Stupid Crazy

The following is the "manifesto" of a guy who decided to ram his plane into the side of a building here in Austin today, along with some of my comments.

If you’re reading this, you’re no doubt asking yourself, “Why did this have to happen?” The simple truth is that it is complicated and has been coming for a long time. The writing process, started many months ago, was intended to be therapy in the face of the looming realization that there isn’t enough therapy in the world that can fix what is really broken. Needless to say, this rant could fill volumes with example after example if I would let it. I find the process of writing it frustrating, tedious, and probably [more like definitely] pointless… especially given my gross inability to gracefully articulate my thoughts in light of the storm raging in my head. Exactly what is therapeutic about that I’m not sure, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

We are all taught as children that without laws there would be no society, only anarchy. [Hmm, as a child I don't think I knew what anarchy was] Sadly, starting at early ages we in this country have been brainwashed [Yes, the same person who can't articulate his thoughts is now proclaiming we've been brainwashed, probably in a conspiracy by "the government"] to believe that, in return for our dedication and service [Oh, we were brainwashed into a contract, is that it?], our government stands for justice for all [So, as long was we're patriotic, "the government" will be fair to us... yeah, you know, "the government" being this separate entity that the people have no control over and all...]. We are further brainwashed to believe that there is freedom in this place [Yeah, because freedom in the USA is obviously non-existent since nobody is allowed to speak their mind, take trips to wherever they want, protest, etc., yeah right], and that we should be ready to lay our lives down for the noble principals represented by its founding fathers [if you're able to join and serve in the military (Go Navy!)]. Remember? [Remember all that?  Getting brainwashed?  Remember having a sense of patriotism?  Remember being taught your, not my, beliefs?  Well, I do remember being patriotic, I like to think I still am.  I don't remember being brainwashed, but then I work for "the government" so maybe some psychic knew I'd work for the government one day and told my parents and teachers to not brainwash me?  Yeah, that must be how it works.] One of these was “no taxation without representation” [Yep, that was because we were being taxed by the Brits and had no voice in their Parliment.  They claimed that we had "virtual representation" which we found to be total BS]. I have spent the total years of my adulthood unlearning that crap from only a few years of my childhood [I'm sure you're parents are proud of that accomplishment and the life it brought you, and look at how you ended up, wow, great advertising for unlearning that "crap" which is the reason so many people came, and continue to come to the USA]. These days anyone who really stands up for that principal is promptly labeled a “crackpot”, traitor and worse [Yes, the Supreme Court, the President, Congress, and all those who swear an oath to defend those things, including those currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, are labeled crackpots and traitors...  Ok... that makes no sense to me, but let's read more].

While very few working people would say they haven’t had their fair share of taxes (as can I) [Huh?  Name one "working" person who doesn't think they don't pay their fair share... besides the ones that simply don't pay like that asshat former police commissioner in New York who's going to jail for it], in my lifetime I can say with a great degree of certainty that there has never been a politician cast a vote on any matter with the likes of me or my interests in mind [It's not all about you now, is it?  It's not about the individual you, but the community, the constituents of the elected people, it wouldn't be fair to everyone else if they only catered to your personal issues all the time.  They aren't required to do so, so whining about it doesn't do anyone any good and only makes you a little nuttier]. Nor, for that matter, are they the least bit interested in me or anything I have to say [There's a difference between being interested in what you had to say, and being able to understand wtf you're talking about, and being able to help.  I'm going to guess that you told them a bunch of BS, similar to what you've already stated, and they were probably thinking that you were off your rocker... and they were correct].

Why is it that a handful of thugs and plunderers can commit unthinkable atrocities (and in the case of the GM executives, for scores of years) and when it’s time for their gravy train to crash under the weight of their gluttony and overwhelming stupidity, the force of the full federal government has no difficulty coming to their aid within days if not hours? [Not that I agree with what happened, but the excuse was "too big to fail."  I hate that it happened too, most people aren't happy about it, but we're not taking it out by committing criminal, if not terroristic, acts] Yet at the same time, the joke we call the American medical system [the best medical system on the planet... a joke?], including the drug and insurance companies, are murdering tens of thousands of people a year and stealing from the corpses and victims they cripple, and this country’s leaders don’t see this as important as bailing out a few of their vile, rich cronies [Yes, the bailout stinks]. Yet, the political “representatives” (thieves, liars, and self-serving scumbags is far more accurate) have endless time to sit around for year after year and debate the state of the “terrible health care problem”. It’s clear they see no crisis as long as the dead people don’t get in the way of their corporate profits rolling in.

And justice? You’ve got to be kidding!

How can any rational individual explain that white elephant conundrum in the middle of our tax system and, indeed, our entire legal system? [I like white elephant Christmas parties] Here we have a system that is, by far, too complicated for the brightest of the master scholars to understand [It may be complex, but it's not so complicated that nobody understands it, there's plenty of people who understand it and that's how they earn their living]. Yet, it mercilessly “holds accountable” its victims [Ahh, you're a victim!  We're to have pity on you because you've been victimized into... what... having to pay taxes?], claiming that they’re responsible for fully complying with laws not even the experts understand. The law “requires” a signature on the bottom of a tax filing; yet no one can say truthfully that they understand what they are signing [I understand what I'm signing when I sign a tax return, it says something along the lines of I'm taking responsibility for the truthfulness of what I'm sending, there's a statement in the box that's maybe one sentence long that says what is being indicated by the signature]; if that’s not “duress” than what is [That's not duress, duress is when someone is holding a gun to your head and telling you to sign on the line or they're going to blow your brains out]. If this is not the measure of a totalitarian regime, nothing is [Requiring a signature... totalitarian?  Ok...].

How did I get here? [Letting the days go by/let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by/water flowing underground
Into the blue again/after the money's gone
Once in a lifetime/water flowing underground.

Same as it ever was...]

My introduction to the real American nightmare starts back in the early ‘80s. Unfortunately after more than 16 years of school, somewhere along the line I picked up the absurd, pompous notion that I could read and understand plain English [Not surprising, I read professional engineers' stuff from time to time, and they're all terrible at writing]. Some friends introduced me to a group of people who were having ‘tax code’ readings and discussions. In particular, zeroed in on a section relating to the wonderful “exemptions” that make institutions like the vulgar, corrupt Catholic Church so incredibly wealthy [I'm not Catholic, but I respect them as fellow Christians, as the "original" Christians, the Church to which Jesus made Peter his foundation.  The Church has had a few bad apples, but those few should not be used to condemn the entire Church, but then, the continued persecution of the Church must mean they're doing something right... which is why I consider becoming a Catholic time to time]. We carefully studied the law (with the help of some of the “best”, high-paid, experienced tax lawyers in the business), and then began to do exactly what the “big boys” were doing (except that we weren’t steeling from our congregation or lying to the government about our massive profits in the name of God). We took a great deal of care to make it all visible, following all of the rules, exactly the way the law said it was to be done. [But... you were wrong?  Just a guess, seeing as how unhappy you became and how you went all "9/11" on the IRS]

The intent of this exercise and our efforts was to bring about a much-needed re-evaluation of the laws that allow the monsters of organized religion to make such a mockery of people who earn an honest living. However, this is where I learned that there are two “interpretations” for every law; one for the very rich, and one for the rest of us [Yes, your experts were probably not as expert as you thought, and an honest living includes paying your fair share of taxes]… Oh, and the monsters are the very ones making and enforcing the laws; the inquisition is still alive and well today in this country [The Inquisition was in Spain, it's called the "Spanish Inquisition" and was a way of trying to convert people to Christianity, but I don't think the IRS really cares what religion you are, if any].

That little lesson in patriotism cost me $40,000+, 10 years of my life, and set my retirement plans back to 0. It made me realize for the first time that I live in a country with an ideology that is based on a total and complete lie [Ok, please, oh wise one, tell us this great lie]. It also made me realize, not only how naive I had been, but also the incredible stupidity of the American public; that they buy, hook, line, and sinker, the crap about their “freedom” [Freedom, in case this what you consider to be the great lie, does not mean "free from taxes."  Taxes is what it takes to help ensure your freedom, freedom isn't free, it costs blood, sweat, and tears]… and that they continue to do so with eyes closed in the face of overwhelming evidence and all that keeps happening in front of them.

Before even having to make a shaky recovery from the sting of the first lesson on what justice really means in this country (around 1984 after making my way through engineering school and still another five years of “paying my dues”), I felt I finally had to take a chance of launching my dream of becoming an independent engineer.

On the subjects of engineers and dreams of independence, I should digress somewhat to say that I’m sure that I inherited the fascination for creative problem solving from my father. I realized this at a very young age. [I'm sure you made him proud, you might have made him even prouder if you'd sought help for your anxiety and taken whatever medications were indicated]

The significance of independence, however, came much later during my early years of college; at the age of 18 or 19 when I was living on my own as student in an apartment in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. My neighbor was an elderly retired woman (80+ seemed ancient to me at that age) who was the widowed wife of a retired steel worker. Her husband had worked all his life in the steel mills of central Pennsylvania with promises from big business and the union that, for his 30 years of service, he would have a pension and medical care to look forward to in his retirement. Instead he was one of the thousands who got nothing because the incompetent mill management and corrupt union (not to mention the government) raided their pension funds and stole their retirement. All she had was social security to live on. [So, social security has served its purpose in her case]

In retrospect, the situation was laughable because here I was living on peanut butter and bread (or Ritz crackers when I could afford to splurge) for months at a time. When I got to know this poor figure and heard her story I felt worse for her plight than for my own (I, after all, I thought I had everything to in front of me). I was genuinely appalled at one point, as we exchanged stories and commiserated with each other over our situations, when she in her grandmotherly fashion tried to convince me that I would be “healthier” eating cat food (like her) [Cat Food Lady] rather than trying to get all my substance from peanut butter and bread. I couldn’t quite go there, but the impression was made. I decided that I didn’t trust big business to take care of me, and that I would take responsibility for my own future and myself.

Return to the early ‘80s, and here I was off to a terrifying start as a ‘wet-behind-the-ears’ contract software engineer… and two years later, thanks to the fine backroom, midnight effort by the sleazy executives of Arthur Andersen (the very same folks who later brought us Enron and other such calamities) and an equally sleazy New York Senator (Patrick Moynihan), we saw the passage of 1986 tax reform act with its section 1706.

For you who are unfamiliar, here is the core text of the IRS Section 1706, defining the treatment of workers (such as contract engineers) for tax purposes. Visit this link for a conference committee report (http://www.synergistech.com/1706.shtml#ConferenceCommitteeReport) regarding the intended interpretation of Section 1706 and the relevant parts of Section 530, as amended. For information on how these laws affect technical services workers and their clients, read our discussion here (http://www.synergistech.com/ic-taxlaw.shtml).

SEC. 1706. TREATMENT OF CERTAIN TECHNICAL PERSONNEL.

(a) IN GENERAL - Section 530 of the Revenue Act of 1978 is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subsection:

(d) EXCEPTION. - This section shall not apply in the case of an individual who pursuant to an arrangement between the taxpayer and another person, provides services for such other person as an engineer, designer, drafter, computer programmer, systems analyst, or other similarly skilled worker engaged in a similar line of work.

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE. - The amendment made by this section shall apply to remuneration paid and services rendered after December 31, 1986.

Note:

· “another person” is the client in the traditional job-shop relationship.

· “taxpayer” is the recruiter, broker, agency, or job shop.

· “individual”, “employee”, or “worker” is you.

Admittedly, you need to read the treatment to understand what it is saying but it’s not very complicated. The bottom line is that they may as well have put my name right in the text of section (d).  Moreover, they could only have been more blunt if they would have came out and directly declared me a criminal and non-citizen slave. Twenty years later, I still can’t believe my eyes. [So... you decide to kill yourself by ramming your plane into that building, because of an exception that the IRS said you couldn't have... brilliant]

During 1987, I spent close to $5000 of my ‘pocket change’, and at least 1000 hours of my time writing, printing, and mailing to any senator, congressman, governor, or slug that might listen; none did [Clue, get one], and they universally treated me as if I was wasting their time [you were]. I spent countless hours on the L.A. freeways driving to meetings and [of?] any and all of the disorganized professional groups who were attempting to mount a campaign against this atrocity. This, only to discover that our efforts were being easily derailed by a few moles [Really?  You discovered moles?  Or was this another great thing you decided must be true?] from the brokers who were just beginning to enjoy the windfall from the new declaration of their “freedom”. Oh, and don’t forget, for all of the time I was spending on this, I was loosing [losing] income that I couldn’t bill clients. [So, instead of working and making enough money over time to pay off what you owed in back taxes, you decided to spend what would have been billable hours, to go gain pity from others about the situation you just want to complain about.  Brilliant]

After months of struggling it had clearly gotten to be a futile exercise. The best we could get for all of our trouble is a pronouncement from an IRS mouthpiece that they weren’t going to enforce that provision (read harass engineers and scientists). This immediately proved to be a lie, and the mere existence of the regulation began to have its impact on my bottom line; this, of course, was the intended effect.

Again, rewind my retirement plans back to 0 and shift them into idle. If I had any sense, I clearly should have left abandoned engineering and never looked back. [If you're that dumb, then yes, you should have left engineering]

Instead I got busy working 100-hour workweeks. Then came the L.A. depression of the early 1990s. Our leaders decided that they didn’t need the all of those extra Air Force bases they had in Southern California, so they were closed; just like that. The result was economic devastation in the region that rivaled the widely publicized Texas S&L fiasco. However, because the government ["the government!" ] caused it, no one gave a shit about all of the young families who lost their homes or street after street of boarded up houses abandoned to the wealthy loan companies who received government funds to “shore up” their windfall. Again, I lost my retirement.

Years later, after weathering a divorce and the constant struggle trying to build some momentum with my business, I find myself once again beginning to finally pick up some speed. Then came the .COM bust and the 911 nightmare. Our leaders decided that all aircraft were grounded for what seemed like an eternity; and long after that, ‘special’ facilities like San Francisco were on security alert for months. This made access to my customers prohibitively expensive. Ironically, after what they had done the Government came to the aid of the airlines with billions of our tax dollars … as usual they left me to rot and die while they bailed out their rich, incompetent cronies WITH MY MONEY! [It wasn't just your money, especially if you're dodging taxes] After these events, there went my business but not quite yet all of my retirement and savings.

By this time, I’m thinking that it might be good for a change. Bye to California, I’ll try Austin for a while. So I moved, only to find out that this is a place with a highly inflated sense of self-importance and where damn little real engineering work is done [Oh really?  News to me]. I’ve never experienced such a hard time finding work. The rates are 1/3 of what I was earning before the crash [cost of living is much cheaper in Texas than in California, most people either know this or find out before they decide to move], because pay rates here are fixed by the three or four large companies in the area who are in collusion [Yes, another conspiracy, the only possible explanation] to drive down prices and wages… and this happens because the justice department is all on the take [Yes, obviously because they're all in it together... right...] and doesn’t give a fuck about serving anyone or anything but themselves and their rich buddies [well, on that point, sure seems that way doesn't it, I'm sure many of those voting for the bailout had interests in those companies, pretty sure that was on PBS news].

To survive, I was forced to cannibalize my savings and retirement, the last of which was a small IRA. This came in a year with mammoth expenses and not a single dollar of income. I filed no return that year thinking that because I didn’t have any income there was no need. The sleazy government decided that they disagreed. But they didn’t notify me in time for me to launch a legal objection so when I attempted to get a protest filed with the court I was told I was no longer entitled to due process because the time to file ran out. Bend over for another $10,000 helping of justice. [Depends on the IRA, but yeah, that can count as income... and that denial of due process sounds sketchy since courts bend over backwards to hear cases, and you can appeal the denial, if ya hadn't killed yourself]

So now we come to the present. After my experience with the CPA world, following the business crash I swore that I’d never enter another accountant’s office again. But here I am with a new marriage and a boatload of undocumented income [So after all that's already happened, the pattern continues, a sort of passive aggressive response], not to mention an expensive new business asset, a piano, which I had no idea how to handle. After considerable thought I decided that it would be irresponsible NOT to get professional help; a very big mistake.

When we received the forms back I was very optimistic that they were in order. I had taken all of the years information to XXXX XXXX, and he came back with results very similar to what I was expecting. Except that he had neglected to include the contents of Sheryl’s unreported income; $12,700 worth of it. To make matters worse, XXXX knew all along this was missing and I didn’t have a clue until he pointed it out in the middle of the audit. By that time it had become brutally evident that he was representing himself and not me. [Unreported, as in, you need to report it on your taxes, as in you should have made sure it was included.  That's your taxes, you can't withhold information and expect someone else to magically pull it out of the air, that's just a total lack of personal responsibility, it wreaks of a continued effort to get away with something from "the government" in order to get back at them.  Well, the only people you can screw with is either you, or the public.  It's not the IRS's money, they just collect it so our military gets paid, for one, and to generally keep the government running.  This diatribe does nothing but further show to be the nutjob you are, you keep trying to screw the IRS and they keep catching you.  You keep hoping for a different result, but continue to do the same things over and over.  Maybe you should have eaten the cat food, maybe all that peanut butter messed you up]

This left me stuck in the middle of this disaster trying to defend transactions that have no relationship to anything tax-related (at least the tax-related transactions were poorly documented). Things I never knew anything about and things my wife had no clue would ever matter to anyone. The end result is… well, just look around.

I remember reading about the stock market crash before the “great” depression and how there were wealthy bankers and businessmen jumping out of windows when they realized they screwed up and lost everything. Isn’t it ironic how far we’ve come in 60 years in this country that they now know how to fix that little economic problem; they just steal from the middle class (who doesn’t have any say in it, elections are a joke) to cover their asses and it’s “business-as-usual”. Now when the wealthy fuck up, the poor get to die for the mistakes… isn’t that a clever, tidy solution. [Yeah, a lot of people feel this way right now, but that doesn't mean it's hopeless or that people won't get booted out come election time]

As government agencies go, the FAA is often justifiably referred to as a tombstone agency, though they are hardly alone. The recent presidential puppet GW Bush and his cronies in their eight years certainly reinforced for all of us that this criticism rings equally true for all of the government. Nothing changes unless there is a body count (unless it is in the interest of the wealthy sows at the government trough). In a government full of hypocrites from top to bottom, life is as cheap as their lies and their self-serving laws. [Unfortunately, I don't think W was a puppet, he was large and in charge, and he screwed up a lot... it take a special kind of asshat to get our country from a budget surplus to a huge deficit]

I know I’m hardly the first one to decide I have had all I can stand. It has always been a myth that people have stopped dying for their freedom in this country, and it isn’t limited to the blacks, and poor immigrants. I know there have been countless before me and there are sure to be as many after. But I also know that by not adding my body to the count, I insure nothing will change. I choose to not keep looking over my shoulder at “big brother” while he strips my carcass, I choose not to ignore what is going on all around me, I choose not to pretend that business as usual won’t continue; I have just had enough.

I can only hope that the numbers quickly get too big to be white washed and ignored that the American zombies wake up and revolt; it will take nothing less [Yeah, I actually agree, we need a lot of new people in Congress, and if they decide to cash in instead of represent the people, then they need to be quickly voted out as well]. I would only hope that by striking a nerve that stimulates the inevitable double standard, knee-jerk government reaction that results in more stupid draconian restrictions people wake up and begin to see the pompous political thugs and their mindless minions for what they are. Sadly, though I spent my entire life trying to believe it wasn’t so, but violence not only is the answer, it is the only answer. The cruel joke is that the really big chunks of shit at the top have known this all along and have been laughing, at and using this awareness against, fools like me all along.

I saw it written once that the definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over and expecting the outcome to suddenly be different. I am finally ready to stop this insanity. Well, Mr. Big Brother IRS man, let’s try something different; take my pound of flesh and sleep well. [That's certainly one way to stop the cycle, the better way would have been to simply stay on top of your taxes, especially if you know they're complicated, the IRS has resources to help if you ask.  If you're in a business, it makes no sense to not have someone keep track of tax issues, especially if you've had problems with them before and don't know how to handle them yourself]

The communist creed: From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.

The capitalist creed: From each according to his gullibility, to each according to his greed. [To the last... at least you're consistent, and maybe that's why nothing of yours got by the IRS since they can easily flag people who try to screw over the US taxpayers]

Joe Stack (1956-2010)

02/18/2010