own unresolved biases…but that’s just another ‘opinion’.

Also regarding ‘opinions’, I was treated to another seemingly-biased opinion of Bundy’s so-called ‘doubling down’ on his statements when asked about it on the Peter Schiff show on 4/24 here. I was forwarded the link to the interview, but could not listen to the audio until just in the past hour (tech issues). I transcribed his remarks in just a few minutes for the benefit of ‘clarity’:

Bundy:

“You know, what I said, ‘I’m wondering’. And I know Glen Beck, he has something on the internet or news, and he uses the term ‘I’m wondering’. And when they come to me, I said ‘That’s exactly what I said…I’m wondering, if they’re better off under government subsidy and they’re young women are having abortions and their young men are in jail and their older women and their children are standing, settin out on their cement porch without nothin to do. You know, ‘I’m wondering: Are they happier now under this government subsidy system than they were when they were slaves and they were able to have their family structure together, and chickens and garden…the people had something to do. And so, in my mind, I’m wondering, are they better off being slaves in that sense or better off being slaves to the United States government in the sense of subsidy? I’m wondering. The statement was right. I ‘am’ wondering.”

I can’t agree with the interpretation I was given (which stated at the least if it weren’t racist, it’s as close as you can get). I can’t agree with that at all. Bundy wasn't making bigoted comments about blacks. To the contrary, he was making a comparison of the US Government to slavery. He's not an intellectual; that's patently obvious, and he fails in effective communication. How that gets elevated to a viral infection of the Right is beyond me.

I was done commenting on this so-called ‘controversy’ before…

It’s just that NOW it’s literally ‘in my face’: The left’s seemingly-infectious intentional dishonesty has morphed into unwitting intellectual dishonesty with TWO conservative radio hosts (one Thursday, the other, who is also national, yesterday at about 2:30 pm is when I heard the remark and within an hour re the email)...WTF???

This isn’t about Bundy. Nor is this about the left or the media. This is about apparent unresolved biases & guilt of ‘more than a few’ on the Right resulting in, what appear to me to be, emotional reactions to a supposed controversy, unintentionally fanning the flames of discontent based on either intentional ignorance (listening to the ‘news’) or biased interpretations (confusing ‘insensitive’ & ‘un-PC’ with racism, intentionally or otherwise), rather than embracing their core beliefs and uniting against the common enemy.

If conservatives can’t pool resources and separate from the manufactured controversies promoted (and likely schemed) by the left, then there’s no hope…

None at all.

[WVNan]

Wise words.

[logi_cal869]

I had to get back to my work earlier but left thinking that perhaps I jumped on your comment a bit harshly.

I came back to apologize, but then I read your comment again and realized I misread it earlier...

...I do apologize for the earlier comment, as it WAY OFF BASE.

Frankly, I’m more than PUT OFF that anyone would read that post and suggest my ‘efforts’ here are to KILL HOPE.

I’m so put off that my stomach’s in a knot.

The only thing that assuages that feeling is the pretty good response here; I do have some hope left and won’t stop fighting. That includes reengaging the conservative radio hosts that are on the wrong side of the fence on this next week.

[Nifster]

Agreed.

[pacific_waters]

The left has done what the left does so well, distort what someone ays to discredit them and the right has done it does so well, run like hell from any accusations of racism instead of attacking the lie.

[reasonisfaith]

Just to make sure you understand what I was saying:

Bundy doesn’t operate on political correctness.

He probably hasn’t ever paid it any mind, which means he’s a good example of what Americans should be like.

[reasonisfaith]

I would hate to be the cause of your stomach being in knots. Regardless, I wish you a quick recovery.

[reasonisfaith]

I really don’t think anyone—whether they’re leftist trolls or conservatives unwittingly advancing the leftist agenda—can do anything to kill hope at this point.

These days the hope of regular Americans is going strong, firmly hitched to a newly fired engine—their anger and rage at a corrupt government.