The video is from 2010, therefore of Obama administration vintage. The EPA’s tactics clearly haven’t changed, except to get more aggressive.
EPA Region VI Administrator Al Armendariaz: “I was in a meeting once and I gave an analogy to my staff about my philosophy of enforcement, and I think it was probably a little crude and maybe not appropriate for the meeting, but I’ll go ahead and tell you what I said:
“It was kind of like how the Romans used to, you know, conquer villages in the Mediterranean. They’d go in to a little Turkish town somewhere, they’d find the first five guys they saw and they’d crucify them.
“Then, you know, that town was really easy to manage for the next few years.”
“It’s a deterrent factor,” Armendariz said, explaining that the EPA is following the Romans’ philosophy for subjugating conquered villages.
It’s also deeply un-American. We’re supposed to be innocent until proven guilty in this country, not treated as vile subjects crucified to serve as deterrent examples to others. Armendariz’s almost disinterested tone as he describes his oppressive tactics is chilling.
The EPA admin in the video isn’t blowing smoke or exaggerating. Remember the Sacketts, upon whom the EPA swooped with an insane effort to prevent them from building their dream house. The EPA operated as if it was above the law during the entire case; only a SCOTUS ruling stopped them from mercilessly persecuting the Sacketts.
The EPA needs to be disbanded and its properties sold off on the open market. To serve as an example to other overly ambitious government bureaucracies.






It isn’t just un-American, it’s un-Roman too.
Although, these days people only ever learn about the Roman empire, and not the Roman Republic.
It’s not even appropriate to the Empire.
The Romans were primarily about “let’s make a deal”. OK, so the deal was often one-sided, and always favored them, but they weren’t any more sadistic than any other power of the time.
ISTR their favorite tactic was to sign a treaty with the local powers, pledging Roman forces to the defense of that local power and saying Rome could call on them for defense. The kicker was the section forbidding the local power to make treaties with any other power. That way Rome was surrounded by petty kingdoms who were all allies of Rome, but forbidden to be allies to each other. If two of them did make some agreement, well, everyone else was on Rome’s side and the rebels were crushed pretty quick.
Exsqueeze me, but I am not under the impression that the Romans were so crude, until and unless there was demonstrated resistance. In fact, for the most part, Roman rule was better than what it replaced and was more often welcomed than not. Up to a point of course, not even Roman rule was uniformly good, nor did the Romans always get their way.
He was talking about the Mongols and Ghengis Khan — he just didn’t want to make that particular comparison to himself and his “kids” — and thought he’d try to soften it up with Romans.
More likely, he was trying to avoid imputing barbaric behavior on Asians and safely putting it on Europeans. Can’t tick off the PC police, right?
A management-fad book I was required to read recently cited the example of a leader burning his ships to motivate the troops to victory. Now, AFAICR this was most famously done by Hernando Cortez in Central America, but the authors claimed it was Alexander the Great in India. Problem: Alexander the Great’s army went overland to India. So were they ignorant, or just trying to save their metaphor from the PC police?
Rob:
Alexander burned part of his fleet and sent the rest to establish supply dumps for his return to Persia by exploring the deserts in between India and Persia.
The march was a disaster: the worse disaster Alexander ever suffered. Most of the camp followers perished in the desert (the supply dumps were just badly placed) and a good fraction of the troops too.
And on top of it all, the speculation is that Alexander himself contracted a bad case of malaria which eventually killed him…
After Hubris, Nemesis…
People who practice “pour encourager les autres” should understand others have no problem doing the same. The EPA feels it shoud be done to citizens when there are problems or violations; I feel it should be done to civil servants with same. One of these merely exists by being born, the other has accepted a charge of public service and subservience, and in return gets security and power. You tell me which one should recieve less forbearance when things that should not happen happen….especially if they involve events which would suggest there was an belief that the servant was the master….
I’m waiting for Romney to promise to cut off funding for the EPA. He doesn’t need to waste time jumping through congressional legislative hurdles to stop the EPA’s abusive tactics. As chief executive, he can do so by simply cutting off their funding.
–ordered their throats slit before letting them suffer too much.
I don’t understand the problem. Isn’t instilling fear how all gov’t agencies operate — especially the IRS?
While, of course, we know this is how they think … it’s horrendous to hear it so blatantly — without any shame. This is a ruined human soul. It’s stomache-turning.
It’s not just “un-American” — it’s Criminal! It comes from a mind turned criminal — and sadistic — in the throes of a fanatic self-righteousness. A mind that has lost any sense of right and wrong.
Armendariz wasn’t “disinterested” — he was smiling and obviously enjoying the thrill up his leg — of a sense of power! Power over those who might be helpless against him.
It’s only the law that physically prevents him from actually hammering real nails into the palms of “trespassers” as “punishment” or even into the innocent — as a “warning to others.” He’d personally enjoy it and feel justified.
This is what happens when too much political power is in the hands of … government … or anyone. It brings out the very worst in human nature — ruins the oppressors as well as the victims.
Oh how I miss equal protection under the law.
This is the left’s SOP in all their endeavors.
The EPA isn’t the only agency who has this philosophy.
See the Dollarhyte Rabbit prosecution by the USDA, and you’ll see what this administration has in mind for enforcing new DoL regulations against 4-H and FFA students.
Yes, if the Dollarhyte case is the one I’m thinking of, it’s a prime example of why “activists” should be shunned.
http://www.dollarvaluerabbitry.com/
“In November 2009 they got a knock on their door from a USDA official with no badge or ID. Then, a rude and aggressive Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) inspector visited them in January 2010.
Not hearing back from these inspectors after eight weeks, Dollarhite said he called the USDA’s Washington, D.C. office and was told, “We’re going to make an example of you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.” Dollarhite asked what that meant, and was eventually told, “You’ll have to wait for my report.” The official then hung up on him.
Bartering away their rabbitry on advice from their attorney, the couple heard nothing until they got a certified letter from USDA in April 2011. The Dollarhites told AFP, “The USDA’s letter stated that, based on their investigation, we had sold 619 rabbits, and the fine for that was $3.9 million. But in good faith, they would give us a settlement of $90,643 that we could pay with our credit card. They added that we had until the end of May to do so.””
The Dollarhite’s aren’t a single isolated incident – there are dozens of families targeted in that period.
It is tyranny and it is not just limited to Obama’s EPA.
The totalitarian stick is never far from the hand of a leftist.
The reason that leftism needs oppression is that it is a permanent grievance notion. It is built upon a foundation of negatives.
It seeks not harmony, but retribution.
Punishment for perceived slights must be meted out in brutal and constant forms.
Retribution make take subtle forms, even if brutal. The “offending class” could be put through humiliation, groping and invasion of their bodies, stealing of their wealth, demonization of motives and morality and ideals, forced consumption of inferior goods and services, forced labor, reeducation camps, removal of their rights and liberties, destruction of their symbols, assaults on their religion and beliefs, removal of their information and communication of facts, truth and evidence… unfettered persecution.
If you find that most of the people being groped and having their bodies invaded are suspiciously the “offending class”, the very old and very young of that class…you have evidence that totalitarianism is underway.
If you find that all manner of efforts to steal wealth is being aimed at the “offending class” you have evidence that totalitarianism is underway.
If you find that the “offending class” is being forced to purchase inferior goods and services, totalitarianism is underway.
If you find that the rules of the Senate, the Constitution and state’s protecting their own borders are all aimed at the “offending class”, you have evidence that totalitarianism is underway.
If you find that there are repeated assaults against the very foundations of religion of the “offending class”, you have evidence that totalitarianism is underway.
If you find that your information stream is so corrupt that it intentionally distorts facts and material evidence, hides the truth with impunity and covers up stories repeatedly to help the iron fist of your rulers, you have evidence that totalitarianism is underway.
And…if you choose to roll over and accept this fate, or worse…meekly complain, without sustained and orchestrated resistance to it…your fate is sealed.
Just more proof, if any was needed, that within every EPA bureaucrat is a dictatorial monster clawing to get out. This is what happens when you lack a measure of reflection and perspective on what you are doing and believe that you are engaged in some sort of messianic crusade.
Whenever I deal with an enviromentalist or planet-saver I ask the same question – “Can the Western traditions of personal freedom, individual liberty and restrictions on governmental power survive alongside the enviromentalist agenda?” I have yet to receive a coherent answer.
This reminds me of the tactics used against Gibson Guitar.
After a raid and wood taken, no charges have been filed. Yet
other guiter makers continue using the same wood without interference.
Has anyone noticed that this man does not know his history? The Romans never went to a Turkish village to crucify anyone as their empire/republic faded by the time the Turks arrived on the scene? Unless he is referring to the Byzantine Empire (which was Greek, rather than Latin, and oriented towards Christianity rather than the Roman’s paganism)? Which was eventually conquered by the Ottoman Turks…
He is a shining example of our education system. Educated just enough to be dangerous.
He needs to lose his job.
The man is more proof of historical illiteracy — like we needed more.
Also, someone tell this cretin that there were no “Turks” back then for Romans to crucify, even if they wanted to do such a stupid thing.
Why does this man still have a job?
This to me is Sheriff of Nottingham and Sherwood Forest level BS. The King’s taxmen and regulators rulingover every aspect of life.
It would be only fitting to turn the tables on this little EPA worm and mete out some ‘justice’ on his ass.