If the USA attacks Iran you're not gona pay your taxes? Why after the attack? Why not before the attack? So you're not gonna pay your taxes because you think that's gonna do or mean, what? I don't get your point.

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I support your civil disobedience, Thoreau would be proud to call you ally. But how dare you introduce facts and informed conjecture into the bizarro parallel world of our boy emperor's concoction? I swear, once he was appointed our dear leader, he must have thought he was installed by God and acted accordingly. And when he realized that after 9/11 he could get away with any whim that his black little heart desired, even though the attack was disregarded when still preventable, and ignored while in progress, he must have thought everything was right on plan. The only thing left was to declare a 'war on terror' (a tactic), use that to unconstitutionally seize wartime powers, then launch a real war on an unrelated country to destabilize the region to make sure oil prices stay high and keep his corporate masters happy. We've done everything we could not to succeed. He is either insane, trying to bring on Armegeddon, shilling for big money, or he's actually a Manchurian candidate. The 'man' has lost his soul, and it would be fitting if his soul had to experience fly-on-the-wall fashion every minute of the life he cut short, had he not deciderated to wage his war of choice. What was the question? Oh yeah, good luck on not paying those taxes, a beach is created one grain at a time. What we need now is a beachful of grains standing up and voicing our outrage at the crimes being done in our name. God Bless you Chris, and Godspeed.

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when Bush was selected by 4 white men and one very confused woman; and the State of Florida and the nation were clearly defrauded. I have no ethical obligation to pay thieves.

No taxation without legal representation.

The Federal Income Tax is unconstitutional, anyway.

If you really want to stop them from attacking Iran, don't buy anything from corporations and occupy Washington D.C. until we get real elections with paper ballots again.

The truth shall set us free. Love is the only way forward.

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If the U.S. attacks Iran, the economy will dive so badly you couldn't afford to pay taxes anyway.

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Maybe there’s a joke here and I’m just not seeing it. The administrations caustic rhetoric with our military forces in such close proximity to Iran is dangerous. Keep in mind that the USA is not the only country with a village idiot, Iran has a few too. Wars really do start this way and, if we start a war with Iran, they start one with us or, it starts because one village idiot mistakenly fires on another, the constitutionality of paying taxes in the US won't be something that you'll be concerned about.

If everyone does not pay their taxes I doubt it will prevent them from attacking Iran or stop the attack once it has started. But I'm cool with that, if that’s what you wanna do . . .

Actually though, I think Chris is on to something and economic actions by individual citizens are steps that need to be seriously considered by everyone. However, any actions taken if there gonna stop a war must have implications beyond civil disobedience.

The folks that think that they will profit from a war with Iran do so because they believe that the American public would never voluntarily stop driving their SUV’s. But what would happen if they did, pick one day a week to stop driving and burning fossil fuels? Perhaps, some of the folks in Europe, who are just as sick of this mess as most Americans, will follow our lead and do the same and folks in other places as well.

I believe actions like this will catch on, I believe they will impact the price of oil and I believe that it will send a message to the folks that aim to profit from a war between the US and Iran that the time of big oil is coming to a close.

What do you believe?

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This is something that I have thought about but until now had not heard openly discussed. If the House and Senate won't stop funding the obscenity that our government is committing against the men, women and little children of Iraq, how come we can't do it?

How 'bout WEEDA PEOPLE, BABY???

If enough of us stood up and shouted "ENOUGH" it could happen. We could put the fucking military industial complex out of business forever if we really wanted to. Why is it that so much of our national treasure is wasted on the lifestyles of armaments dealers? The cold war ended almost twenty years ago (that is, before it was re-kindled by the half-witted piece of shit who at this very moment sleeps in the executive mansion). Why do we have to continue pissing our fortune away on companies that are turning this planet into a powder keg? It could happen - but it's only going to happen when all of us decide to take our country back from these hideous bastards and bitches (Hi, Condi!) Why can't we just stand up and say "We're not going to fund your holocaust machine any longer."

Enough already!

Tom Degan
Goshen, NY
SING, SCOTTY, SING!

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Chris,

Jackblack is right. Why now? Alternet bloggers for the most part seem to be educated, intelligent, and able to reason, for the most part. Granted we who write comments do not all agree with each other and opinions vary greatly. So Chris since you bring up the subject of not paying taxes then maybe you should research that subject matter some and discover that some brilliant minds, including former IRS agents have already concluded that no true american should be paying the income tax because it is an illegal system.

Of course some wise ass will probably comment that this supposed illegal income tax stuff is all BS. If that should happen then it will tell me that the person saying it, really isn't that educated and knows not what they talk about.

Chris we have heard hollywood elitists claim they'd move out of the country in 04 if Bush got elected again and guess what, they're still here. The few who actually did flee to Canada after the election of 04 are now faced with the SPP and will soon find themselves once again under Bush's Amero system, another illegal operation.

Tom Degan suggests we take back our country and I agree but based upon the various blogs and comments all over the alternet web site, there aren't ten people who agree on anything and most are still convinced the Democrats are still our last hope. Ah, sleep on you slumbering masses who believe that there is still hope within one of the main parties but as for me I'm a realist. I can look at history and learn from it that we've had both parties in charge a few times over the past two hundred plus years and that's the reason we're in this mess. In fact just look at how Democrats's have operated just since the last election and you'll see if you choose to, that they have pretty much caved to the Bush Administration. The reason for this is because they are all so corrupted that they are blackmailed or bribed into staying the course.

So if Alternet is any indication of just how soon people will come together and work for a common cause, such as restoring our Constitutional Republic, it most likely will never happen. Hell, some people commenting on Alternet don't think we should even have a Constitution or be a nation anymore. How's that for true patriots.

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This idea sounds good on paper. Unfortunately I don't think it would work. The IRS can garnish wages and raid existing bank accounts for money owed to them. I don't see why an escrow account would offer any protection--they'd just take it.

However, if this would indeed be legal--if the taxes were considered to be paid by the IRS even if they could not access the funds--I'd be interested in participating. But having had the IRS up my butt in the past I'm not willing to subject my family to being driven to the brink of bankruptcy again, sorry.

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Do you think the Feds will let you write from jail.. Somehow, I don't think the IRS cares about your political views!

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rocketman & mazel you are correct.

About two years ago, my ex-husband started a business, which unfortunately failed within a few months. As a result, he owed the IRS about $25k. This year the IRS froze every account with my ex-husband's SS#. Guess what? My ex-husband co-signed a loan with our son to buy a car 4 years ago. My son, who is serving in Iraq, tried to get money out of his bank account the other day and could not access one penny because the IRS had frozen that joint account.

The IRS is a insidious, soulless behemoth. There has to be another way.

Oh, and my son in Iraq? He managed to borrow some money from two of his Iraqi interpreters while things get worked out with the IRS.

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The problem with economic disobediance is that its literally a drop in the bucket. Remember that the government gets a very large chunk of its war-mongering blood money from sales taxes and fees the multinational bankers pay while throwing our money away on bad business bets (thanks Fed...). I, too would love to see the whole USA stand up and tell the bastards in power where to stick their war and for the rest of the world to join us in doing so, but its a utopian dream that has no basis in reality. As long as the dumbasses here in the USA have their tank-sized SUV's, fake, worthless but flashy bling and their 2.5 fashion accessories... I mean children... nothing is going to change. It was said in another column that its going to take SERIOUS pain for the USA to wake up, and I think that statement is accurate. The psychotic bastards in control have already won, in my opinion. The old remedies used by the folks in the 60's won't work now- the people are too fat, stupid, apathetic and comfortable. Conversely, working within the system won't work because the foxes now rule the henhouse- they have set it up for an unending dynasty and completely subverted the lobotomized citizenry of this dying country. People here on AlterNet rage and wail on the things they would like to see people do to take America back from the yawning abyss we're leaning over, but people in general don't seem to understand that the time for resistance and revolt was already past by the mid-1980's. We ARE going to war with Iran, short of an all-out revolution, which is about as likely of winning the lottery. Its only a matter of ironing out the details now. We ARE going to see martial law declared here, and soon- again, its already been determined by the Big Money Party which runs the government; they're just waiting on the pretext event to happen to impliment it. If these aren't done by Bush the Traitor, they'll be done by Hillary the Traitor shortly thereafter. Its past time to think about resistance and its getting pretty late in the game to think about how to survive the dawning of the new Dark Age coming on us. I hate to sound like a apocalyptic survivalist, but unfortunately, I think all their predictions are just about to manifest themselves. Prepare yourselves as best you can, 'cause the end of even the quasi-free modern society, as we understand it, is near.

God save us all.

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Chris isn't suggesting an elaborate plan to thwart a war with Iran, nor does he have to to be making a point. He's saying that there's something human about him he refuses to relinquish by paying income tax to an unjust government.

As to the first commenter, how can you be so dense? You don't ground a kid before they've done something to deserve it. Whether Hedges should have done that last year or the year before is irrelevant. His point is that a war with Iran is the last and irredeemable straw in what we all know is a long list of offenses.

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Chris isn't suggesting an elaborate plan to thwart a war with Iran, nor does he have to to be making a point. He's saying that there's something human about him he refuses to relinquish by paying income tax to an unjust government.

As to the first commenter, how can you be so dense? You don't ground a kid before they've done something to deserve it. Whether Hedges should have done that last year or the year before is irrelevant. His point is that a war with Iran is the last and irredeemable straw in what we all know is a long list of offenses.

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I not only started years ago (1986)recommending that people do everything legal (there are literally dozens of ways) to avoid paying income taxes, I started doing it. I haven't paid income tax since 1979. The tactic is part of the reason I was dubbed "the guerrilla lawyer" by Colorado reporter James Frazier. I wrote a book, "Letters to Aaron, the Hal Luebbert Story" about my war with the U.S. government, and it's on my www.judoknighterrant.com Website.

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A much more effective way to stop this war is through putting heat on our major corporations- stop buying all this stuff we don't need. Turn down the thermostat. Burn less gasoline. Stop eating out. Those who can, stop buying insurance. Buy everything you can from small independent retailers. stay out of Wal-Mart. Buy your phone and internet from smaller telecomms. Stop gambling and buying lottery tickets. Stop using credit as much as possible. You hurt them, and you hurt bushco and the corporate legislatures on both sides of the isle.

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I think "hitting them where it hurts" is a good idea but not paying your taxes is a bad one. After all the govt. can and will eventually come after you if you do not pay your taxes. I think there is a better way.

This whole mess in the middle east and also the mess in our corporate controlled govt. is about making money. In the middle east the money is in OIL. Lot's of corporations are making big money rebuilding the destruction and devastation we inflicted on Iraq and feeding and taking care of our children we sent over there to demolish the country. But the money paid to these corporations is coming from the sale of Iraq's oil.

If the people in this country (US) changed our life styles so we quit guzzling gas and oil in significant enough ways it would cut the demand for oil drastically. Countries like Iraq, Saudi Arabia and others that supply us with that oil would quickly be swimming in thier oil and the price for that oil would come down drastically and the urge to over throw governments of oil producing countries and steal thier natural resource would go away. Hense, no reason to go to war. This sounds rather far fetched but it could be done and it would probably not need to be all that drastic of a change.

If everyone (EVERYONE)in this country took a week off of work and simply hung around the house being with thier families and friends and didn't drive thier cars anywhere for that week it would send a shock wave thru OPEC so intense the price of oil would come down dramatically and immediately. Do that enough times and oil is no longer the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Thieves like the current administration and all the cronnie corporations that are profiting big time stealing the revenues from Iraq and soon to be Iran would loose interest in doing so.

Yes hit them where it hurts, but do it without putting yourself in jeopardy. We the people of this country have the ability to manipulate our bought and paid for govt. even though we do not have the monetary means that the current govt. manipulators do. But if no is buying thier product (oil in this case) then they are not making the money they need to buy the govt. off. Simply laws of supply and demand.....

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Aren't there countries out there that would oppose a BushCo invasion of Iran with their own military threats and/or reprisals? Why would European countries with economic ties to Iran not object vociferously? Wouldn't Russia and China have serious objections?

Certainly the logic of projected fallout from other Islamic nations is clear from the article, but I can't help wondering whether the rest of the international community, equally aware of fallout potential, would just sit by and let it happen.

I sincerely hope they would not--whatever the effect on this country which has so thoroughly lost its soul.

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if bush attacks iran, there won't be much left to pay taxes on.

i still don't think he's dumb enough to open a 4th front. let me amend that--i HOPE he's not.

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I haven't paid taxes in 20+ years. It's really very easy; just don't make much money. Another option is to be a multi-millionaire Republican and stick a cow in a corner of your estate and plant a tomato and not plant corn and claim agricultural exemptions and so forth. While my not paying taxes has done nothing to stop Bush, I'm happy that I haven't paid for any of it.

Anyway, the point of the article had less to do with paying of taxes and the horror that the Bush regime is hoping to release on us and the rest of the world. Americans really need to care more - and I have no idea how to make that happen. We could use some general strikes, like you see happening in France, to shut down the country. It would probably get people imprisoned for aiding and abetting the enemy. But people are going to have to go to jail before this regime is forced to listen to the people.

I just can't imagine this regime allowing a real change, even through elections. Whether this means stealing elections again or declaring martial law, I don't know. But we are already in deep sh** and we seem to be heading deeper into it. As long as the majority of middle and working class people can buy inexpensive food and cheap toys and clothes at WalMart, I can't see much hope for change. It seems that we have sold our souls for a house full of useless gadgets and a stomach full of chemically-enhanced food.

Sorry for the pessimism.

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www.zeitgeistmovie.com

lots of thought-provoking (ok,scary) info about war, taxes, corporate control, federal reserve, world domination, etc...

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Russia
200 ICBM
7 stories underground
Each prepared to load 10 Hi tech nuclear warheads
Each ICBM can destroy a 200 miles radius.
Two will remove North Carolina from the map.
Just when my golf game is peaking. Darn!

Pentagon admits we cannot stop a russian ICBM once it is launched.

Has low-heat emission engines and hi tech decoys.

Putin plus two top Generals have warned our state department not to bomb Iran.

This is possible Armageddon.
Makes Rev. John Hogee happy.

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I wonder if all of those opposed to the tyranny were to put ourselves on a Retail and Oil "diet", if in fact it would have any affect on the present situation. It seems that demonstrations go unnoticed because those news sources that would have covered them in the past have been bought up and converted to propaganda machines.

If we could have an impact on their bottom line, maybe finally they would listen. Caesar Chavez saw results from the grape boycott.

They can put us in jail for not paying taxes but they can't make us buy their products and support them through sales tax.

The States could eventually feel real pain at the loss of revenue and then hopefully the constituents voices via Capital Hill would have a better chance of being heard..

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Chris, as a writer for the NY Times, you should know that they do not need your taxes. The Gov't can print all the money they want. The problem here is the lack of a gold/silver standard. Fiat money is yet another infringement on our rights by the gov't. Add it to the ever-growing list of violations:
They violate the 1st Amendment by opening mail, caging demonstrators and banning books like America Deceived (book) from Amazon.
They violate the 2nd Amendment by confiscating guns during Katrina.
They violate the 4th Amendment by conducting warrant-less wiretaps.
They violate the 5th and 6th Amendment by suspending habeas corpus.
They violate the 8th Amendment by torturing.
They violate the entire Constitution by starting 2 illegal wars based on lies and on behalf of a foriegn gov't.
Support Dr. Ron Paul, he'll shut down the IRS and Mr. Wedge will not need to give any reason to refuse to pay his taxes.

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A brave, brave stand, indeed. I admire you for not biting on the torture. Way to keep 'em guessing.

I vow that if America attacks Iran, I will write snarky Alternet comments. Together, we can do nothing in the face of tyranny.

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Where is the law allowing the government to collect income taxes? If it did exist why would the IRS lose court cases?
Here is a recent video (among many) regarding the matter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5Of8M1MZJQ

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Somehow most everyone still plays the game because of fear.
I haven't got a clue why anyone submits to paying something like taxes when there is no money to be taxed,

With a debt to "other" countries that will if not already amount to over 9 trillion dollars, there is no way the unUnited States" government pirates have any intension of paying. They will default, without a doubt. And I for one made a commitment years ago I would not support pirates, the real ones here. They have no vested interest in the debt they have run up because it's not theirs. They have declared themselves unaccountable by you the people in your ability to overcome their power over you. Any money I contribute is toward running these bastard out of office and marching their asses to the gallows. They are criminals of the highest order.

Bare in mind this tax thing has nothing to do with supporting the "troops". It's about supporting the mercenaries. Yet still not.
Because as Cheney has said, "...debt doesn't matter...".
Paying any tax still it has nothing to do with anything but keeping the illusionary restraints of fear on the public.

All your fears have to do with "not having enough". not being capable to secure your selves from old age sickness and health and shelter.

The government creates money from nothing as required and it doesn't come from you pocket least you voluntarily give it to them'

Sorry folks about the Iran scam. The Iraq scam, the 911 scam. everyone has bought the lie(s) hook line and sinker. They aren't going to cut you loose either.

I know you've all seen the incredible amount of these self storage places all over the country. You take lightly that they are there for you all to store your over consumed junk. They have the best security systems ever. Barbed wire, cameras, high walls, surveillance lights etc.

Well keep this in mind, be consciously aware now. If you all don't focus on forcing congress to Defeat HR1955, there is every reason to believe those storage facilities can be taken over to house you the so called dissidence.

The war in Iran has already started, right here in river city kids.

This is serious as a heart attack. Don't be compliant. get active now!
Relentlessly address this crucial bill in the senate. It's going to rise like sneaky crocodile if you don't inform everyone you know to rib jab you senators to stop it.

The House slam dunked this bill through in an 11th hour vote of 400 to 4, so they could go on their Thanksgiving break. I'll bet top dollar non of them took the time to read and understand the ramification of the bill on shredding the Bill of Rights. (of course if they did read it and agree to it in ernest, we have lost the United States without any question).
Our very existence as a free nation depends on your active revolt of this measure. Because if it is ratified, writing or talking demonstrating, or even expressing your dismay with the government in any way can label you a dissident and you will/can be imprisoned without any due process of law.

Stop HR 1955

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I agree with posters who have stressed the importance of reducing our consumption (especially of oil, through driving) overall. I've done a pretty good job of this (eliminating driving almost entirely despite living in a small town, buying local food and goods whenever possible). But I've promised myself that if bombs start dropping on Iran, I will not go to work. Maybe for just a week, longer if I can manage. I will encourage everyone I know to do the same- even if it's just for a day.

I can't forgive myself for continuing to go to work at the start of the Iraq war. I would have lost my job (and, consequently, my apartment) had I not, but that's not a good enough excuse. I really feel that protesting in the streets isn't even totally neccessary for everyone- if folks just, you know, STOPPED EVERYTHING, it would send a huge message, one that cannot be sent through weekend rallies.

Of course, most folks are content to be good Germans and let their governement destroy the lives of thousands of innocent people because they have to to protect their comfortable lifestyles at all costs.

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Doesn't anybody here have an ordinary job with a W-2?

No wonder hardly anybody on the left gives a sh*t about the working class anymore.

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Dealing with bureaucracy is an exercise in futility.
Organizing relatives, friends,neighbors and the community at the grass root level to dump politicians who serve special interests at the expense of the taxpayer is a start. People who don't care and don't vote have no right to complain when victimized by a soulless bureaucracy.

As far as the Bush league attacking Iran and the risk of retaliatory attacks against US and allied ships in the gulf is concerned - I would be far more concerned about the nuclear armed missiles under the 'control' of Pakistan's military. An attack could be launched at Israel by a coup of Islamic fanatics that only a fool would refuse to acknowledge are in the Pakistan army. Pakistan's Afghanistan border is a two way sieve that is leaking arms to the Taliban and opium to Pakistan and the world.

That fellow Moslems in what is Israel, Palestine and Lebanon and surrounding areas - after all this is a very densely populated area - would perish with Israelis and Christians in such a nuclear attack would cut no ice with religious fanatics who are sufficiently insane in their suicidal rage to take their co- religionists, perceived enemies and the innocent along with them to whatever eternal reward they think may be waiting for them.

Potential occupants in the White House should be required to undergo psychiatric examination before running for office to filter out the suicidal malignant psychopaths.

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If we attack Iran....I am going to straight to the streets! because the senate is likely going to pass S.1959 then I, like many of you, will be deemed terrorists due to our policitcal dissent. Then because of executive order npsd 51 - Bush will probably suspend the next elections and kucinich will try and impeach him and than he will take over the government...
Furthermore, by this time I will have dropped out of law school, and after being released from prison (if i ever am because we have no due process in a time of war - yes this violates the Human Rights Convention of the Americas) I will flee the country and my debtors and booh yah... start working for a better world with out the U.S. involved.

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Go ahead, or are you talk and no action like Barbara Streisand? Or can you talk because you really know more than likely we won't go to war with Iran and you'll never have to fess up? Maybe a lot of your supporters will join you and do the same, but don't bet on it. If you do intend to actually stop paying taxes though, be sure to post your cell number, so we can send you cards and Vaseline.

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We may as well start withholding taxes now if that is our rebellious stance against invading Iran because our Dictator is hell bent on dominating the Middle East, and it's only a matter of time before we are taking that country over too!

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withholding taxes afterwards. If you want to know what you can do, put 'blockade' 'fort lewis' 'iraq' into a google search engine.

Simply put, if you don't pay your taxes and the IRS takes it directly from your paycheck, what's that's supposed to have accomplished?

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You don't pay your taxes, you go directly to jail..punk

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That one was anticipated a long time ago. That's why the majority of have a portion of our incomes WITHHELD every pay period. One thing we CAN do is go on a massive nationwide strike. This accoppmplishes two goals of bringing the nation to a screetching halt and non-payment of income taxes. No income, no withholding. Think that'd get the attention of Capital Hill?

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I have to argue for doing something NOW... not AFTER we bomb Iran. Civil disobedience is necessary but works better as a preventative measure.

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Why not pay the half of your taxes that don't go to the war? Are you protesting disaster relief, flood control programs, aid to veterans, etc?

Will you refuse federal aid if your property is destroyed by wildfires or floods?

Will you set foot in a library or drive on a federal highway?

Hypocrite.

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I stopped paying taxes in 2005. What's more, I have left the U.S. as I can no longer be part of a country which kills people in other countries with such impunity.

I'm living in China now. I've been watching how they are preparing their military and have quietly aligned with Russia and built up coalitions with other countries. While the U.S. has become increasingly insular with its unilateral action in Iraq and heavy-handed approach to other countries (bribing or threatening), a number of alliances and coalitions have been forming all over the world that do not include the U.S.

Of course, these developments are not reported in the mainstream press, which is a government tool to control the minds of the people. However, the issues-oriented approach of the alternative press does not cover global trends and developments much either. So the American people are stumbling along with blinders on and don't get it that the U.S. cannot possibly start a war in Iran and win. In fact, it will not be just a disastrous regional conflict. It will immediately trigger a full-scale global war because almost every other country in the war will fight against the U.S. if it invades Iran.

At this point, most of the other people in the world get it that the U.S. is waging aggressive wars based on false pretexts, which has everyone worried and alarmed. An invasion of Iran will not be tolerated. A best-case scenario might be that the U.S. would effectually lose the war within a week, not only with great loss to Iranians, but also within the U.S. itself. The worst-case scenario is that the U.S. uses nuclear weapons in an air strike against Iran and other countries retaliate, leading to a full-scale nuclear war of global proportions, destroying humanity and contaminating the Earth.

This is not a science fiction plot. It is a very real possibility.

So, what have you personally done to avert this horrific outcome? Have you organized a national strike? Do you think that not paying taxes is sufficient? Have you taken any steps to impeach these war criminals?

Have you examined the connection between capitalism and militarism and the real history of the U.S. and its many wars? Have you disconnected with the suffering of other people in the world that don't have the comforts of those in the U.S.? Do you even care what happens in other countries?

Americans need to wake up and start asking themselves some difficult questions. Why has a culture evolved that rewards the most aggressive and least caring of its people? Why are the greedy ones lauded and allowed to go on exploiting others on a grand scale? Why don't people do something about criminals systematically looting every asset the U.S. has to wage wars and line their own pockets? Why has corruption been allowed to destroy the ideals and institutions of the country? Why have people allowed their rights to be taken away and their democracy eviscerated?

I am personally committed to stopping the U.S. from starting a war in Iran. All I really want to do is lead a peaceful, interesting life, just like most people in the world. However, I feel responsible for my country, even if I no longer live there, and my heart is heavy. Are you committed to stopping the U.S. from invading Iran? If so, what are you doing about it?

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wait, wait, WAIT. Socialists, liberals, leftists, (maybe even Progressives, proto-neo-leftist) and, AND Libertarians (!), all don't want to pay taxes anymore? What IS this site coming too? The next thing I'll see on here is that government has gotten to big to be controlled and should be reduced in size.

Naaa. That can’t happen on a Leftist (Socialist, Liberal, Progressive, whatEVER) site, can it?

We need to re-focus people. Concentrate on the fundamentals here:

* BIG government is ALWAYS good.
* NOT paying taxes is for Libertarians who want drowned government in the bathtub (remember THAT guy).

If everybody stopped paying their taxes, what do you thing would HAPPEN to BIG government? Exactly !! We can't HAVE that.

Ok. Back to the Socialist fundamentals here; otherwise you might as well start running Ron Paul ads.

Keep repeating. Big government is good. The Democrats are our ONLY hope!!! Again. Keep repeating.

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I have just read the last of 155 responses to Chris Hedges' pledge to withhold income tax if Bush and Cheney go to war with Iran. There must have been about 155 conflicting ideas on how to get the attention of Bush and Cheney to let them know we are all mad and we aren't going to take it any longer.

As I live on Social Security and VA survivor's benefits and have no taxable income, I'm not likely to make much of an impression if I abstain from paying income tax. I also, like many others who depend on "entitlements" for survival, am totally at the mercy of a government for which I have not an ounce of respect.

I was very encouraged by both the ideas in the Hedges article and the ideas and opinions of the posters. What I see is that a lot of very smart, creative people are wracking their brains to find a way out of this totally unacceptable and dangerous situation. We've all been defrauded, marginalized and demoralized by this most blatantly destructive of political swindlers.

We ought not to turn on each other when we disagree on how to find our way out of this confusing and deceptive maze. I hope there will be many more ideas on how to make an impression on this blind and deaf administration. We are all in this together and with the wonderful invention of the internet (Thank you, Al!) my hope is that American will and American inventiveness will come up with a way out. Keep us posted!

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It seems a good idea, to refuse to pay income tax to a government that has gotten completely out of hand. I have two questions. What would it really accomplish? And will I have to go to jail?

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The time for clarion calls is past. If you don't pay your taxes, you'll rot in prison with many others who've tried the same form of self-serving "protest." Things have already gone too far to be turned back by a few dissenting voices. Did you notice that the majority is marching in step with the lunatic administration? The Patriot Act stripped away privacy, and the new bill, S.1959 will enforce a program of domestic anti-radicalization that will sweep away dissenters, our own Gestapo. We're passengers on a warship and we're told that we play a part in steering the mad monstrosity, but the captain alone is taking us all to hell on it, and you're not paying taxes will get your door burst in, get you tased and imprisoned in the hold of the ship--where you can still watch us bomb foreign civilians into a bloody pulp.

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Honestly not intending offense, would you consider writing with fewer adjectives? You tend to use two and three adjectives for almost every noun as if to interlace a second commentary into the first one. If you want to make a clear message to readers, consider using just the right nouns and verbs while employing colors (adjectives) more sparsely. They confuse or complexify and thus dilute your message with which I agree (I think). Again, no offense intended.

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If or when Bush attacks Iran and they retaliate as they will Bush is most likely to declare an Emergency and enact NSPD-51 and HSPD-20 as well as this new Anti-Domestic Terrorism and Violent Radicalization Act, and also Executive Order 14348 and The Warner Defense Act and you'll be rounded up and held in the KBR detention camps already built waiting to hold over 160,000 so far..

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Thank you very much for going public. I know you spoke of doing this on your last book tour, so I am guessing you've engaged in a good deal of reflection before making this statement. Most of us who are war tax resisters do not have as much to lose as you do.

War Tax Resistance and Redirection is a nonviolent act of civil disobedience; acts of civil disobedience have consequences which are generally reflected upon and accepted before action is taken. We do this because we can not be true to ourselves otherwise; we respect our consciences more than we fear the IRS.

I would like to recommend that people check out www.wartaxboycott.org and www.nwtrcc.org. On either of these sites you can learn more about war tax resistance. NWTRCC's 2008 War Tax Boycott campaign simply asks that a taxpayer commit to redirecting $1.00 - or more - and register that intention. This campaign is being supported by several national groups, including the Society for Creative Nonviolence, which is coordinating one of our two suggested redirections (medical assistance for Iraqi refugees).

I also suggest that people check out www.peacetaxfund.org (no, it's not a new tax - just a better use for one's taxes).

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I have to submit this. I have for several months made comments on this website and I have enjoyed the ease in which I can get people to so passionately reveal their true nature and ideologies. This sight is a wonderful tool for seeing just how easy it is to get so many people to show just how twisted and insane our logic and our reasoning faculties have become in america. I believe it truly can be said that Alternet proves why we american's are loosing our Republic. We are mostly nuts and insane people and thus we elect those who are likewise, nuts and insane.

Most of the opinions expressed here on alternet are generally personal and lack any modest attempt to support their opinions with real facts and evidence except what they want others to perceive is real evidence. Many of the responses are just insults, inuendo, assumptions, and just plain BS. My personal philosophy on opinions is they are like butt holes. Everyone has one and most of the time they stink.

I find that Alternet is probably a useful tool for Psychologists to study the human mind and determine the extent to which our nation has degraded intellectually. Alternet is one class act for study. I've recommended it for just that purpose and who knows, maybe somebody already is.

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This author has a great point and I think we should all do our part to show our opposition to the further destruction of the world as we know it and of course of the US. If enough people acted in protest, perhaps our sleeping elected officials may make note, wake up and start doing their jobs at stopping that maniac before it's too late for everyone.

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although i do not agree with what dog the bounty hunter said, i believe all of us at one time or another have been guilty of racial or mad tirades at sometime or another....i am not defending dog nor am i judging, i just happen to know what the good book says that none of us are perfect and i am just wondering why it is that when a white man says anything remotely offensive that he is judged so harshley and a black man says on everyday television racist things towards the white race it is taken in stride.....why can't we stand together hold each others hand and become brothers and sisters of understanding that we all make mistakes....ok i know the slave thing....blah blah ....i wasn't there and neither were most of you ..... if i could go back in time to change that i would sorry i can't,but i am tired of the fact that what happened before most of us were born we have to live with the rest of our lives....it's not just the racial thing not just a color thing....it's just a fame game when something can get sharpton,jackson (jesse)kanye west or anyone that acts perfect black or white but in the reality of the situation is just as bad for the judging and do the exact same thing behind closed doors towards differant races....when are you going to understand that know matter the color of your skin you came from one man and one woman that was created by the almighty....therefore like it or not we are all just family....but in the sinister world we live in people think notarioty is better than forgiveness.....so do you believe in GOD???? i have a question, if you do how is it he can give his son to pay for all sins yours and mine and let him be beaten to a pulp and shed his blood to cleanse and forgive us of ours??? i know i am not perfect,i know i have said things in life i regret saying out of the heat of the moment but just ask yourself are you perfect ? have you NEVER said anything about in public or private that you regret? kanye took the advantage of being on TV to say president bush doesn't care about black people,yet he continues to enjoy success....why...that's just as racist if not more so cause he knew he was on tv and took the liberty of blaming someone of a natural disaster when bush directly tried to save people in advance but the governer of la. i believe turned down a week in advance......did NEW ORLEANS HAVE BUSSES DID THEY HAVE WARNING yes but always point finger to act like bigshot and i believe that makes for a hipocrit sorry had to get this off my mind .....people ....there are racist that need God ....there are athiast that need God....and i believe there are a lot of christians and revs. and want to be in the spiritual spotlight that are in dyer need of God....i know i need him more than words can express and will wake up tomorrow needing him even more the thing is do you want the world to be great or do you want the worldly glory?as for me persicute me all you want judge me all you want but God through the name Jesus will be the only way to harmony....there are churches that say come worship and believe that if you don't believe all their way you are hellbound is that not judging????LOVE EVERYONE....PEACE

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I don't understand. I just don't get it! After all this time--after Bush AND Cheney have been exposed not once but many times, as liars of the first water--WHY ARE THEY STILL OCCUPYING OUR WHITE HOUSE? FOLKS--if we IMPEACH THEM, guess what--they won't BE ABLE to start another war with anyone!

And, as an extra ADDED bonus--well, chances are, we'll get our troops back from this useless charnel-house quagmire of Iraq in the bargain: WHAT'S STOPPING THIS PROCESS?! And, don't DARE tell me Nancy Pelosi--she has nothing to do with it, nothing at all. The votes are there in the Congress without hers, AND the Senate--the will is here with the people. Let's MOVE IT! Sheesh, what's so hard?! Then we won't HAVE to worry about Iran getting invaded by this gang of thugs, we won't HAVE to worry about being spied on by this drunken would-be dictator and his henchpeople--is that really too much to ask? Why do you think the Founding Fathers wrote impeachment into our Constitution? Because they looked ahead and saw Bush/Cheney & Co, THAT'S WHY! Is this country so far gone that we can leave this great remedy on the table and let these two goons keep on messing with America and other innocent countries??? I guess what I'm really asking, is: is this still, America???

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I have no wish to live as a citizen of an Evil Empire inspired by Reagan's Latin American genocides, and now ultimately culminating in the mad expansion of military imperialism, as an imperial president, lacking any semblance of foresight, unleashes his private army of jackbooted thugs upon the world he is determined to own.

I've been working for the past two years for his and Cheney's impeachment. As that is looking increasingly more unlikely (due primarily to our Congressful of collaborators), a campaign to promote the massive withholding of taxes appears to be an excellent alternative end for which to continue the Good Fight. I'm ashamed I didn't think of it myself.

The Caesars of history have needed money--a great deal of it--to amass their Empires. And in the present case, we latter-day Romans are being increasingly deprived of our bread, let alone circuses, for rendering unto our delusional Caesar. So I say, you're absolutely right, Mr. Hedges. Let's all spend the fruits of our labors on something utterly frivolous, or donate them to our charity of choice, before we surrender it to finance Bush's fatal grandiosity--or for that matter, Hillary Clinton's personal version of it.

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Who says the american coup d´état started in 9/11 ?
It started the day one president was forced to defend himself, and lie to the country, about something wich was no one's damn business, except perhaps for his own wife.
It continued the day one presidencial election was decided by a judges college, against the american people's will.
You know? American Supreme Court Judges that did it should one day be accounted for it and, if justificated, thrown into jail. I suggest Guantanamo because what they did whas, in itself, an act of terrorism and, has history demonstrated, a liminary act for the future perpetrating of war crimes, beside other indignities.

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Iran is a symptom of something deadly wrong in the world of the 21st century. For many years this has been festering and now it's an out and outright cancer consuming the modern Western world. Sooner or later, the conflict must break out as it did between Japan and the West. There seems to be no accomodation with regiemes such as Iran's. In the pre-modern mentality, the fist seems to be the only understandable language.

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She would be up for attacking Iran. As would the rest of the top tier candidates for the Democrats too.

As of today, there are no viable third party candidates in the Presidential race. So, I guess someone will be going to jail soon unless they renege their previous statements of not paying taxes like the people who claimed they would go to Canada if Bush won oh so many years ago now. Because I do believe at some point we will invade Iran.

the Coalition of the Willing part II

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if all voters opposed to Iraq war joined war resisters league.

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This is a great explanation on why the US is waging war in the Middle East, and an insightful look at history.

If you haven't already seen it, check out Robert Newman's "History of Oil" It's a great British standup routine, that takes a look at the "History of Oil"
http://tinyurl.com/3xucqu

This video contains clips from a PBS documentary that backs up Robert's history on Iran
http://tinyurl.com/36gmz4

Money, Banking and the Federal Reserve is extremely important to understand how the government is financing all this crap. They are causing our dollar to collapse while the defense contractors are raking in all the cash.
http://tinyurl.com/33cke5

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There are always a slough of naysayers.

I say we should be doing it all, everything...protesting in every way, if not then, when? If not that, then what???

We should really be pondering what mass actions can have an impact at this point...what will be our Tea Party?

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The sky is falling, the sky is falling.

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I am a carpenter. thats all i've ever done. and as a result of the building slump, I don't think I will be able to pay taxes! I have lost my car, my cell phone, and next will be my home. so, taxes are unimportant to me at this time.

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Says the author:

". . . a policy of permanent war with nefarious aims -- to intimidate and destroy all those classified as foreign opponents, to create permanent instability and fear and to strip citizens of their constitutional rights."

Actually, he omitted one very critical "nefarious aim": furtherance of corporate interests.

Withholding income tax for an attack on Iran is an intriguing concept. It should be prefaced by a demand upon the IRS, as a matter of right, an explicit breakdown of the proportion of tax going to such military action against Iran, then withholding that percentage of tax. Probably precious few taxpayers are willing to embroil themselves in such a snarl . . . but worth thinking about nonetheless.

I for one do not quarrel with the government's constitutional right in general to levy taxes, nor would I quibble with every item of appropriation. But when a tyrannical president commandeers the entire legislative process to serve his deranged and profoundly anti-American ends, I would indeed be willing to look at a tax protest.

American taxpayers, can we get behind this?

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Not paying personal income taxes is a start. The problem is people have become complacent, everyone is so busy keeping their comfort zone, getting fat chasing the dollar that shrinks daily they have forgotten one another. We are all about ourselves we only come together when something bad happens too bad that is the mentality of thinking everyone is so busy it is all talk no action. If you do not like the way this ass and his cronies in the WH house have presented themselves. Then VOTE, write your congress people, and senators if they do not do anything them we vote their asses out in 08. You have to get tired of being sick and tired. Lets quit the talk lets all get involved and take this country back you will not find the answer in your VISA or Mastercard or in the mall or at WallyWorld. This answer is in each and everyone of us. Challenge authority the time is now for change. It is time to put an end to this Bush Crime family activity and bring justice back. Accountability. Get off your Butts and and take action. Start Today.

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