Joseph Stack’s straw broke today. He burned down his house, apparently with wife and daughter in it. They escaped. He then stole a small airplane and flew it into the IRS offices in Austin, TX. He died. Nobody in the building died.
His “manifesto”/suicide note can be read here. Some call it “insane”, and parts certainly are rambling and incoherent, but other parts cut right to the bone:
How can any rational individual explain that white elephant conundrum in the middle of our tax system and, indeed, our entire legal system? Here we have a system that is, by far, too complicated for the brightest of the master scholars to understand. Yet, it mercilessly “holds accountable” its victims, 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; if that’s not “duress” than what is. If this is not the measure of a totalitarian regime, nothing is.
Given how many “We can help you fight the IRS” ads I see on TV, and given my personal experiences with the IRS and their erroneous, evil, ways, I’m surprised we don’t have more Joseph Stacks.
I’m not condoning what he did, he does seem to have “snapped”, but I can sympathize, and empathize, with the stress and futility he felt.
You see, I too, believe that all this will end in violence. I’ve stated that fear many times on this blog, while at the same time stressing my personal situation didn’t warrant it yet.
So you can call Mr. Stack insane, or whatever your political sentiments rationalize, but you can’t hide that millions of people feel the same futility he did – and when situations become futile, violence is next.
So don’t condone it. Don’t support it. But also don’t be surprised by it.
February 18th, 2010 at 11:35 pm
What is surprising is that it doesn’t happen more often.Expect the loony left to use this as an example of why male muslims shouldn’t be profiled;elderly white males are just as dangerous! Idiots.I guess some will say he was wrong to target innocent low level workers, but are they innocent? They choose to work for an evil enterprise.
February 19th, 2010 at 9:41 am
Update: He killed one person – a father of 6.
As to the innocent IRS workers… Legally they are innocent. But, to my mind, they are part of a cabal of theft that preys, unevenly, on the citizens of this country. . They are car dealers with the power of governmental force. No, they are not innocent in a court of common sense.
Should they be killed? This system we have will end in violence. When rates get even more confiscatory and more focused on politically unprotected individuals, the futility will cause them to lash out. I’d prefer those involved in the system pay the piper, but what will happen is, like in Iran, those protesting will pay the price.
And frankly, the imprecise application of force appalls me. Taxpayers could have, probably were, in that building. He could have take his ire in a precise way, instead of this stupid way.
February 19th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
The man just committed murder. There is no way to justify, excuse or ignore that. He tried to murder his family and he did murder someone in that building.
The only constants in life are death and paying taxes. The tax system is screwed up and I agree that it is no longer reasonable to expect an average person to completely understand what is going on. Its frustrating and yes, it makes me angry to look at my paycheck ever month and see my “withholding.”
This is like attacking a police officer because he is giving you a ticket in a zone with a stupid speed limit. Attack the law, not the people.
February 19th, 2010 at 2:17 pm
Not trying to justify it at all. I was more surprised it hasn’t happened more.
As to attacking the law… I disagree. We all know police officers that relish giving tickets in stupid speed limit zones.
To me the authority abusers are fair game, you just have to be willing to pay the piper if you play the game.
This man’s mass attack on innocents was wrong on any level. An attack against a specific abusing agent might be more understandable. If agents of bad law paid a price for bad laws we might have less bad laws. That price could be social exclusion, press harassment, lots of things other than violence.
So should have have attacked his Congressman? Or is it not his fault either?
This guy was a moron loser at all facets of his life, hardly anybody to model. I’m just surprised more people aren’t where he was.
December 21st, 2011 at 10:43 am
briefly explaine the steps or process incolved in Capital Budgeting.