As expected, demogogues from both sides of the political spectrum have been exploiting yesterday’s bombing of an Austin, Texas federal building by Andrew Joseph Stack. Liberal bloggers claim that Stack was the quintessential tea partier who hated government, taxes and the IRS. Conservative bloggers claim that Stack was a model socialist who hated organized religion, big business and the rich.
They’re both right.
Yesterday, I published Stack’s seven page rambling screed in its entirety. I read it again today and took note of every person, entity and concept that Stack blamed for driving him to suicide. Here’s what I came up with:
- The rich
- Congress
- George W. Bush
- CPAs
- Bill Ross
- His ex-wife
- Judges
- Big business
- Patrick Moynihan
- Arthur Anderson
- Capitalism
- Greed
- His house
- His wife and children¹
- Dot.coms
- General Motors
- The insurance industry
- The American medical system
- Organized religion
- The Catholic Church
- The stupidity of the American public
- Unions
- Brokers
- The Closure of military bases
- Airlines
- 9/11
- Austin, Texas
- The U.S. Justice Department
- Pianos
- Elections
- Zombies
It seems the only thing Stack didn’t blame for his predicament was himself.
Ah, the bittersweet fruit of victimhood.
Footnotes:
¹ Stack apparently hated the IRS so much he set fire to his house while his wife and children were inside. That’ll teach those nasty IRS auditors a thing or two about a thing or two, huh?
6 responses so far ↓
1 Kay // Feb 19, 2010 at 6:38 pm
precisely! the effort to use this tragedy for any cause is reprehensible. This was one man’s insanity, not any political agenda.
2 Joe Kristan // Feb 19, 2010 at 6:57 pm
I noticed that too. With that many people out to get him, it’s amazing he hung in so long. He must have been a real joy at a party.
3 Anonymous // Feb 20, 2010 at 1:36 am
It would seem that many people will use this mans’ action for their own agenda. But this is a case of a man who could no longer accept the ineptitude of people he dealt with. Especially, “Government People” ! As for lawyer (Liars) ,well what can one say. As Shakespeare once said, “First hang all the lawyers”. Then there will be change.
4 Ian // Feb 20, 2010 at 8:29 pm
Great Article
All the blaming of the IRS for “causing” this incident is laughably stupid
5 Peter // Feb 21, 2010 at 7:02 am
Anonymous,
It was Joe Stack’s own ineptitude that drove him to murder-suicide. Expecting other people to place your interests above their own is geometrically stupid.
By the way, when you non-lawyers stop screwing over other non-lawyers, we won’t need lawyers anymore.
6 Peter // Feb 21, 2010 at 7:09 am
Ian,
It wasn’t the IRS that caused Stack to go bonkers, it was that damned piano he didn’t know how to handle.
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