It was a lazy Sunday evening, I was pleased to receive a phone call from an old colleague. It has been five years since we worked together.
I was pleased that he had called me via a popular chat app, I had
been urging him to sign up for months.
We shared a mutual fondness for films from the golden era of
Hollywood. After reading my article from 2015 predicting a Trump victory in
2015, politics in the US also became a favorite subject.
He had recently watched many of Humphrey Bogart’s films. He made
the case that In A
Lonely Place (1950) was an underrated gem while Casablanca (1942) was cliched, sentimental, and too itself too seriously. He
also praised All
Through the Night (1942). I made the case that Sidney Pollack’s Sabrina (1995) with Harrison Ford was far superior to Bill Wilder’s original starring Bogart.
We proceeded to politics.
We talked about the possibility of Trump running again in 2024 and
how he is being gratuitously investigated on myriad grounds. He also
wondered how stressful it must be to endure such persecution.
We talked about the Stalinist January 6th Committee
and the arrests of Trump allies such as Peter
Navarro and Steve
Bannon. We talked about the targeting of citizens being
targeted. I mentioned the suicide of Matthew
Perna who attended the January 6th protest
and who committed suicide because he simply couldn’t take the pressure of the
Kafkaesque persecution from the US Justice system.
“I know the feeling, it is very tough” he responded.
I was taken aback by his comment but before I could be asked why
he said what he said, he revealed the details.
“A fortnight back, I received a letter from the IRS that I hadn’t
reported a significant amount of my income and hence I owe them taxes and 1.5
percent interests,” he said.
“You know me, I may joke around. But never take my work lightly
and certainly not my taxes. I report each and every cent of my income, even
minor consultancy work where I get paid small amounts. For almost forty years
of my working life, I assiduously filed taxes with no issues. But now I am
called a tax evader.”
“My accountant through whom I had filed my taxes was perplexed. He
too had verified my filing before submission. After studying the letter, he
said that I had paid taxes for my six consulting assignments for the same firm
together. The IRS wanted me to report each assignment separately and pay taxes
individually.” he said.
“My accountant thinks it could be an error on the part of the IRS.
But I have my suspicions on why this is happening. Last year I donated to
Trump’s campaign. I also attended a Trump rally.” he said
“I never revealed my support for Trump when I worked full-time. I
didn’t want any blowback for me or my family. But now, I have crossed the
retirement age. I do my consulting work because I enjoy it. There’s enough in the bank. The kids have moved out
and are gainfully employed. I saw no harm in making a contribution to
Trump who I think has been great for our nation. I must say my sixth sense said
there may be trouble.” he said laughing sardonically.
A few months later he called again
“My accountant called multiple authorities at the IRS but none had
a satisfactory answer. One of them advised that I should pay what they are
asking for and challenge it later just to avoid the perception that I was
evading taxes. Thankfully, my accountant still says there's no need to pay what
I had already paid” said my former colleague, sounding dismayed.
“So what is the next course of action?” I asked.
“I consulted a lawyer friend about the matter just to be safe. He
laughed it off and said I shouldn’t worry. I must confess I am
shaken. I wonder if is the beginning of something. I know government agencies
have myriad ways at getting back at you. The reason I signed up for this chat
app is that I feel unsafe talking on an unsecured line” he said sounding
serious.
The stress was much more than before and it was palpable. He
usually is a cheerful gent who loves to laugh, but all that had changed. The
ebullience was replaced by paranoia.
A few months before he called again
“I’m free,” he said sounding like his jovial previous self
Before I could say another word, he expounded.
“My accountant tracked an IRS authority who examined my tax
records and unequivocally acknowledged that it was an error and I owed them
nothing. I was partially relieved. The relief was total when I received a
letter from the IRS asking me to disregard this previous communication. It also
contained a tax refund form for a refund which I didn’t need since I hadn’t
paid” said he sounding relieved.
“Time for a celebration” I responded
“I wondered if it was just a warning. Was this the government
saying “we spared you this time, stay away from Trump or there will be blood.”
So I enquired with my fellow consultants, who asked other their colleagues. It
turns out others also received similar notices. One of them I know very well,
she is a hardcore Democrat – she even took time off to work for Hillary's
campaign. I guess it wasn’t political after all.” he concluded.
Shakespeare once wrote that ‘all’s well, that end’s well, but the
ordeal lasted for over five months. While the matter may have closed,
there are some disturbing takeaways.
Freedom is the central tenet in a democracy. The right of choice –
from the choice of profession to the choice of snack. Somewhere in the middle
is the choice of a political party to support both politically and financially.
While the constitution may say that the citizen is free, real
freedom is only the mind is free and fearless. When a citizen begins to
hesitate to support a political party or speak freely, even dues to hearsay or
perhaps from items in the news. The written words in the constitution are
rendered meaningless and so is democracy.
My former colleague's apprehensions were obviously unfounded. But
the fact that the thought that he may have been persecuted because of his political
beliefs demonstrates that Democratic values on the ground is gradually
eroding.
When citizens see a rich, famous, powerful, and former President
being relentlessly persecuted and his home being raided, he has every right to
wonder “if could happen to me”
It doesn’t help when Joe Biden says that the “MAGA crowd is
really the most
extreme political organization that’s existed”
in recent American history.
It was hard to tell the effect such incidents have.
Perhaps he may decide never to donate to Trump again or attend any
rally because he desires a life of peace free from hassles.
The Democrats have created a climate of fear and have effectively
criminalized political opposition. They certainly benefit if people hesitate
to donate or support the party challenging them.
Also appears on American Thinker
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