The Malheur: A Triumph of Good Government

Joshua Holland on how the resolution of the Malheur occupation was an enormous win for good governance against the forces who would seek to undermine the ability of the federal government to govern at all, including over the public lands:

The FBI showed patience and restraint. They gave the occupiers ample opportunity to alienate the local community. Many locals reportedly became hostile toward the stunt despite agreeing with the occupiers about the sentencing of two local ranchers on arson charges. Federal authorities left the lights on and allowed them a platform to demonstrate the incoherence of their mishmash of grievances. They bided their time until an opportunity presented itself to arrest of the group’s leaders on a remote Oregon highway. They then slowly tightened the noose on the remaining holdouts, allowing them to ramble on about abortion, marijuana prohibition and a government cover-up of aliens at Area 51.

In the final hours, as negotiators talked the last few holdouts into surrendering on a live-streamed telephone call, only someone deeply indoctrinated in anti-government ideology could fail to see the FBI as calm and professional, while the occupiers displayed clinical levels of paranoia. The last four militants were convinced that they would be cut down in a hail of gunfire the moment they stepped outside the door, but it was clear that all they had to do to avoid harm was leave their weapons behind and walk out, which is what ultimately happened.

And other than Robert “LaVoy” Finicum, who maintained his vow to never be taken alive, and a minor wound suffered by Ryan Bundy, the FBI ended the standoff without bloodshed. Federal attorneys even showed restraint in charging the group. Twenty-five of the Malheur occupiers were indicted on a single felony charge of conspiring to impede officers of the US government through the use of force. They face up to six years in prison if convicted. (Another occupier was arrested on unrelated charges.)

I still think the feds could have acted more directly by closing access to the reserve, but then again, it was the militants’ brazenness in leaving that set up the leaders to be caught traveling down a rural road in trucks and thus taken. So in the end, it really is hard to criticize federal actions in this incident. Hopefully it demonstrates the futility of such actions to other would-be right-wing revolutionaries.