Fox News has been sympathetically hyping the case of a Nevada rancher who is threatening a range war with the U.S. government. Last night, Sean Hannity asked if this might be "another Waco situation." He also mentioned that "Ruby Ridge has come up in some articles." Hannity sounded more hopeful than concerned. Today, more Fox News shows and Fox Nation have deliberately inflamed the situation.
Media Matters has the backstory:
Cliven Bundy, a cattle rancher in Nevada, has been fighting the government over grazing rights on public land for nearly a quarter century. In 1993, Bundy began refusing to pay government fees required to allow his cattle to exploit public lands. In 1998, the government issued a court order telling Bundy to remove his cows from the land, as part of an effort to protect the endangered desert tortoise located there. And in July 2013, a federal court ordered Bundy to get his cattle off public land within 45 days or they would be confiscated. The confiscation began this month, and the cattle will be sold to pay off the $1 million in fees and trespassing fines Bundy owes.
Conservative media have held the confiscation out as a big government invasion of private property rights and have repeatedly hyped the rancher and his family as victims being intimidated by a heavily armed force of federal agents who are escalating the situation into the realm of notorious and deadly standoffs like Ruby Ridge and Waco.
Hannity fell right in with his conservative brethren. In an interview with Bundy last night, Hannity all but started cheering for a range war in his "questions." Two of many examples:
This is public land, it’s not being used… In my mind, and I’m not a rancher, but I would think the federal government might be thankful ‘cause you’re cutting the lawn for free.
...You talked about a range war with the federal government. There’s a lot of people out there - now that they’re taking your cattle - that are fearful that this is another Waco situation. Ruby Ridge has come up in some articles. What do you mean "range war?" How far are you willing to take this?
The same story has been hyped on Fox & Friends and Your World. Media Matters found a number of other right-wing media outlets that are also deliberately “throwing gas” on the dispute.
"America loving" Fox Nation is also demonizing the federal government with inflammatory language. The Fox News website has made the "standoff" its top story:
Video below from last night's Hannity show.
However, I do not feel the need to go searching through the archives to prove it. I think the commenter was just trying to inflame and be belligerent. In the first place, either what I write makes sense or it doesn’t. In the second place, if the reader is so interested in what I write, he or she can go digging himself.
Alan, the producers at this so-called “news” network are a bunch of amateurs. They have no idea how to produce a show, especially that little blonde bimbette who works with one of the male hosts. Community college stations are better than this “network.”
The trolls were so shocked they pouted for several days before going into denial.
Wouldn’t surprise me — hell, they’ve tried to start every other war
- War on Christmas
- War on Easter
what’s one more . . . especially when they don’t have to participate, chickenhawks that they are . . .
.
Let’s also take this story as a typical case in point: Here is a WHITE MAN who is deliberately ignoring Government requirements in order to procure a service. Now, what do you think FoxNoise’s take would be if a “person of color” refused to follow Government requirements to get food stamps or to vote? Do you think FoxNoise would applaud that person’s behavior, even giving him or her “moral support” or do you think FoxNoise would be attacking that person for trying to “circumvent the law?” The Government has specific guidelines for how “public” lands can be used (and NOT used) but you’ve got a man here who thinks “he’s above the law” and FoxNoise is supporting him.
