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> Don't forget that the IRS is one of the largest purchasers of ammunition of any govt agency. “The IRS purchases guns and ammunition for special agents in its

> Don't forget that the IRS is one of the largest purchasers of ammunition of any govt agency. “The IRS purchases guns and ammunition for special agents in its criminal investigation division, a law enforcement branch established in 1919. The typical IRS auditors that Americans would encounter in a routine audit are unarmed. … Special agents train for weeks at the National Criminal Investigation Training Academy in Georgia, the 2021 report said. That includes firearms training and handgun qualifications for agents, which is a big reason for the large orders for ammunition.” https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2022/aug/12/matt-gaetz/no-biden-not-arming-irs-guns-and-ammunition/ https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2022/aug/12/matt-gaetz...

silisili 4y ago
That explanation doesn't make me feel any better. I'm not blaming Biden or a boogeyman army. It doesn't make sense at all that a revenue department purchases guns and ammunition. Does your company's accounting department train with weapons and purchase large amounts? Why does the US Government? Let the IRS do money works, and any of the other armed departments do the shooting, I guess.
- culturestate 4y ago
  > It doesn't make sense at all that a revenue department purchases guns and ammunition. Historically, it made plenty of sense. Financial crimes can’t always be solved behind a desk - there was a time when most tax evasion investigations were against gangsters running illegal liquor operations, for example. Al Capone was arrested by treasury agents, not the FBI. Whether it still makes sense in 2023 is different question that I’d never really thought about until this moment, but my knee jerk reaction is…maybe it does? Hoover taught us what happens when you concentrate too much power in a single law enforcement agency.
  - XorNot 4y ago
    Questioning why agents of any government department that does field work might need to be armed, in the US, land of "buy a gun at Walmart" seems like an odd take, when you have people open carrying to go to Starbucks.
  - midoridensha 4y ago
    No, I think it's just because of an overall lack of centralization and the tendency for US federal agencies to continue to grow in power instead of coordinating with other agencies, resulting in a massive amount of duplication of functions and capabilities. In a well-designed government, the IRS would not have any armed agents. If they have an operation where they need armed support, they'd simply call up some other agency (perhaps the FBI, or even local police or SWAT teams) that specializes more in armed agents and operations, and partner with them to conduct the operation. IRS agents don't need to shoot at people; they can let some other highly-trained people do that, and then come in after the bullets have stopped flying and seize documents and analyze them.

silisili 4y ago

That explanation doesn't make me feel any better. I'm not blaming Biden or a boogeyman army. It doesn't make sense at all that a revenue department purchases guns and ammunition. Does your company's accounting department train with weapons and purchase large amounts? Why does the US Government? Let the IRS do money works, and any of the other armed departments do the shooting, I guess.

culturestate 4y ago
> It doesn't make sense at all that a revenue department purchases guns and ammunition. Historically, it made plenty of sense. Financial crimes can’t always be solved behind a desk - there was a time when most tax evasion investigations were against gangsters running illegal liquor operations, for example. Al Capone was arrested by treasury agents, not the FBI. Whether it still makes sense in 2023 is different question that I’d never really thought about until this moment, but my knee jerk reaction is…maybe it does? Hoover taught us what happens when you concentrate too much power in a single law enforcement agency.
- XorNot 4y ago
  Questioning why agents of any government department that does field work might need to be armed, in the US, land of "buy a gun at Walmart" seems like an odd take, when you have people open carrying to go to Starbucks.
- midoridensha 4y ago
  No, I think it's just because of an overall lack of centralization and the tendency for US federal agencies to continue to grow in power instead of coordinating with other agencies, resulting in a massive amount of duplication of functions and capabilities. In a well-designed government, the IRS would not have any armed agents. If they have an operation where they need armed support, they'd simply call up some other agency (perhaps the FBI, or even local police or SWAT teams) that specializes more in armed agents and operations, and partner with them to conduct the operation. IRS agents don't need to shoot at people; they can let some other highly-trained people do that, and then come in after the bullets have stopped flying and seize documents and analyze them.