David Codrea: "Responses to Malheur Crisis Show Deep Divisions within Patriot Community."

"A common factor among many is that some of the loudest voices are complaining about what others aren’t doing. What they themselves are doing, and their qualifications for expecting others to follow their recommended courses of action, is in many cases left unsaid. . ."

When we don’t have complete information, sources are trusted or distrusted by varying degrees depending on who’s listening and what agendas are in play. Add to that instances where breaking information about significant developments has been sent out, supposedly by people in the know, only to be refuted later by others with access to those on the ground at Malheur.

It happens, and not always by malice. But it does demonstrate the critical need to verify reports before acting.

Right now, what we don’t want, is another Waco. And a factor preventing that, so far, is the government realizing it is being watched, and any repeat of such brutal rules of engagement is likely to make containing things problematic. In a very real sense, that’s been beneficial to the wildlife refuge occupiers throughout, and to the remaining holdouts.

It’s understood that’s not enough for some. That said, we can’t ignore two undeniable truths:

The Hammond family declared from the outset the Malheur takeover was not what they wanted. And now, on the other end, Ammon Bundy is calling for the remainder of the occupiers to “Turn yourselves in and do not use physical force. Use the national platform we have to continue to defend liberty through our constitutional rights in an Article 3 Court with an Article 3 judge.”

That Bundy’s call has not produced an immediate stand-down, and that his own father has now declared they “will retain possession of the Harney County resource center,” shows strong divisions exist even within the family, and then within the small band involved in the takeover.

It’s no wonder we see such distrust and anger — including that being directed by some liberty activists at others.

Now might be the time to ask ourselves who that benefits.

Stewart Rhodes comments:

Yet another Bundy writing checks he expects the rest of us to cash with our blood. I have lost all respect for their entire family. They appear to think they are patriot royalty, who get to decide, all on their own, what is best for the rest of us, and presume to speak for us, when it comes to spilling our blood.

And now Cliven is even going against Ammon's recent call for the remaining occupiers to leave. Ammon has finally caught a clue, but the old man remains clueless. All he will do is get people killed, and make this worse. Nothing like starting a fight off with a Fort Sumter, and a defeat, all wrapped into one. At least Sumter was a victory, though an empty one.

Stewart

Stewart and I have had our differences but I concur with this assessment and frankly I'm getting bloody sick and tired of this apocalyptic vision of Latter Days Saints theology that the Bundys are trying to chain around all our necks. You know, John Brown at least had the guts to lead his own sons into disaster at Harper's Ferry. Cliven sat back from afar and directed his own sons to do what he believes is "God's will" -- a religious vision thing for him without personal risk.

I am also appalled by the apparent inability of self-described "Three Percenters" to be able to exercise discernment, judgment and simple command and control of their own emotions, mouths and troops. I would refer them to the Three Percent Catechism, but that presupposes that they have the ability to read and understand basic English.