Speculation about my wealth is rather pointless, since you know nothing about me, and would be unwise to accept any story I told you. These comment boards are rife with false biographies.
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Just as is your speculation about me - [
"Just out of curiosity, you seem to have a problem with inherited income and property. Do you apply that to everyone, or just the people you find objectionable. I believe in the right to private property and the rule of law, including centuries-old agreements, but perhaps you're an anarchist?"].
I think we would both agree that taxes are a necessity to a healthy and functioning democracy, for maintaining the commons, for the public good. Individuals can't possibly provide common or public goods for themselves. That means taxes.
Nobody likes paying them but everybody loves the services they provide. So we've invented a complicated and varied methods for obtaining money to pay for the Common Good, from taxing incomes to taxing sales.
Since we're also a nation founded on the principle that each of us is born equal, with the same opportunities to pursue our dreams (within reason - if you're born tone deaf, you're never going to be a Pavarotti), we tax inheritances. You can't take it with you, and why should your children be born with a leg up over everyone else?
Bill Gates's children may have a leg up over everyone else's children due to (presumably) getting a better education, nutrition, medical care, etc., as a result of coming into the world with parents who could afford the best of everything, what have they done to deserve a fortune falling into their laps on their father's death? Bill Gates gets it and isn't leaving his fortune to his children, but instead to "the Commons (his foundation)".
Then there are
these people.
But we're not even talking about confiscating money/property from one-generational success stories like Gates and Siegle: We're talking about one family's obscene wealth that comes from what is public property obtained 700 years ago, and for doing nothing. For posing in front of cameras.
The value of labor.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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