Domestic Terrorism Or Tax Revolts? The Root Causes
23 February 2010By Dallas Darling
In 1786 and after hearing about the tax revolts
occurring throughout the newly formed United States of
America, Thomas Jefferson, who was in France, claimed
such rebellions were good things...and it was medicine
necessary for the sound health of government. On the
other hand, Samuel Adams believed that those who had
rebelled against the laws of a republic and were
committing treason and should suffer death.
These differing views came to mind when a software
engineer launched a suicide attack against the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS). After setting his home
on fire, Joseph Stack flew a small plane into an IRS
building. Evidently, the tax rebel, or domestic
terrorist, was unable to find work, had zero income,
and did not file a tax return. As the IRS tried to
collect taxes, he accused them of cannibalizing his
savings and retirement funds.
Stack believed the government was not interested in
justice, but only concerned about financially bailing
out America's corporations, its plunderers, and
pompous political thugs. He accused law makers of
becoming rich cronies, liars, and thieves that sought
their own self-interests while ignoring corporate
atrocities. By crashing a plane into an IRS building,
he wanted to wake people up to government-sponsored
draconian tax laws.
During the tax revolt, or act of domestic terrorism,
the Pentagon scrambled two F-16 jet fighters thinking
it was a terrorist attack.
After the American Revolution, state legislatures
collected taxes to pay for the war. Taxes fell most
heavily on poor farmers, most of them veterans. Many
were unable to pay and as states seized land, cattle,
and harvests, thousands of veterans, along with poor
farmers, revolted. While some tax rebels burned down
court houses, others mass-petitioned judges and
prevented courts from adjourning and taking away their
property.
On major tax revolt was led by Daniel Shays, who
fought at Lexington, Bunker Hill, and Saratoga, and
was wounded in action. He found himself in court for
nonpayment of debts and was threatened with being sent
to debtor‘s prison. When the Supreme Judicial Court of
Massachusetts met and indicted him and other leaders
of the movement for being disorderly and seditious,
Shays organized 1,700 men and marched to the court.
Wealthy merchants quickly funded and raised their own
private militias. They pressured state legislatures to
suspend Habeas Corpus and passed the Riot Act. Shay's
Rebellion was crushed, as were many others. While
several leaders of the tax revolt were executed,
wealthy property owners accused the British of
stirring-up farmers. Shays returned to a live of
hardship and poverty.
Tax rebellions were the main reason for the U.S.
Constitution and the establishment of a strong central
government. General Henry Knox, who became Secretary
of War as a result of the Constitution, wrote, "Our
government must be braced, changed, or altered to
secure our lives and property." Under Section 8 of the
U.S. Constitution, the very first power is collecting
taxes, duties, imposts, excises...for the common
Defense and general Welfare. Other powers mention
raising Armies and declaring War.
Since no one could hold state office without being a
wealthy property owner, the U.S. Constitution
inherited the potential for an abusive government
controlled by the wealthy elite. In fact, the
Constitution excluded men without property, women,
slaves, indentured servants and Native Americans. Some
warned that the Constitution was a tyrannical document
of the Few, and it only deepened the divisions of
class, race, and gender.
Currently, the Many pay taxes on income, property,
purchasing goods, fuel, and on services like
education, water, electric, gas, waste disposal,
phone, cable, etc... While many Americans are
unemployed or losing their homes, it was just reported
that General Motors Company CEO, Ed Whitacre, will
receive a salary of $9 million this year. It is now
estimated too that the wealthiest 1% of Americans now
own 70% of the nation's wealth.
Ron Moore, of the Houston Examiner, uncovered how
Whirlpool, which recently received $19 million from
the government to stimulate the economy, will move its
manufacturing plant in Evansville, Indiana to Mexico.
Over 1,000 people will lose their jobs. Although it
took many decades for the Bill of Rights to apply to
the Many, there is still no reference to economic
rights, which only concern the Few. This is why the
first $700 billion stimulus package went to subsidize
financial institutions, bankers, and corporate
conglomerates.
Many laws and institutions in America have tragically
failed, becoming structurally unjust and violent. It
was regrettable that after spending his entire life
working and trying to save, Stack believed violence
was not only the answer, but the only answer. But then
again, so does the present-day State. In a society
that teeters on the brink of corporate domination and
people power, monarchy and democracy, and tyranny and
liberty, there will always be the freedom to do good
or the freedom to be abusive for one's own selfish
gains.
Jefferson believed that from time to time the tree of
liberty must be refreshed with the blood of patriots
and tyrants.(7) As in 1786, experts on the Right and
Left will debate if this incident was a tax revolt or
a domestic act of terrorism. Just like the current War
On Terror, they will more than likely ignore the root
causes of dehumanization, economic poverty, and loss
of human dignity. However, one thing was certain:
"Well, Mr. Big Brother IRS man, let's try something
different; take my pound of flesh and sleep well."
(Dallas Darling is the author of Politics 501: An
A-Z Reading on Conscientious Political Thought and
Action, Some Nations Above God: 52 Weekly Reflections
On Modern-Day Imperialism, Militarism, And Consumerism
in the Context of John‘s Apocalyptic Vision, and The
Other Side Of Christianity: Reflections on Faith,
Politics, Spirituality, History, and Peace. He is a
correspondent for www.worldnews.com. You can read more
of Dallas' writings at www.beverlydarling.com and
wn.com//dallasdarling.)
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