|
The daughter of the pilot told Good Morning America that her father should be remembered as a hero rather then condemned as a criminal. His actions may have been extreme but at least now people are talking about his ideals, is her statemet. She says her hatred of the IRS has caused her to move to Denmark.
Wow! Have you considered moving to Texas and teaching hit some football? ;)
Live in Houston. Christopher did a football camp when he was in the fifth grade. He was bigger than most of the other players. Unfortunately for his football career, he's got a thing about his head behind confined. (He exhibits many indicators of Aspberger's.) I've got my eye on St. Thomas High School and their rugby program.
I just have to figure out to afford the tuition.
Wow! Have you considered moving to Texas and teaching hit some football? ;)Live in Houston. Christopher did a football camp when he was in the fifth grade. He was bigger than most of the other players. Unfortunately for his football career, he's got a thing about his head behind confined. (He exhibits many indicators of Aspberger's.) I've got my eye on St. Thomas High School and their rugby program.
I just have to figure out to afford the tuition.
My sister graduated from Permian in Odessa. IIRC some of the Houston teams were tough competition back in the '70's and '80's.
The daughter of the pilot told Good Morning America that her father should be remembered as a hero rather then condemned as a criminal. His actions may have been extreme but at least now people are talking about his ideals, is her statemet. She says her hatred of the IRS has caused her to move to Denmark.
I reckon that's better than flying into a civilian building.
Yeah, or they'll hate him. Girls like @$$holes, for some reason. You'll just make him different from the other kids, leading him to be singled out and picked on. That's how life in school works, if I remember it correctly.That's a nice lesson -- consideration is almost always underrated. ** spoiler omitted **Indeed it is. Since I love being ironical, while I have a noticeable tendency to be inconsiderate, I'm death on my son about his manners and demeanor. He doesn't quite get it yet, but in a few years when the girls start noticing the difference between a boy and a gentleman, he'll catch on quick enough.
** spoiler omitted **
The flashbacks..the flashbacks!
|
|
The daughter of the pilot told Good Morning America that her father should be remembered as a hero rather then condemned as a criminal. His actions may have been extreme but at least now people are talking about his ideals, is her statemet. She says her hatred of the IRS has caused her to move to Denmark.I reckon that's better than flying into a civilian building.
Except that, as I understand it, Denmark has higher taxes than the United States does.
Thanks for that. I spent some time reading it, the comments, and the related articles.
The daughter of the pilot told Good Morning America that her father should be remembered as a hero rather then condemned as a criminal. His actions may have been extreme but at least now people are talking about his ideals, is her statemet. She says her hatred of the IRS has caused her to move to Denmark.
From the OECD Database:
"Denmark is currently the most taxed country in the OECD and the world with an income tax of up to 59%"
Live in Houston.
Me, too! no football for me, though; I'm about five-foot-nothing and have no kids to inherit my lack of height anyway.
Live in Houston.Me, too! no football for me, though; I'm about five-foot-nothing.
I never did much football. Played a lot of volleyball when I was stationed in Hawaii. Played a lot of combat soccer at Fort Bragg. Nowadays, however, I've got bad knees and an extra 40 or so pounds for alcohol storage. Sports aren't really my thing.
:)
link
Masterful quote, for the first comment:
"This guy tried to pretend he was a church to avoid paying taxes and he got caught. I'm a software engineer and I've variously been self-employed and worked for companies. I've never had a problem filling out a form 1040 SE. If he was working as a software consultant in CA in the 90s, he has no reason to complain. Money was falling out of the sky and there were plenty of companies to work for and plenty of work for private contractors. I was there. This guy is a narcissistic tax-denying crybaby. If he was so concerned for the poor, downtrodden taxpayer, he might have considered not killing any of them. He might have considered not setting his house on fire and burdening his taxpaying neighbors with the smoldering husk he left behind. He might have considered not putting taxpayer funded emergency responders in danger. If he was such a patriot, he might have considered not attacking his own country. He's not a hero. He's not a victim. He's a murderer."
Except that, as I understand it, Denmark has higher taxes than the United States does.The daughter of the pilot told Good Morning America that her father should be remembered as a hero rather then condemned as a criminal. His actions may have been extreme but at least now people are talking about his ideals, is her statemet. She says her hatred of the IRS has caused her to move to Denmark.I reckon that's better than flying into a civilian building.
Yes, but is their tax collection agency as asinine as ours? I guess GentleGiant will have to answer that question for us.
|
Except that, as I understand it, Denmark has higher taxes than the United States does.The daughter of the pilot told Good Morning America that her father should be remembered as a hero rather then condemned as a criminal. His actions may have been extreme but at least now people are talking about his ideals, is her statemet. She says her hatred of the IRS has caused her to move to Denmark.I reckon that's better than flying into a civilian building.
Yeah but the complaint isn't about having taxes, rather how those taxes are used. His insane rant never once says that taxes are to high, merely that the rich benefit from loopholes that the poor pay for.
EDIT: or as Garydee ninja'd me damnit.
The daughter of the pilot told Good Morning America that her father should be remembered as a hero rather then condemned as a criminal. His actions may have been extreme but at least now people are talking about his ideals, is her statemet. She says her hatred of the IRS has caused her to move to Denmark.
Thats kind of Ironic - Denmark has the highest taxes in the world, quite literally - they are the highest taxed people on the planet.
Edit: ninja'd repeatedly.
Really about the only things I can fault him for are some of his allegorical excesses and that self-mutilation thing. Ick.
I'm pretty sure this was a story spread by Origen's enemies. There were a lot of jealous haters.
I'm pretty sure this was a story spread by Origen's enemies. There were a lot of jealous haters.
Possibly. With ancient history, one almost always speaks in degrees of possibility. Heck, even with more recent history, one can have a hard time getting at the truth. The study of history is often like taking a big net down to the seaside, tossing the net in, and then trying to put together a coherent story based on what doesn't slip through the holes.
But he's still a murderer lest we forget. Also you don't have to be arabic or muslim to be a terroroist. That guy 10 years back who bombed abortion clinics was a terrorist and he was an american christian.I think it's amazing how calm the rabble-rousers have been regarding this terrorist act. Well, I don't know, terrorist? He was just anti-tax, not anti-American. It's not like his name had an al- or ibn in it.
The hypocrisy is stunning.
Zo
I think you might have missed the sarcasm there, chief. I totally agree with you. My point was that it's only "terrorism" when it's done by someone who's on the "other side". I'd also like to add I don't want to use this tragedy just to make a callow political observation. My thoughts go out to the families whose loved ones were hurt or killed, and that includes the family of the pilot, Joseph Stack.
Zo
|
Except that, as I understand it, Denmark has higher taxes than the United States does.
If I read his statement correctly, it is not taxes he cared about. He did not like being singled out. He did not like that some people/groups play by one set of rules but he had another set.
I think it would be hard to find many people that would complain about taxation if it was applied fairly, and if they did not feel that thier money was being wasted. Current estimates are that the Fed Govt wastes more than half of every dollar they collect.
He did not like being singled out. He did not like that some people/groups play by one set of rules but he had another set.
And, if it turns out he was a tax cheat, this leads me to this observation: He wasn't upset about being singled out or different sets of rules. He was upset about getting caught.
|
|
He did not like being singled out. He did not like that some people/groups play by one set of rules but he had another set.And, if it turns out he was a tax cheat, this leads me to this observation: He wasn't upset about being singled out or different sets of rules. He was upset about getting caught.
Well I do not suppose many of us enjoy being caught doing wrong. :D
Well I do not suppose many of us enjoy being caught doing wrong. :D
Odds are someone does, but, in general, that's a safe bet.
I would have said that he was saying:
There is exemptions in the tax system, that I ensured I qualified for, and I was denied because I wasn't in the pre-approved category of big organizations.
Exemptions and loopholes have two very different implications (one legit the other not).
I would have said that he was saying: There [are] exemptions in the tax system, that I ensured I qualified for, and I was denied because I wasn't in the pre-approved category of big organizations.
Yeah, him and Wesley Snipes. The thing is, he didn't ensure that he qualified for the exemptions; he fantasized that he did, and intentionally hung around with an "echo chamber" of people who agreed with him. The rest of us in the consulting world realized that the loophole he was exploiting was high-risk at the beginning and technically closed as soon as they amended the tax code specifically to eliminate it -- so we didn't try to skate in under it.
Does it irk me that the Catholic Church is tax-exempt, whereas I, a consultant, am not? That's an apples vs. chunks of granite comparison.
|
|
He did not like being singled out. He did not like that some people/groups play by one set of rules but he had another set.And, if it turns out he was a tax cheat, this leads me to this observation: He wasn't upset about being singled out or different sets of rules. He was upset about getting caught.
My understanding was he got told one thing by whoever his financial advisor(s) were and the outcome was completely different.
But my guess was he wasn't crazy, just extraordinarily furious. If I lost everything, I'd seek me some vengeance too. Murdering people wasn't the best answer to that, though. I'd have just robbed a bank or something like any other desperate ex-middle class homeless at 50 person.
All in all, I'd say I'm not mourning either loss-him, or the IRS employee.
My understanding was he got told one thing by whoever his financial advisor(s) were and the outcome was completely different.
That happens, if you pick financial advisors based strictly on whether they tell you what you want to hear, even if you know full well that it's false.
He did not like being singled out. He did not like that some people/groups play by one set of rules but he had another set.And, if it turns out he was a tax cheat, this leads me to this observation: He wasn't upset about being singled out or different sets of rules. He was upset about getting caught.
Some tax cheats get in trouble, and some become the Secretary of the Treasury.
Even if he was a "tax cheat" the system is still obscenely corrupt, and it gets worse all the time.
All in all, I'd say I'm not mourning either loss-him, or the IRS employee.
The IRS employee was a Vietnam veteran -- a greater loss than a domestic terrorist, in my book.
Even if he was a "tax cheat" the system is still obscenely corrupt, and it gets worse all the time.
Heh. I love the way that sometimes I read your posts and in my head you've got the voice from one of those blissed-out hippies from the '60's. "The system is corrupt, man! If we just, like, all lived in a commune dropping acid and not working, there would be no taxes and no government to keep us down!" That said, I don't totally disagree, I just find it amusing.
Even if he was a "tax cheat" the system is still obscenely corrupt, and it gets worse all the time.Heh. I love the way that sometimes I read your posts and in my head you've got the voice from one of those blissed-out hippies from the '60's. "The system is corrupt, man! If we just, like, all lived in a commune dropping acid and not working, there would be no taxes and no government to keep us down!" That said, I don't totally disagree, I just find it amusing.
LOL! That's not a comparison folks who know me in person tend to make, but it makes me think of the guy Chong played on That 70's show.
People who work with me IRL often see me as the angry ranting guy who's great at his job but kind of scary. Whereas in my personal life I'm the reliable go to guy who winds up back stopping friends and family.
Of course if you've seen my range pics I can see where the tats and hair could give off that hippie vibe, but I would think the weapons would give a different impression.
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32
|
The daughter of the pilot told Good Morning America that her father should be remembered as a hero rather then condemned as a criminal. His actions may have been extreme but at least now people are talking about his ideals, is her statement. She says her hatred of the IRS has caused her to move to Denmark.
If we interviewed the families of any number of suicide bombers, I'm sure many would have nice things to say about them.
The whole point of terrorism is to draw attention to one's concerns. That doesn't make it heroic.
I still don't get why he isn't labeled a terrorist. Because he was an anti-government psychopath, instead of a religious psycopath?
I still don't get why he isn't labeled a terrorist. Because he was an anti-government psychopath, instead of a religious psycopath?
It's the new Obamaspeak? There aren't any terrorists anymore?
|
|
I still don't get why he isn't labeled a terrorist. Because he was an anti-government psychopath, instead of a religious psycopath?
My guess is because his rant was so all over the place politically that nobody can link him to their opponents without linking him to themselves and so it's better to ignore it all together. But yes, he is a terrorist.
|
|
Define a terrorist attack.I still don't get why he isn't labeled a terrorist. Because he was an anti-government psychopath, instead of a religious psycopath?It's the new Obamaspeak? There aren't any terrorists anymore?
A terrorist attack is an attack intended to inflict a feeling of fear and or terror into the people who witness it.
Define a terrorist attack.
I'm sensing that trying to define "terrorist attack" that sees murder-suicide as something that fits in the "not mourning" category would be an exercise in futility. I'll pass.
A terrorist attack is an attack intended to inflict a feeling of fear and or terror into the people who witness it.Define a terrorist attack.I still don't get why he isn't labeled a terrorist. Because he was an anti-government psychopath, instead of a religious psycopath?It's the new Obamaspeak? There aren't any terrorists anymore?
I think it would also be considered outside of the laws of war too.
I can see where the tats and hair could give off that hippie vibe
Are you kidding? Today's average rich college kid, driving mommy's BMW to sorority meetings and the mall, has more tattoos than the old-time outlaw bikers used to.
I used to walk around Clemson University saying things like, "Hey, man, how come it says 'Dumb-Ass' on your leg?" And the dude would be like, "No, that's the Chinese character for 'Christian Athlete'!" And I'd say, "No, those are the symbols for stupid and for donkey, superimposed over each other." Half the time they'd realize I was kidding them, but the other half of the time they'd ask me to interpret their other tats, some of which I REALLY didn't want to see.
The real tragedy is that most Americans are not required to file or pay taxes. We all continue to do so out of a very rational fear of our government who will not hesitate to use force to destroy the lives of those who do not automatically submit to the conventional wisdom that their income is taxable.
|
|
A terrorist attack is an attack intended to inflict a feeling of fear and or terror into the people who witness it.Define a terrorist attack.I still don't get why he isn't labeled a terrorist. Because he was an anti-government psychopath, instead of a religious psycopath?It's the new Obamaspeak? There aren't any terrorists anymore?
So you're saying any act that hurts another person is a terrorist activity? Schoolyards are full of the little b@st@rds, then. War on Schools!
Was this a terrorist act? No. Neither was that muslim guy that shot up a military base, neither was Columbine, etc. None of them have political motivations. They aren't changing any minds, they aren't doing it "for a cause", etc. They just got p1ssed off one day and decided to take out anyone they thought wronged them.
That's called murder, not terrorism.
I can see where the tats and hair could give off that hippie vibeAre you kidding? Today's average rich college kid, driving mommy's BMW to sorority meetings and the mall, has more tattoos than the old-time outlaw bikers used to.
I used to walk around Clemson University saying things like, "Hey, man, how come it says 'Dumb-Ass' on your leg?" And the dude would be like, "No, that's the Chinese character for 'Christian Athlete'!" And I'd say, "No, those are the symbols for stupid and for donkey, superimposed over each other." Half the time they'd realize I was kidding them, but the other half of the time they'd ask me to interpret their other tats, some of which I REALLY didn't want to see.
There's a lot of truth to that. I think my daughter has more ink than I do now.
A terrorist attack is an attack intended to inflict a feeling of fear and or terror into the people who witness it.Define a terrorist attack.I still don't get why he isn't labeled a terrorist. Because he was an anti-government psychopath, instead of a religious psycopath?It's the new Obamaspeak? There aren't any terrorists anymore?
So you're saying any act that hurts another person is a terrorist activity? Schoolyards are full of the little b@st@rds, then. War on Schools!
Was this a terrorist act? No. Neither was that muslim guy that shot up a military base, neither was Columbine, etc. None of them have political motivations. They aren't changing any minds, they aren't doing it "for a cause", etc. They just got p1ssed off one day and decided to take out anyone they thought wronged them.
That's called murder, not terrorism.
I'm not sure I'd agree.
In November 2004, a United Nations Secretary General report described terrorism as any act "intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a government or an international organization to do or abstain from doing any act"
|
|
If no one in the media reported those acts, the terrorists wouldn't have a base of support.
Do you know how bummed out some of those terrorist groups would be if they just chalked up all their terrorist attacks to accidents or some kind of faulty infrastructure?
They could still pursue the terrorists, but the only people who would know about it would be the people doing the investigation.
|
I used to walk around Clemson University saying things like, "Hey, man, how come it says 'Dumb-Ass' on your leg?" And the dude would be like, "No, that's the Chinese character for 'Christian Athlete'!" And I'd say, "No, those are the symbols for stupid and for donkey, superimposed over each other." Half the time they'd realize I was kidding them, but the other half of the time they'd ask me to interpret their other tats, some of which I REALLY didn't want to see.
One of my co-workers is a young kid whose family is originally from Taiwan. He took my first name and supposedly translated it into Chinese letters. Knowing my luck, though, it probably says something like "silly duck quacker", or something equally non-sensical.
The real tragedy is that most Americans are not required to file or pay taxes. We all continue to do so out of a very rational fear of our government who will not hesitate to use force to destroy the lives of those who do not automatically submit to the conventional wisdom that their income is taxable.
Where does the money for roads come from? Police? Fire department? Military and national defense? Medicare for old folks?
No taxes = neolithic era. I had enough of that doing field work in the third world, living in places where there were no police except militia-type thugs and bodyguards for local chiefs, where all the "highways" were mud, and where power and water were exceptions, rather than the rule. If that's what you're after, portions of Africa and the Caribbean will oblige you.
One of my co-workers is a young kid whose family is originally from Taiwan. He took my first name and supposedly translated it into Chinese letters. Knowing my luck, though, it probably says something like "silly duck quacker", or something equally non-sensical.
Or it's a spell to summon snow. :)
If no one in the media reported those acts, the terrorists wouldn't have a base of support.
Do you know how bummed out some of those terrorist groups would be if they just chalked up all their terrorist attacks to accidents or some kind of faulty infrastructure?
They could still pursue the terrorists, but the only people who would know about it would be the people doing the investigation.
If the terror attacks were kept secret how would we know what an abysmal job the government was doing?