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Anti-IRS Rant of Software Engineer who Today Flew Plane into IRS Building

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Re: Anti-IRS Rant of Software Engineer who Today Flew Plane into IRS Building

#101

Post by kelnos »

_delirium wrote: post #90
tc wrote: post #73

Problems that this creates: 1) Because of how governments deal in collective punishment, private aviation is likely to suffer further regulatory decimation even though events of this type are extremely rare, statistically speaking. 2) His rambling, narcissistic screed will be broadcast widely, and his immature and senseless actions used to paint those with legitimate and sensible criticisms of our tax system or syste…

The reaction might change, but I'm mainly seeing the opposite effect on #2 so far: there seems to be a sympathetic undercurrent of "collusion of big-government IRS and greedy corporate capitalists drove hardworking man to kill himself" in some of the coverage.

I can't help but be swayed somewhat myself. While I can't agree with his methods, I'd be surprised if there wasn't a lot of truth in his message.

Re: Anti-IRS Rant of Software Engineer who Today Flew Plane into IRS Building

#102

Post by kelnos »

icey wrote: post #41
Femur wrote: post #32

I think it is interesting that the IRS treats certain workers differently: "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." (this was cited in the letter)

Here's a little bit of background about that provision: http://www.taxfoundation.org/blog/show/25870.html

I'm highly amused that the last name of the guy who wrote that piece is "Henchman."

Re: Anti-IRS Rant of Software Engineer who Today Flew Plane into IRS Building

#103

Post by viraptor »

chubbard wrote: post #83

Maybe he should've used google to do some research about how to avoid being classified as an employee. http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/article-30177.html

Wasn't that kind of his point? With guidelines like "Don't ask for instructions from the hiring firm about how to do your job." it's just silly and you never know on which side of the line you are currently... There's just no way to be sure and even if you are right, you might be notified too late to protest.

Re: Anti-IRS Rant of Software Engineer who Today Flew Plane into IRS Building

#104

Post by javert »

wheels wrote: post #54
blackguardx wrote: post #16

The Department of Homeland Security released a statement calling this a criminal act, not terrorism. I am confused. A few years ago everything was considered terrorism and now nothing is. This guy wasn't targeting individual people in the IRS, he was targeting the whole establishment. This is akin to the Oklahoma City bombing. If that was a terrorist incident and 9/11 was a terrorist incident, this is too. He even ha…

You, sir, have obviously failed to memo that in this post-9/11-world, only brown people are terrorists. Here's a key, in case it gets confusing again: - Guy in an airport with a Koran and an accent: terrorist. - White software developer who flies a plane into buildings for ideological reasons: not terrorist.

Actually, this guy's goal was not to incite terror, hence not a terrorist.

I'm not necessarily defending the way the government labels different crimes, though. AFAIK the Unibomber was pretty much like this guy.

Re: Anti-IRS Rant of Software Engineer who Today Flew Plane into IRS Building

#105

Post by javert »

bsaunder wrote: post #61
eli wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect they were not legally obligated to take it down (without a court order or a National Security Letter, anyway). But they also, of course, had no obligation to keep it up. I'd probably take it down if I worked there.

And if had my servers hosted there, I might consider moving them.

Why? This isn't the hosting company's fault.

Re: Anti-IRS Rant of Software Engineer who Today Flew Plane into IRS Building

#106

Post by lmkg »

philwelch wrote: post #85
pavel_lishin wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And write a shorter rant.

Or at least a clearer rant. I was surprised at how well written Kaczynski's "Industrial Society and its Future" was. I don't like that he got it published by mailing people bombs until the New York Times promised to publish it, but it's still worth reading.

I doubt any future rants will get clearer. Rants of these types are big, sprawling, disconnected tales of tragedy and woe with the point heavily obfuscated or altogether absent. This makes it very easy for other people will similar unbalances, but possibly unrelated motives, to write their own motives into the gaps. The problem is, to these types of readers, their own motives are blindingly obvious in what they're reading, so they don't even perceive the lack of clarity that you and I do. They can just hold it up and say "this is exactly what I've been saying!" not because the post says anything, but because it doesn't. It's big and empty, which makes it a great echo chamber.

Re: Anti-IRS Rant of Software Engineer who Today Flew Plane into IRS Building

#107

Post by kelnos »

mbrubeck wrote: post #79
CoryMathews wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It did ramble and drift a bit but it all added to his story.. just very slowly. I don't think he should have flown a plane into the building. However I believe he did it because he tried the proper way spending over $5k of his own money and months of his time to change it. No one listened/cared (which is the main problem) about his problem. So when push came to shove and the government and businesses took everything…

He spent $5000 lobbying dozens of government officials, but what was he trying to change? Does it really all come down to the rule determining whether programming consultants are treated as employees for tax purposes? Was he even able to explain his case to them coherently, without using phrases like "declared me a criminal and non-citizen slave"? And then he makes ludicrous choices like taking an IRA distribution (w…

Yes, and after he expresses his reluctance to ever enter an accountant's office again, he says that he did, out of desperation, and then got screwed again.

Re: Anti-IRS Rant of Software Engineer who Today Flew Plane into IRS Building

#108

Post by jcromartie »

tc wrote: post #73

Problems that this creates: 1) Because of how governments deal in collective punishment, private aviation is likely to suffer further regulatory decimation even though events of this type are extremely rare, statistically speaking. 2) His rambling, narcissistic screed will be broadcast widely, and his immature and senseless actions used to paint those with legitimate and sensible criticisms of our tax system or syste…

> rambling, narcissistic screed

Maybe to you. Most of his rant just sounded honest and true to me.

Re: Anti-IRS Rant of Software Engineer who Today Flew Plane into IRS Building

#109

Post by Estragon »

markpercival wrote: post #7

The site was pulled down, here's the copy of the rant: 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. Need…

It's a shame that you can't send your suicide/murder note out to friends for feedback. He really could have used a little editing.

Re: Anti-IRS Rant of Software Engineer who Today Flew Plane into IRS Building

#110

Post by colinplamondon »

abrown28 wrote: post #9
colinplamondon wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Guy dicks around with forces he doesn't have the free cash available to dick around with, blames IRS. Later finds himself losing work due to working in aerospace as Air Force bases are closed in the 90's, leading into 9/11 and a meltdown in his ability to generate personal revenue. Blames IRS. Runs out of money, blames IRS. Flies plain into IRS building with the intent to indiscriminately murder anyone who happens to…

Front page. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/18/austin-plane-crash-...

Spoke too soon!
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