IRS Subscribed to Cypherpunks

[Dale Thorn]

Duncan Frissell wrote:
> Got the following bounce.  The Cc: was to a real address.
> >Date: Tue, 5 Nov 1996 05:24:21 -0500
> >From: Administrator at ccmail.irs.gov (Administrator)
> >Subject: Message not deliverable
> >To: Duncan Frissell <frissell at panix.com>
> >Cc: XXXXXXXXX (Administrator)
> >Content-Description: cc:Mail note part

> >At 04:45 AM 11/4/96 -0800, Declan McCullagh wrote:
> >>Libertarianism is not incompatible with strict regulations, as long as
> >>the rules violate nobody's rights.

> >Obviously many voluntary religious organizations have quite strict rules
> >for their members and are compatible with libertarianism.  Government
> >monopoly regulations that cannot be opted out of are not compatible with
> >libertarianism.  Instead of using the loaded term "regulations' it might be
> >better to call things like the rules of the cypherpunk's list "club rules"
> >or protocols.

Could be several things.  The IRS has (as of my visit in early 1996, anyway) adopted
the "hitman" technique of auditing, with specific per-hour $ goals, like traffic cops.

I'd guess at three things here.  1) Anyone hawking a product or engaging in barter, etc.
who is not paying the maximum tax, and  2) Studying certain aspects of net behavior or
usage for tax purposes, and  3) Trolling for fraud.