Yeah, the conspiracy nuts have always had a crush on Waco and Ruby Ridge. It pees on the whole “I’m going to wait out Y2K in my bunker” strategy since in both cases, it didn’t work out too well. I can’t recall any time the strategy of “Let’s barricade ourselves in the house and wait it out” ever worked when you are surrounded.
If the folks at Waco and Ruby Ridge had waved the white flag, they would probably be alive today. The 35 people who escaped during the siege seemed to fare better. But Koresh chose another path. There is as much evidence that the Davidians lit the fire and it being caused by tear gas rounds.
FBI surveillance tapes from devices planted in the wall of the building record a man inside the compound saying “Everybody wake up, let’s start to pray”, then, “Pablo, have you poured it yet?” ...”Huh?” ... “Have you poured it yet?”... “in the hallway”... “things are poured, right?” CEV1 receives orders to spray two bottles of tear gas into left corner of building.[69]
It provides an example of a government gone wild, that doesn't think twice about blackmailing citizens, then using heavy handed tactics to impose their will.
Both Ruby Ridge and Waco could have been handled much differently.