A pissed off soul beat down by life and feeling betrayed by government.
Expect many, many similar stories in the next few years.
Part one of his 'manifesto' / suicide note: (not confirmed)
.Ifyou’re reading this, you’re no doubt asking yourself, “Why did thishave to happen?” The simple truth is that it is complicated and hasbeen coming for a long time. The writing process, started many monthsago, was intended to be therapy in the face of the looming realizationthat there isn’t enough therapy in the world that can fix what isreally broken. Needless to say, this rant could fill volumes withexample after example if I would let it. I find the process of writingit frustrating, tedious, and probably pointless… especially given mygross inability to gracefully articulate my thoughts in light of thestorm raging in my head. Exactly what is therapeutic about that I’m notsure, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
We areall taught as children that without laws there would be no society,only anarchy. Sadly, starting at early ages we in this country havebeen brainwashed to believe that, in return for our dedication andservice, our government stands for justice for all. We are furtherbrainwashed to believe that there is freedom in this place, and that weshould be ready to lay our lives down for the noble principalsrepresented by its founding fathers. Remember? One of these was “notaxation without representation”. I have spent the total years of myadulthood unlearning that crap from only a few years of my childhood.These days anyone who really stands up for that principal is promptlylabeled a “crackpot”, traitor and worse.
While very few workingpeople would say they haven’t had their fair share of taxes (as can I),in my lifetime I can say with a great degree of certainty that therehas never been a politician cast a vote on any matter with the likes ofme or my interests in mind. Nor, for that matter, are they the leastbit interested in me or anything I have to say.
Why is it that ahandful of thugs and plunderers can commit unthinkable atrocities (andin the case of the GM executives, for scores of years) and when it’stime for their gravy train to crash under the weight of their gluttonyand overwhelming stupidity, the force of the full federal governmenthas no difficulty coming to their aid within days if not hours? Yet atthe same time, the joke we call the American medical system, includingthe drug and insurance companies, are murdering tens of thousands ofpeople 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 afew of their vile, rich cronies. Yet, the political “representatives”(thieves, liars, and self-serving scumbags is far more accurate) haveendless time to sit around for year after year and debate the state ofthe “terrible health care problem”. It’s clear they see no crisis aslong as the dead people don’t get in the way of their corporate profitsrolling in.
And justice? You’ve got to be kidding!
Howcan any rational individual explain that white elephant conundrum inthe middle of our tax system and, indeed, our entire legal system? Herewe have a system that is, by far, too complicated for the brightest ofthe master scholars to understand. Yet, it mercilessly “holdsaccountable” its victims, claiming that they’re responsible for fullycomplying with laws not even the experts understand. The law “requires”a signature on the bottom of a tax filing; yet no one can saytruthfully that they understand what they are signing; if that’s not“duress” than what is. If this is not the measure of a totalitarianregime, nothing is.
How did I get here?
My introductionto the real American nightmare starts back in the early ‘80s.Unfortunately after more than 16 years of school, somewhere along theline I picked up the absurd, pompous notion that I could read andunderstand plain English. Some friends introduced me to a group ofpeople who were having ‘tax code’ readings and discussions. Inparticular, zeroed in on a section relating to the wonderful“exemptions” that make institutions like the vulgar, corrupt CatholicChurch so incredibly wealthy. We carefully studied the law (with thehelp of some of the “best”, high-paid, experienced tax lawyers in thebusiness), and then began to do exactly what the “big boys” were doing(except that we weren’t steeling from our congregation or lying to thegovernment about our massive profits in the name of God). We took agreat deal of care to make it all visible, following all of the rules,exactly the way the law said it was to be done.
The intent ofthis exercise and our efforts was to bring about a much-neededre-evaluation of the laws that allow the monsters of organized religionto make such a mockery of people who earn an honest living. However,this is where I learned that there are two “interpretations” for everylaw; one for the very rich, and one for the rest of us… Oh, and themonsters are the very ones making and enforcing the laws; theinquisition is still alive and well today in this country.
Thatlittle lesson in patriotism cost me $40,000+, 10 years of my life, andset my retirement plans back to 0. It made me realize for the firsttime that I live in a country with an ideology that is based on a totaland complete lie. It also made me realize, not only how naive I hadbeen, but also the incredible stupidity of the American public; thatthey buy, hook, line, and sinker, the crap about their “freedom”… andthat they continue to do so with eyes closed in the face ofoverwhelming evidence and all that keeps happening in front of them.
Beforeeven having to make a shaky recovery from the sting of the first lessonon what justice really means in this country (around 1984 after makingmy way through engineering school and still another five years of“paying my dues”), I felt I finally had to take a chance of launchingmy dream of becoming an independent engineer.
On the subjects ofengineers and dreams of independence, I should digress somewhat to saythat I’m sure that I inherited the fascination for creative problemsolving from my father. I realized this at a very young age.
Thesignificance of independence, however, came much later during my earlyyears of college; at the age of 18 or 19 when I was living on my own asstudent in an apartment in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. My neighbor was anelderly retired woman (80+ seemed ancient to me at that age) who wasthe widowed wife of a retired steel worker. Her husband had worked allhis life in the steel mills of central Pennsylvania with promises frombig business and the union that, for his 30 years of service, he wouldhave a pension and medical care to look forward to in his retirement.Instead he was one of the thousands who got nothing because theincompetent mill management and corrupt union (not to mention thegovernment) raided their pension funds and stole their retirement. Allshe had was social security to live on.
In retrospect, thesituation was laughable because here I was living on peanut butter andbread (or Ritz crackers when I could afford to splurge) for months at atime. When I got to know this poor figure and heard her story I feltworse for her plight than for my own (I, after all, I thought I hadeverything to in front of me). I was genuinely appalled at one point,as we exchanged stories and commiserated with each other over oursituations, when she in her grandmotherly fashion tried to convince methat I would be “healthier” eating cat food (like her) rather thantrying to get all my substance from peanut butter and bread. I couldn’tquite go there, but the impression was made. I decided that I didn’ttrust big business to take care of me, and that I would takeresponsibility 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 yearslater, thanks to the fine backroom, midnight effort by the sleazyexecutives of Arthur Andersen (the very same folks who later brought usEnron and other such calamities) and an equally sleazy New York Senator(Patrick Moynihan), we saw the passage of 1986 tax reform act with itssection 1706.
For you who are unfamiliar, here is the core textof the IRS Section 1706, defining the treatment of workers (such ascontract engineers) for tax purposes. Visit this link for a conferencecommittee report (
http://www.synergist...erenceCommit...) regarding the intended interpretation of Section 1706 and therelevant parts of Section 530, as amended. For information on how theselaws affect technical services workers and their clients, read ourdiscussion here (
http://www.synergist...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 individualwho 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 similarlyskilled worker engaged in a similar line of work.
( EFFECTIVEDATE. - The amendment made by this section shall apply to remunerationpaid 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.
(continued)