The Washington Post:

On the livestream, Fry was rambling almost incoherently about the government, abortion, the Middle East, nuclear power plants, drone strikes in Pakistan and his belief in UFOs. He railed against “monopolies” and “chemical castration” by the government. He was angry that he couldn’t “find a way to make an income without paying taxes for atrocities.” He complained that nobody would bring him any marijuana. He spoke about killing himself and said he had his weapon at his side.

[ … ]

“David, this is Ammon Bundy,” he said on the 96-second clip. “I want you to know that there is a future out here. You have a future. . . . Your actions here really mattered and we love you. Please come out of there.”

After several silent minutes, Fry lit a cigarette and said, “Well, alrighty then.”

He shouted that he wanted everyone there to say “Hallelujah.”

The FBI agents yelled “Hallelujah!”

Thirty miles away, at an FBI command post in an old schoolhouse in Burns where top state and federal officials were watching a live video feed, everyone shouted “Hallelujah!”

And Fry walked out of the tent.

Oh dear.  So there are a number of tactical, logistical and strategic lessons learned in this set of events.  According to Robert ‘LaVoy’ Finicum, Bundy started this occupation on the spur of the moment, rather unplanned.  Whimsical, ad hoc outings perhaps have a place in romantic relationships, but not in military operations.  They had no logistical support, they had no means of egress, escape and evasion, they didn’t know if they would have the support and agreement of anyone else, and they carried guns with them on what they apparently intended to be a peaceful protest.

Don’t ever carry a gun you don’t intend to use.**  This group wasn’t prepared to pull their triggers, so the guns should have been left at home.  It should have been a old fashioned sit-in like the hippies who protested the Vietnam war.  If they were intent on taking guns and using them, they should have planned this set of events much differently.

Their communications was a disaster, and sadly, the presentation of the issues was so bad that it harmed the cause of reducing the size and influence of an out-of-control federal government.  Many of us can agree over the offensiveness of forcing us to fund planned parenthood and other progressive causes with our taxes, as well as socialized medicine for people who choose not to work.

But nuclear power plants are a great contribution to the clean, cheap electrification of America, and very few of us believe in UFOs.  At least, I don’t.  I’m surprised that Fry didn’t bring up notions of the American government taking down the WTC, and fake moon landings.  None of this, by the way, is related to the mistreatment of ranchers, the horrible prosecution of the Hammonds, and the ownership of land by the federal government.  They didn’t stay on point because they apparently didn’t have a point.

Finally, if you’re armed and occupying a federal building, demanding that the fedgov bring you marijuana is probably bad press.  You know what I mean?

UPDATE: ** To address idiotic comments I’ve seen about this remark on Mike’s web site, this remark has nothing to do with concealed carry, and you know it.  Carry a rifle, pistol, ammunition and tactical gear if you intend to conduct close quarters battle or small unit maneuver warfare.  Do not bring an AR-15 or a scoped rifle to a sit-in.  If you do, you’ll be charged with obstructing a federal officer in the performance of his duties and spend the next three decades in federal prison, while other men have to work to support your wife and children.  And nothing good will have come of it.