The Austin plane crash was a criminal act! No, it was an act of domestic terror! No, it's two, two, two acts in one!

“Tastes great! Less filling! Tastes great! Less filling!”

I suppose it to be somewhat flippant to talk about the aftermath of yesterday’s suicide plane crash in Austin in terms of a beer commercial. But then, some of the discussion bouncing around as to whether the incident was solely a criminal act or an act of domestic terrorism is about as weighty as the 1980s Miller Lite commercials.

There is no doubt that some minds and hearts were filled with terror when 53-year-old Joe Stack of Austin flew his single-engine Piper aircraft into a multi-story North Austin building that housed almost 200 IRS employees. The crash and resulting fire injured more than a dozen and killed an IRS employee as well as Stack.

Much is to be examined and digested in the aftermath of this act which a man who apparently had years of rage bottled up, over the IRS, Catholic Church and other institutions he felt wronged him, came uncorked. But seemingly one of the least important matters, it seems to me, is whether this act should be labeled just a criminal act or a case of domestic terror. Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo told reporters yesterday at a press conference to pick one when it comes to a word describing the intended crash as criminal or domestic terror.

Today, Fox News, which in my mind is about the most pissy news organizations around, had an online story titled: Austin Plane Crash: Criminal Act or Domestic Terrorism? The answer is, to paraphrase another old TV commercial  tagline, this one from Certs breath mints: “It’s two, two, two acts in one.”

Yes when Stack went on his rampage and dived into the building along U.S. 183 near Loop 360 in Austin he certainly committed a crime, most likely several. That is not to mention intentionally setting fire to his own home before heading to Georgetown Municipal Airport to launch his airplane.

What Stack did Thursday morning likewise fits many definitions of what an act of terrorism is. As left-leaning blog “Crooks and Liars” writes: “Huh? Since when is attempting to blow up a federal building not an act of domestic terror?” However, I’m not certain the building or buildings in the office park where the crash happened were actually “federal” buildings rather than just commercial buildings leased by the government. But until I read the C & L  piece I had, quite the opposite, felt Fox was trying to hang the terror label on the incident in order that the right may use it to claim Obama and his minions are soft on terror and let this happen. But I see I had mistaken Fox’s motives. They are still pissy.

What does it matter though, I mean, really? The act was terrorism in the legal sense as Crooks and Liars points out in their link to the FBI’s terrorism definitions:

**International terrorism investigations are conducted in accordance with “The Attorney General Guidelines for FBI Foreign Intelligence Collection and Foreign Counterintelligence Investigations.” These guidelines set forth the predication level and limits for investigating U.S. persons or foreign nationals in the United States who are targeting national security interests on behalf of a foreign power.

The act was one which did nothing but hurt people. It didn’t solve any problems. You can call it a “suicide bombing” or as Fox News used to say, while dutifully kissing President Gee Dubya Bush’s ass, a “homicide bombing.” I can’t see any earthly reason why it matters if this be couched in a particular term because any term covering this cowardly, criminal, reprehensible, terroristic act seems just about apt.

It was all a big waste, was what it was.