So did Joe Stack Go Galt?

[WeDidIt]

The guy sounds like he was totally wrapped up in Ayn Rand from his manifesto/suicide note.

[Taverner]

1. I read it differently - another Middle Class skilled tradesman destroyed by capitalism

And expect to be seeing much more of these kinds of acts in the next few years...

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. lulz

[Hello_Kitty]

5. He owned his own company and a plane.

If that's "poverty" I'll take it.

[redqueen]

7. deleted

[Taverner]

9. And he was in the process of losing it all

Look - I have no sympathy for the guy

But if our system wasn't so corrupt and capitalist we wouldn't be dealing with this.

Say what you will of Marxist-Leninism, at least the people ate

[FarCenter]

17. Lots of contractors are one-person companies.

Doesn't mean a thing -- except that it might well complicate your tax problems.

[kestrel91316]

2. If he did, he gets a FAIL. And yeah, he probably was a semi-Libertarian

gubmint hater. He just didn't like what big corporations were able to pull off with RW assistance.

[Jennicut]

4. How could anyone tell what the hell he was other then really, really angry.

[humbled_opinion]

6. TEABAGGER...

So now they will resort to terror tactics to get their point across...Idiots. Something should be done about this insane movement before it gets completely out of control.

[SixString]

8. He's dead now

Let's all rejoice. There's one less idiot amongst us.

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. "going Roark" would seem closer

since that would involve destroying things too. Seems more like he tried to game the tax system in some way by claiming to be a religion, and failed, to me.

"My introduction to the real American nightmare starts back in the early ‘80s. Unfortunately after more than 16 years of school, somewhere along the line I picked up the absurd, pompous notion that I could read and understand plain English. Some friends introduced me to a group of people who were having ‘tax code’ readings and discussions. In particular, zeroed in on a section relating to the wonderful “exemptions” that make institutions like the vulgar, corrupt Catholic Church so incredibly wealthy. We carefully studied the law (with the help of some of the “best”, high-paid, experienced tax lawyers in the business), and then began to do exactly what the “big boys” were doing (except that we weren’t steeling from our congregation or lying to the government about our massive profits in the name of God). We took a great 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 of this exercise and our efforts was to bring about a much-needed re-evaluation of the laws that allow the monsters of organized religion to make such a mockery of people who earn an honest living. However, this is where I learned that there are two “interpretations” for every law; one for the very rich, and one for the rest of us… Oh, and the monsters are the very ones making and enforcing the laws; the inquisition is still alive and well today in this country.

That little lesson in patriotism cost me $40,000+, 10 years of my life, and set my retirement plans back to 0. It made me realize for the first time that I live in a country with an ideology that is based on a total and complete lie. It also made me realize, not only how naive I had been, but also the incredible stupidity of the American public; that they buy, hook, line, and sinker, the crap about their “freedom”… and that they continue to do so with eyes closed in the face of overwhelming evidence and all that keeps happening in front of them."

[Electric Monk]

13. Right, this is much more Atlas Shrugged than it is Fountainhead. +1 nt

[hatrack]

11. "Going Asshole" is more like it

nt

[onehandle]

12. Could be. I hope we learn a lot about this guy. nt

[izzybeans]

14. He went "Roarke" by blowing up a building neither of which were their own.

Definitely a bunch of libertarian strands in that screed. But if he was a Randroid, that last bit about communism vs. capitalism had to have been sarcasm. Otherwise the dude was just a confused and angry man.

The anti-tax, anti-government, individual self-creation stuff scream objectivism. But then there are those parts that do not (the concern for the poor). My guess is that he was one of those businessmen that read him some Ayn Rand, got a boner, but didn't really think very deeply about it. like most business people who have read her do.

[NNN0LHI]

15. Timothy McVeigh in an Airplane

[pundaint]

16. You won't stop this by insults. Unbearable stress produces a illogical responses, fear this.