The Cliven Bundy saga reminds me of the Trayvon Martin case: it is a very squishy example of a very real problem. Because the facts of these cases could be interpreted either way, they divide the rank and file rather than uniting us against the real enemy from above. In light of this, rather than the nuanced Bundy case, it would have been nicer to see the government forced to back down on a cut-and-dried asset forfeiture in which property was permanently confiscated from someone never convicted of a crime (like Rudy Ramirez), or an eminent domain case in which the government seized private property for the benefit of a private developer (like in the case of Vera Coking).
Sometimes I think that political operators deliberately choose cases that aren’t clear-cut because rather than despite the fact that they will generate grassroots activism on both sides of the aisle. In order for this to work, the case must have merit and flaws on both sides of the argument.
Paul Ryan Is Just Another Establishment Neo-Con…
Despite all the histrionics coming from the Republican Party, Paul Ryan doesn’t bridge the gaps between Neo-conservatives, Tea Partiers & Libertarians. I even suspect the big story, “Kevin McCarthy’s Benghazi gaffe roils House speaker race,” was deliberately rolled out by the Establishment to position Paul Ryan as a reluctant hero who can make extraordinary demands … Read more