Although one might share some concerns with conspiracy theorist nutjobs at either end — or at both ends — of the spectrum, and although ‘They’ might be violating one’s natural rights, one does not have to subject oneself to persistent abuse, whether from the Illuminati, the New World Order, the Capitalists, or the Vogons.
The world is a big place, and educated, talented, and skilled individuals can find happiness in jurisdictions other than the ones that they are in. Granted, relocation is not cost-free, but given a choice between applying for visas, maybe marrying a local in one’s target jurisdiction, or even living on the underground economy there on the one hand, and dousing oneself with gasoline and setting oneself ablaze on the other, the cost/benefit ratio of the former is generally lower for the former than for the latter.
Enter Andrew Joseph Stack, programmer, bass player, pilot… and terrorist.
8 February 2010, Stack posted a rambling anti-government manifesto on his website and then flew his single-engine Piper Cherokee airplane into a nearby IRS field office, killing himself and causing massive damage to the building.
Tax lawyer and former general counsel of the National Association of Computer Consultant Businesses Harvey J. Shulman sheds a bit of light on one of the claims in Stack’s manifesto. Apparently, in 1986 the US Congress passed tax legislation that discriminates against entrepreneurial programmers, by forcing them to become employees and “to abandon their dreams of getting rich off their high-technology skills.”
The provision in question is Section 1706 of the Reagan-era Tax Reform Act of 1986. The Free Library provides a detailed discussion of Sec. 1706.
Firms in the USA that temporarily hire programmers, engineers, and other technical workers must treat them as employees or risk stiff penalties even years later, if an IRS auditor decides to reclassify those contractors as employees. The rationale for this flagrant discrimination was that tech contractors are more likely to cheat on their taxes, which prejudice has been shown to be inaccurate.
By classifying temporary workers as employees, one compels those individuals to live and die by their résumés, rather than by the value of the equity that they build in their practices.
Imagine for a moment that you have an idea that you think could be the next Big Thing, but that is not yet self-sustaining. You’d like to start a small firm that works on your idea, but you have a family to feed, and you need to take temporary outside jobs. Instead of developing solutions for clients, which adds to your nascent firm’s equity, you must be classified as an employee, and the fruits of your labor belong to your employer.
You forever are stuck in the role of — albeit well paid — wage-slave. Someone else owns your work, and can terminate your position at any time. You are at the mercy of your manager, and serve at the pleasure of others.
As an independent contractor, you’d be your own boss. As a firm owner, you would be a budding capitalist.
Consider for a moment that programmers, engineers, and others who pursue technical careers will tend, on average, to be more intelligent than marketing and management staff. Consider, also, that weirdness and intelligence seem to rise and fall together.
Most individuals are fairly conventional; the smart ones tend to laugh out of sync with the rest of the muggles at the meeting.
Every now and then, someone is going to snap.
Andrew Joseph Stack III snapped.
It didn’t have to end this way. He could have moved to Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, or somewhere nice in Latin America or the Caribbean, and he should have, if the USA were too oppressive for him. In fact, if more Americans recognized that the universe does not end at the border, they might realize that the US tax code, USA PATRIOT Act, DMCA, and all the rest are local phenomena.
No need for protests, criminal acts, or suicide runs. Vote with your feet.
According to Cipolla’s Basic Laws of Human Stupidity, what Stack did was stupid. He caused injury to others, while losing everything for himself.
If some good comes of this, and the US Congress does the right thing by repealing Sec. 1706 of the Reagan-era Tax Reform Act of 1986, Stack might rise to the status of victim — or even martyr for those who wear tinfoil hats — meaning that he incurred a loss while others gained.
Either way, this was not your run-of-the-mill nutjob; this was a nutjob who had a legitimate axe to grind.
Invest accordingly.
CWE