Speed limit is set by road condition, traffic, weather, etc. In heavy traffic, the speed limit can be 0. In rain, some highways dynamically adjust the speed lim

Speed limit is set by road condition, traffic, weather, etc. In heavy traffic, the speed limit can be 0. In rain, some highways dynamically adjust the speed limit down. Speed limits aren't set as a society, they are set by traffic engineers on a case by case basis. And of course startup founders benefit from positive externality of others. In the case of employees, they have defined and agreed upon compensation. In the case of medical research, you will benefit from $1 billion for a set period of time, before you lose exclusive rights to a drug and anyone can benefit from it. Then your drug contributes to the 95% of hard work for someone else's drug. I think you actually turn around your argument in the last sentence. It seems to me you start arguing against inheritance taxes because then people will stop trying to get rich, unless what you want is for everyone to not be rich ("touching the gains" from your first sentence). If people have nothing to gain and everything to lose, since they can't get rich and they risk being destitute and broken, then for what reason will society continue to function? Society won't function, it will devolve into various groups jealously guarding arable land and water.