At 1:53 AM 8/15/96, Alan Horowitz wrote:
In the USA, we have a system that ensures that the burden of proof is on the accuser.
Which explains why in the U.S. the tax authorities take the money first and then require the citizen to be the "accuser" in Tax Court, pleading to get his seized assets back. (To outsiders, the U.S. tax authorities have broad powers to seize properties without any court process, to attach wages, to deputize employers and banks as unpaid tax collectors, and to harass citizens. Citizen-units may sue, of course, but the burden of proof is on them to prove that they are owed a refund. A man who saves money and puts it in his mattress can have it seized and taken from him. He must produce proof that it is his money, never mind that he already paid taxes on it and never mind that there is no way someone who saves currency can have a proper paper trail. So much for "burdens of proof.") --Tim May HOW TO MAKE A PIPE BOMB: "Buy a section of metal water pipe 1/2 by 6 inches long, threaded on both ends. Buy two metal caps to fit. These are standard items in hardware stores. Drill a 1/16th hole in the center of the pipe. This is easy with a good drill bit. Hanson is a good brand to use. Screw a metal cap tightly on one end. Fill the pipe to within 1/2 inch of the top with black powder. Do not pack the powder. Don't even tap the bottom of the pipe to make it settle. You want the powder loose. For maximum explosive effect, you need dry, fine powder sitting loose in a very rigid container." (more information at http://sdcc13.ucsd.edu/~m1lopez/pipe.html, or by using search engines)