Cliven Bundy And The Real Victimized Ranchers
“The conservative media figures who lionized racist Nevada cattle rancher Cliven Bundy made a feeble attempt at saving face by claiming this entire saga was never about Bundy, it was always about “land grabs” that are depriving hard-working Americans of their property rights. Yet some of these same figures have turned a blind eye to the actual land grabs taking place across the heartland of America at the hands of fossil fuel interests and the Republican state legislators that have supported their cause.
Bundy’s 15 minutes appears to have come to a rapid close after the scofflaw rancher suggested African-Americans might be better off as slaves than on “government subsidy.”
Fox News abandoned the rancher, and some of his most vocal cheerleaders in right-wing media distanced themselves from his racist remarks, while remaining loyal to his cause. “The ranch standoff,” remarked Fox News host Sean Hannity, “was not about a man named Cliven Bundy.” Instead, he argued, it was about average Americans being “victimized by eminent domain.”
Bundy’s standoff had nothing whatsoever to do with eminent domain, as he did not own the land that he was grazing his cattle on without payment. But the oil and gas industry, wielding the power of state eminent domain statutes, has actually snatched away land from ranchers in middle America.”
Powell, Brian. Media Matters 28 April 2014.