1099 will end the world in 2012

This has to be the most mind-numbingly stupid thing I have seen the government do in the last couple of decades -- and that includes bad wars, if that's your thing.

Why can it be so bad? Because it screws with every single economic entity in the nation, in a way that pervasive, subtle, and micro-managing.

If you want to know where "1984" is, with Big Brother watching all of your moves, it's not bullshit programs like TIA. It's making you rat out the guy who is on disability but mows lawns on the side, or the guy who paints houses at nights without reporting the income so he can send his kid to school. Or the mom that babysits kids so that she can stay home.

Yes. These people are law-breakers. In a web of such complexity that 80% of IRS's own employees can't answer sample tax questions, we are all law-breakers. But this takes tax collection to a new low -- now I am going to be responsible for "double-checking" on my neighbor who sold me those used lawn mowers last year. I need to do my part to make sure he's reporting everything.

It is so outrageously stupid and infuriating that I still can't believe it is true. I'm beside myself. So if I eat at Burger King during the week when I travel, about the 120th time I buy a burger, I need to chalk them up for a 1099.

It's the worst thing for small businesses and the underground economy that I've ever heard of the government doing. It just can't be true.

ADD: And don't get me started with some bullshit about how the agency hasn't decided yet how to enforce it. This is like saying the Congress voted to install cameras in everybody's homes, but that might not be so bad because the administrative work hasn't been done to decide who exactly gets a camera and when. As if this somehow mitigates things.

Also, for all of you folks down-voting me. Tell me I am wrong. I'm not a tax professional and I don't read the political spin sites. The only reason I've commented now is that this is the 3rd or 4th time I've seen this posted on HN. So please. I would love to be wrong about this.

To make sure that retailers/sellers are accurately reporting their sales and not lowballing their revenue numbers on their tax returns. It's basically to reduce tax fraud with the hope that the extra tax income (which is assumed that corps or fraudulently not paying) can be used to pay for health care without having to add additional taxes.

In this case the report was produced by the Hearland Institute which Wikipedia describes as "an American conservative public policy think tank based in Chicago, Illinois that advocates free market policies."

Based on some of the bullshit they have published when it comes to global warming, they seem to be more interested in pursuing a political agenda than sticking to the facts.

"Most scientists do not believe human activities threaten to disrupt the Earth's climate."

"The most reliable temperature data show no global warming trend."

"A modest amount of global warming, should it occur, would be beneficial to the natural world and to human civilization."

"The best strategy to pursue is one of 'no regrets'."