开飞机撞国税局大楼的乔-第2章

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资本主义信条：敛自愚民，贪者多得。

约。斯塔克
2010年2月18日

=　关于最后一句的翻译　=

最后一句堪称经典，是斯塔克对人生和政治领悟的精要。原文是

The　capitalist　creed：　From　each　according　to　his　gullibility；　to　each　according　to　his　greed。

这句话是根据马克思的“各尽所能，按需分配”改编来的：

The　munist　creed：　From　each　according　to　his　ability；　to　each　according　to　his　need。

现在网上除了我的翻译外有几个不同版本，有的更对仗一些，有的意思更准确些，现罗列如下，大家选自己喜欢的吧：

1。　各尽欺能，按贪分配
2。　骗轻信人之财，填贪婪者之欲
3。　盲从轻信，贪得无厌

=　英文原文　=

If　you’re　reading　this；　you’re　no　doubt　asking　yourself；　“Why　did　this　have　to　happen？”　The　simple　truth　is　that　it　is　plicated　and　has　been　ing　for　a　long　time。　The　writing　process；　started　many　months　ago；　was　intended　to　be　therapy　in　the　face　of　the　looming　realization　that　there　isn’t　enough　therapy　in　the　world　that　can　fix　what　is　really　broken。　Needless　to　say；　this　rant　could　fill　volumes　with　example　after　example　if　I　would　let　it。　I　find　the　process　of　writing　it　frustrating；　tedious；　and　probably　pointless…　especially　given　my　gross　inability　to　gracefully　articulate　my　thoughts　in　light　of　the　storm　raging　in　my　head。　Exactly　what　is　therapeutic　about　that　I’m　not　sure；　but　desperate　times　call　for　desperate　measures。

We　are　all　taught　as　children　that　without　laws　there　would　be　no　society；　only　anarchy。　Sadly；　starting　at　early　ages　we　in　this　country　have　been　brainwashed　to　believe　that；　in　return　for　our　dedication　and　service；　our　government　stands　for　justice　for　all。　We　are　further　brainwashed　to　believe　that　there　is　freedom　in　this　place；　and　that　we　should　be　ready　to　lay　our　lives　down　for　the　noble　principals　represented　by　its　founding　fathers。　Remember？　One　of　these　was　“no　taxation　without　representation”。　I　have　spent　the　total　years　of　my　adulthood　unlearning　that　crap　from　only　a　few　years　of　my　childhood。　These　days　anyone　who　really　stands　up　for　that　principal　is　promptly　labeled　a　“crackpot”；　traitor　and　worse。

While　very　few　working　people　would　say　they　haven’t　had　their　fair　share　of　taxes　（as　can　I）；　in　my　lifetime　I　can　say　with　a　great　degree　of　certainty　that　there　has　never　been　a　politician　cast　a　vote　on　any　matter　with　the　likes　of　me　or　my　interests　in　mind。　Nor；　for　that　matter；　are　they　the　least　bit　interested　in　me　or　anything　I　have　to　say。

Why　is　it　that　a　handful　of　thugs　and　plunderers　can　mit　unthinkable　atrocities　（and　in　the　case　of　the　GM　executives；　for　scores　of　years）　and　when　it’s　time　for　their　gravy　train　to　crash　under　the　weight　of　their　gluttony　and　overwhelming　stupidity；　the　force　of　the　full　federal　government　has　no　difficulty　ing　to　their　aid　within　days　if　not　hours？　Yet　at　the　same　time；　the　joke　we　call　the　American　medical　system；　including　the　drug　and　insurance　panies；　are　murdering　tens　of　thousands　of　people　a　year　and　stealing　from　the　corpses　and　victims　they　cripple；　and　this　country’s　leaders　don’t　see　this　as　important　as　bailing　out　a　few　of　their　vile；　rich　cronies。　Yet；　the　political　“representatives”　（thieves；　liars；　and　self…serving　scumbags　is　far　more　accurate）　have　endless　time　to　sit　around　for　year　after　year　and　debate　the　state　of　the　“terrible　health　care　problem”。　It’s　clear　they　see　no　crisis　as　long　as　the　dead　people　don’t　get　in　the　way　of　their　corporate　profits　rolling　in。

And　justice？　You’ve　got　to　be　kidding！

How　can　any　rational　individual　explain　that　white　elephant　conundrum　in　the　middle　of　our　tax　system　and；　indeed；　our　entire　legal　system？　Here　we　have　a　system　that　is；　by　far；　too　plicated　for　the　brightest　of　the　master　scholars　to　understand。　Yet；　it　mercilessly　“holds　accountable”　its　victims；　claiming　that　they’re　responsible　for　fully　plying　with　laws　not　even　the　experts　understand。　The　law　“requires”　a　signature　on　the　bottom　of　a　tax　filing；　yet　no　one　can　say　truthfully　that　they　understand　what　they　are　signing；　if　that’s　not　“duress”　than　what　is。　If　this　is　not　the　measure　of　a　totalitarian　regime；　nothing　is。

How　did　I　get　here？

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　plete　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。

Before　even　having　to　make　a　shaky　recovery　from　the　sting　of　the　first　lesson　on　what　justice　really　means　in　this　country　（around　1984　after　making　my　way　through　engineering　school　and　still　another　five　years　of　“paying　my　dues”）；　I　felt　I　finally　had　to　take　a　chance　of　launching　my　dream　of　being　an　independent　engineer。

On　the　subjects　of　engineers　and　dreams　of　independence；　I　should　digress　somewhat　to　say　that　I’m　sure　that　I　inherited　the　fascination　for　creative　problem　solving　from　my　father。　I　realized　this　at　a　very　young　age。

The　significance　of　independence；　however；　came　much　later　during　my　early　years　of　college；　at　the　age　of　18　or　19　when　I　was　living　on　my　own　as　student　in　an　apartment　in　Harrisburg；　Pennsylvania。　My　neighbor　was　an　elderly　retired　woman　（80＋　seemed　ancient　to　me　at　that　age）　who　was　the　widowed　wife　of　a　retired　steel　worker。　Her　husband　had　worked　all　his　life　in　the　steel　mills　of　central　Pennsylvania　with　promises　from　big　business　and　the　union　that；　for　his　30　years　of　service；　he　would　have　a　pension　and　medical　care　to　look　forward　to　in　his　retirement。　Instead　he　was　one　of　the　thousands　who　got　nothing　because　the　inpetent　mill　management　and　corrupt　union　（not　to　mention　the　government）　raided　their　pension　funds　and　stole　their　retirement。　All　she　had　was　social　security　to　live　on。

In　retrospect；　the　situation　was　laughable　because　here　I　was　living　on　peanut　butter　and　bread　（or　Ritz　crackers　when　I　could　afford　to　splurge）　for　months　at　a　time。　When　I　got　to　know　this　poor　figure　and　heard　her　story　I　felt　worse　for　her　plight　than　for　my　own　（I；　after　all；　I　thought　I　had　everything　to　in　front　of　me）。　I　was　genuinely　appalled　at　one　point；　as　we　exchanged　stories　and　miserated　with　each　other　over　our　situations；　when　she　in　her　grandmotherly　fashion　tried　to　convince　me　that　I　would　be　“healthier”　eating　cat　food　（like　her）　rather　than　trying　to　get　all　my　substance　from　peanut　butter　and　bread。　I　couldn’t　quite　go　there；　but　the　impression　was　made。　I　decided　that　I　didn’t　trust　big　business　to　take　care　of　me；　and　that　I　would　take　responsibility　for　my　own　future　and　myself。

Return　to　the　early　‘80s；　and　here　I　was　off　to　a　terrifying　start　as　a　‘wet…behind…the…ears’　contract　software　engineer。。。　and　two　years　later；　thanks　to　the　fine　backroom；　midnight　effort　by　the　sleazy　executives　of　Arthur　Andersen　（the　very　same　folks　who　later　brought　us　Enron　and　other　such　calamities）　and　an　equally　sleazy　New　York　Senator　（Patrick　Moynihan）；　we　saw　the　passage　of　1986　tax　reform　act　with　its　section　1706。

For　you　who　are　unfamiliar；　here　is　the　core　text　of　the　IRS　Section　1706；　defining　the　treatment　of　workers　（such　as　contract　engineers）　for　tax　purposes。　Visit　this　link　for　a　conference　mittee　report　（synergistech/1706。shtml#ConferencemitteeReport）　regarding　the　intended　interpretation　of　Section　1706　and　the　relevant　parts　of　Section　530；　as　amended。　For　information　on　how　these　laws　affect　technical　services　workers　and　their　clients；　read　our　discussion　here　（synergistech/ic…taxlaw。shtml）。

SEC。　1706。　TREATMENT　OF　CERTAIN　TECHNICAL　PERSONNEL。

（a）　IN　GENERAL　…　Section　530　of　the　Revenue　Act　of　1978　is　amended　by　adding　at　the　end　thereof　the　following　new　subsection：

（d）　EXCEPTION。　…　This　section　shall　not　apply　in　the　case　of　an　individual　who　pursuant　to　an　arrangement　between　the　taxpayer　and　another　person；　provides　services　for　such　other　person　as　an　engineer；　designer；　drafter；　puter　programmer；　systems　analyst；　or　other　similarly　skilled　worker　engaged　in　a　similar　line　of　work。

（b）　EFFECTIVE　DATE。　…　The　amendment　made　by　this　section　shall　apply　to　remuneration　paid　and　services　rendered　after　December　31；　1986。

Note：

·　〃another　person〃　is　the　client　in　the　traditional　job…shop　relationship。

·　〃taxpayer〃　is　the　recruiter；　broker；　agency；　or　job　shop。

·　〃individual〃；　〃employee〃；　or　〃worker〃　is　you。

Admittedly；　you　need　to　read　the　treatment　to　understand　what　it　is　saying　but　it’s　not　very　plicated。　The　bottom　line　is　that　they　may　as　well　have　put　my　name　right　in　the　text　of　section　（d）。　Moreover；　they　could　only　have　been　more　blunt　if　they　would　have　came　out　and　directly　declared　me　a　criminal　and　non…citizen　slave。　Twenty　years　later；　I　still　can’t　believe　my　eyes。

During　1987；　I　spent　close　to　5000　of　my　‘pocket　change’；　and　at　least　1000　hours　of　my　time　writing；　printing；　and　mailing　to　any　senator；　congressman；　governor；　or　slug　that　might　listen；　none　did；　and　they　universally　treated　me　as　if　I　was　wasting　their　time。　I　spent　countless　hours　on　the　L。A。　freeways　driving　to　meetings　and　any　and　all　of　the　disorganized　professional　groups　who　were　attempting　to　mount　a　campaign　against　this　atrocity。　This；　only　to　discover　that　our　efforts　were　being　easily　derailed　by　a　few　moles　from　the　brokers　who　were　just　beginning　to　enjoy　the　windfall　from　the　new　declaration　of　their　“freedom”。　Oh；　and　don’t　forget；　for　all　of　the　time　I　was　spending　on　this；　I　was　loosing　ine　that　I　couldn’t　bill　clients。

After　months　of　struggling　it　had　clearly　gotten　to　be　a　fu