Hey, you know who else is camping in a cold remote wilderness?


The Bundyloons, the militia who took over the Malheur refuge. I at least had a pleasant companion in my wilderness adventure, but these guys…it’s turning all Lord of the Flies out there in Burns, Oregon.

Rumors and harsh facts arriving from outside the grounds of an Oregon nature preserve appear to be roiling the armed militants who have taken over a federal building in hopes of sparking an armed confrontation with government agents.

At least one of the militants, Joe “Capt. O” Oshaugnessy, left the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge amid drinking claims after arguing with participants over bringing their wives and children to the standoff, and another — Brian “Booda” Cavalier — left the compound after news reports revealed he had lied about serving in the military.

A former compatriot-turned-opponent claims one of the most prominent militants, Blaine Cooper, sucker-punched one of his friends — sending the counter-protester to the hospital with a concussion and serious facial injuries.

Has anybody thought to send them a conch, yet?

Comments

  1. says

    Surely they wouldn’t want charity, not being socialist spongers or the like. Send them the best gift of all, by totally ignoring them and arrest them when the survivors crawl out of the backwoods and confiscate sufficient property to pay for the damage and the legal fees for charging them with sedition, treason or what ever is the appropriate charge for attempting to revolt against the consititution and government of the USA.

  2. blf says

    I suggest that instead of calling these fruitcakes a “militia” — which is their term and, at least in the States, not always entirely negative — they should be called “militants”.
    (Credit to The Grauniad, which has done this on occasion, albeit they are not consistent about it.)

  3. illdoittomorrow says

    Brian “Booda” Cavalier — left the compound after news reports revealed he had lied about serving in the military.

    I’m surprised his fellow Patriots™ believed it, what with the mainstream media being just a big liberal conspiracy and all.

  4. tbtabby says

    And to think, people were complaining about the lack of an armed response. It might be tempting to bring the hammer down on these guys, especially when it’s been done to peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters at the drop of a hat, but that doesn’t mean it would be a good idea. The Yeehawdists have explicitly stated that they want an armed confrontation, so they can commit suicide by cop and become martyrs for their “I dunwanna pay what I owe” cause. This approach may take a little longer, but it will have a much more satisfying conclusion as the overgrown kids playing cowboy realize their Red Dawn fantasy isn’t going to happen and slink home in defeat.

  5. opposablethumbs says

    Um, couldn’t be happening to a nicer bunch of guys …. ? Isn’t this what they wanted, to ruggedly and oh-so-manly-ly go their own way, with no nanny state butting in?

    I’ll cop to schadenfreude.

  6. Saad says

    opposablethumbs, #7

    Um, couldn’t be happening to a nicer bunch of guys …. ? Isn’t this what they wanted, to ruggedly and oh-so-manly-ly go their own way, with no nanny state butting in?

    I’ll cop to schadenfreude.

    I’m enjoying it as well.

    Look what the Second Amendment dragged in.

  7. petesh says

    The Sheriff, who seems rather annoyed at these eejits, did say they would be facing Federal charges when they finally evacuate; and I sure hope that does happen.

  8. slithey tove (twas brillig (stevem)) says

    anybody see the hilariously “warning” the birders (Audobon Society members also) sent the ‘militia’?

    [paraphrasing]
    We’re WATCHING you. We got binoculars and patience and now how to stay concealed. We can See You, Everything You Do. Some of us even lawyers. We Watching You.

    This was posted just after the militia complained about being ignored.
    This is a case of sincere, LOL *snicker* *snicker* *snort*

  9. Rich Woods says

    At least one of the militants, Joe “Capt. O” Oshaugnessy, left the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge amid drinking claims after arguing with participants over bringing their wives and children to the standoff, and another — Brian “Booda” Cavalier — left the compound after news reports revealed he had lied about serving in the military.

    It’s like the Big Brother house*, but with guns. When they run out of food (or, more quickly, beer) can we require that they take on various challenges to earn more supplies? Let’s see who gets ejected for dressing like a librul, or who is willing to do a Trump impression in return for a pound of bacon.

    *Never having bothered watching any form of reality TV, any format confusion apparent here is entirely my fault.

  10. says

    First they practice occupying the sanctuary so that they’ll be ready to occupy the cell that’s waiting for them.
    It appears their behavior is good prep for that.

  11. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    Is this what a well regulated militia looks like?

    Nah, they were part of a real well regulated militia, they would have gone home when the Sheriffs told them to. No discipline at all. *snicker*

  12. zardeenah says

    By “leaving” surely they mean “excited the compound into federal custody,” right?

  13. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    Since these guys are into conspiracy theories, fill the air with black drones with UN on them.
    Maybe not. Might cause them to overload the septic system.

  14. robro says

    I just hope they don’t get a hold of any guns ’cause they might start shooting one another.

  15. says

    tbtabby #6

    At this point, the best method of getting an armed response would be a call placed for help. Say they are concerned for one of the guy’s welfare, or that he is suicidal. Cops will be over straight away to “help”. But given other recent trends, they may open fire on the building and bulldoze it after everyone has left, because they will be absolutely positive then that there is some dangerous dude hiding in there. Or… tell the Feds there are actually crypto-environmentalists in there.

    Just never say there is an armed and dangerous white guy with weapons, because *crickets*.

  16. ck, the Irate Lump says

    Pierce R. Butler wrote:

    Don’t worry, the Bundy Bunch (v. 2) will get through this okay: PETA brings them snacks.

    Giliell pointed that out in a previous thread, too. Once again, I guess it proves that there is no depth PETA won’t sink to for shameless self-promotion. I guess it conclusively disproves the adage about there being no such thing as bad publicity.

  17. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    I guess it conclusively disproves the adage about there being no such thing as bad publicity.

    Giving vegan snacks to cattle ranchers at their request for snacks? Hmm…self promotion, or satire?

  18. rogerfirth says

    My wife and kids and I get a cabin up in the Berkshires for a weekend every February. A wood stove for heat, a couple electrical outlets, beds to sleep 5, and a table and chairs. It’s back in a valley away from any roads, and you lose cell service about 2 miles before you get to it. Perfect for time with the family. Real time. A bottle of wine, a crockpot of stew, a good loaf of bread, and hours of conversation and board games. When the weather is clear the sky is spectacular. When it’s snowing and there’s no wind the sound of the blood pounding in your head is deafening.

    I would take a weekend there in the dead of winter over any five-star hotel in the world.

  19. says

    tbtabby @ 6:

    so they can commit suicide by cop

    While I believe that Bundy’s sons might be perfectly content to let others in their little group die, I don’t believe for one fraction of a second that they want to die, or take the slightest chance of dying.

  20. =8)-DX says

    @Caine #30

    I don’t believe for one fraction of a second that they want to die, or take the slightest chance of dying.

    But they want *confrontation*. They want an excuse to shoot their gun. But if police/army arrives, they want an excuse to have been capable of shooting their gun. Like last time, an armed standoff, being taken seriously by the gobment is the idea. Pure narcissism.

  21. chigau (違う) says

    They want to be on the TV.
    That’s it, that’s all.
    They want to be on the TV.

  22. ck, the Irate Lump says

    Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls wrote:

    Giving vegan snacks to cattle ranchers at their request for snacks? Hmm…self promotion, or satire?

    I could grant that it may be both, but they are effectively supporting these violent idiots.

  23. says

    I’m a bit fascinated by the mix of toxic masculinity and “benevolent” sexism.
    The Bundys are known for putting their women and children in the front as a living shield (funny how that does not reflect badly on them).
    Apparently some of their fellows disagree with them.
    Personally, while I think there’s absolutely NO excuse to bring children to such a dangerous situation and to consciously use them as shields, I also believe that if the women decide they want to be shot it’S their damn right to do so.

  24. komarov says

    Well, it must be difficult to up the ante on the tough guy act if you’re already part of the 2nd-amendment crowd that likes to carry big guns everywhere. But since they established that the government is unwilling to actually attack them directly, this kind of armed but essentially non-violent rebellion must seem like a wonderful way of doing just that. If they’re really lucky the frost-bite will leave some ‘battle scars’ to brag about.

  25. opposablethumbs says

    Would be ideal to see them contained with no movement in or out of people, goods or services, otherwise largely ignored, gradually getting pissed off and leaving in dribs and drabs and getting duly arrested when they do, charged and tried and preferably made to pay the financial cost of their egotistical fuckwittery, without a shot being fired. And yes I will admit that I wouldn’t be sorry if they have a few more fallings-out amongst themselves along the way (my one misgiving there is that if there are women and children present, what’s the betting that they will be among the first to suffer in any such fallings-out).

  26. says

    The militiamen may have accessed government computers and files at the wildlife refuge, though Ryan Bundy denies that, “No, we haven’t touched a single personal item. We haven’t touched any of the computers, we haven’t tried to log on […].”

    That denial does not match other eyewitness accounts:

    […]While on a tour of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge’s visitor center, which the small group of militiamen has occupied since Jan. 2, Sepulvado [John Sepulvado, an Oregon Public broadcasting reporter] saw militants interacting with computers in the compounds’ office. The computers can only be accessed with employee ID badges. Lists of names and Social Security numbers, as well as government employee ID cards, were reportedly lying next to the computers.

    Given that local law enforcement officials, including Harney County Sheriff David Ward, have received death threats and been followed home in the days since the takeover began, the OPB’s reports raised concerns about the safety of the refuge’s employees. […]

    http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/militia-access-government-computers

  27. says

    Snort.. Its a wild life preserve, right? Treat the bastards like wild life – trank them. lol I mean, seriously, sure, they might be allergic, or something, but.. if not, then they a) get stopped, b) not violently, and c) fail to get either their idiot martyrdom, or anything else accomplished. We really need better ways to deal with this, other than. “Shoot back.”, or some weird modern version of a medieval siege, in which you can’t let them starve (sensible), but you also can’t just rush at them (since that would end things *definitely* the wrong way), so everyone just sits around hoping the nuts don’t do something stupid, while the nuts hope the government does do something stupid.

  28. Lofty says

    Joseph Rice, a spokesman for the Pacific Patriot Network, told reporters in a very brief conversation that the group was there to try to help encourage the militia and the government to reach a resolution and end the occupation.

    Asked why the group was so heavily armed, he said: “We have a right to self-protection.”

    Rice said he had briefly met Ammon Bundy, and that the group planned to meet government officials too.

    By early afternoon, the convoy of armed men had driven off from the refuge. It was unclear if they planned to return.

    Pete Santilli, a rightwing radio host attending the occupation, said he called his contacts at the Pacific Patriot Network earlier in the week and suggested they help provide security – since it was clear the local sheriff’s office was not going to intervene if anything got out of hand.

    When the men first arrived in the morning, Santilli said: “This is the safest I’ve felt since I’ve been here.”

    Wow.

  29. says

    Lofty @ 41:

    LaVoy Finicum, a regular spokesman for the armed militia, which has occupied the federal land since last Saturday, told the men they were not welcome or needed and that the militia was trying to minimize conflicts – not bring more guns to the compound.
    Ammon Bundy, the leader of the militia, had no idea a new group of armed men would be coming, according to Todd Macfarlane, who said he was acting as a liaison between the militia and the public.

    “Ammon felt blindsided,” Macfarlane said. “This was not a welcome development. We are trying to de-escalate here – then boom, they all show up.”

    My, they’ve changed their tune, eh?

    Lofty @ 42:

    Yeah, I was gonna quote that too – it was the asshole rightwing radio host who called in the guns. Fuckin’ idiot.

  30. Lofty says

    Caine @ 43

    My, they’ve changed their tune, eh?

    It’s always a problem when you’re no longer the center of attention. Now where’s my personal fluffer? I need more media time before my self importance deflates completely.

  31. ck, the Irate Lump says

    How strange that they would feel threatened by an armed group of idiots wandering around with their semi-automatic rifles when we’ve been repeatedly reassured that “open carry” isn’t about intimidation… I’m not expecting them to develop any empathy for the community they’ve been terrorising with rifles, though.