though their name has acquired association of course.

There are big players behind this whose profiteering, including oil and gas exploration, is greatly hampered by federal and state ownership of lands, i.e., public ownership, and the restrictions that come with it. We're not talking about local ranchers here either.

These locusts have been encouraging civil disobedience and "militia"/Bundy-type challenges to our sovereignty for a very long time now, as only one small prong of their greedy efforts at oversetting our ownership. By far most of their investment has gone to convincing us to fight "oppression by big government and "destruction of freedom." Before it's too late, of course. The Bundys and the "militia" movement play a small but noisy role in their plotting.

I guess that makes me a conspiracy theorist. But I don't see how these guys can just drop what they are doing every time some yahoo decides to take on the Federal government three states away or more.

but their extremism is unquestionably encouraged. I wish I could remember the name of the show, but funding of a TV or video series with a "personal freedom"/anti-government theme (and reportedly at least a couple of other shows) was traced back to an organization serving very wealthy ultraconservatives.

I confess I have a lousy memory for names and usually just use "people like the Kochs." Names are powerful, anonymity also. Look at "Hillary." Hostility and blam could not have been focused as they have without a name and face.

Camp out in your own backyard and leave the scenic wonders to the extraction industries who know how to get every last nickel out of our natural resources. Why bother hiking a wilderness trail when you can just jump on a treadmill and watch travel videos in the comfort of your own home, and you won't have to worry about dodging the logging trucks, ore haulers or oil tankers. Don't even think about hunting and fishing, everything is contaminated with heavy metal toxins, lethal chemical pollution, leaching petroleum byproducts, leaking hazardous waste, and poisonous household products, just go buy some frozen fish sticks... enjoy!


A public Service message brought to you by the friendly folks at:

Yellowstone National Quarry
The Grand Canyon Mining Consortium
Yosemite Lumber Company, Ltd.
Glacier Bay Petroleum, Inc.

That's like being anti-puppy and anti-sunny days.

Almost every National Park has been fought against by conservatives - often delaying them for decades. It's why there are so many National Monuments - Presidents can designate them without Congress.

One argument against them: they draw too many people to that place. I just spent a week on the San Juan River in UT. "National Park Caliber" scenery, but devoid of people. Paradise.

But conservatives could give a fuck about conservation of wilderness - they want to exploit the land for commerce.

protection of property and person." Charles Koch

He means police, firefighting, and military. Not public education and certainly not national parks. We just throw trash around them. Yosemite, for instance, would be better off privatized into the ownership of wealthy people who will take proper care of the land.

Koch really does mean it, and he has united over 700 megamillionaires and billionaires behind him. Plus, there are many others of his ilk who are also determined to severely limit government but refuse his leadership.