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Perhaps Trump’s kids don’t work, but the existence of some idle wealthy people does not mean all or even most wealthy people are idle — any more than some Asian

by gbacon 8y ago

Perhaps Trump’s kids don’t work, but the existence of some idle wealthy people does not mean all or even most wealthy people are idle — any more than some Asians being good at math means all or most are good at math.

tankenmate 8y ago
If there was a sufficiently high estate tax then almost no millionaires would be gifted that status from their parents.
- gbacon 8y ago
  What else given by parents ought to be neutralized or otherwise taken away? Work ethic? Polite manners? Good looks? Family connections? Education? Computer skills? Cooking skills? Healthy lifestyle? Dominant presence, at least for sons? Social skills? Athletic ability? If it’s only money that ought to be “evened out,” what makes it special vis-à-vis these other valuable areas? What is the underlying system of ethics that justifies this intervention? The Millionaire Next Door devotes an entire chapter to Economic Outpatient Care, that is, continually paying their adult kids’ bills and otherwise bailing them out. For all their skill at building and growing businesses, American millionaires do not seem to be any good at passing these skills on to their children. What that means is through the natural course of things, millionaires’ kids tend to squander their gifted status without outside help from egalitarians.
  - Latteland 8y ago
    The difference is that inheriting huge amounts of money leads to a group of people that have power from their money (if they have a lot), but they aren't invested or aligned with society getting better. They are against the success of regular people., who can believe that their success is aligned with using their power to change society to their own benefit. This doesn't always happen of course, but these rich people can believe irrational things, they can screw up society. You can be this way even if self made, but I think if you were self made the things that worked for you on the way up help you be connected to the real world.
- kamaal 8y ago
  Why do you think there should be high estate tax. The focus should be on making poor people rich, not making rich people poor.
  - tankenmate 8y ago
    America was partly founded upon the reaction to injustices foisted on the populace by people who largely had power based on their familial lineage. These people who inherited their power were largely insulated from making mistakes, and hence one could say they were less likely to learn. They were also more insulated from poor fortune making them less likely to be empathetic. So I would suggest if you want to be ruled by people who are less learned and less empathetic then doing away with high estate taxes might be a way to achieve that.

by gbacon 8y ago

tankenmate 8y ago

If there was a sufficiently high estate tax then almost no millionaires would be gifted that status from their parents.

gbacon 8y ago
What else given by parents ought to be neutralized or otherwise taken away? Work ethic? Polite manners? Good looks? Family connections? Education? Computer skills? Cooking skills? Healthy lifestyle? Dominant presence, at least for sons? Social skills? Athletic ability? If it’s only money that ought to be “evened out,” what makes it special vis-à-vis these other valuable areas? What is the underlying system of ethics that justifies this intervention? The Millionaire Next Door devotes an entire chapter to Economic Outpatient Care, that is, continually paying their adult kids’ bills and otherwise bailing them out. For all their skill at building and growing businesses, American millionaires do not seem to be any good at passing these skills on to their children. What that means is through the natural course of things, millionaires’ kids tend to squander their gifted status without outside help from egalitarians.
- Latteland 8y ago
  The difference is that inheriting huge amounts of money leads to a group of people that have power from their money (if they have a lot), but they aren't invested or aligned with society getting better. They are against the success of regular people., who can believe that their success is aligned with using their power to change society to their own benefit. This doesn't always happen of course, but these rich people can believe irrational things, they can screw up society. You can be this way even if self made, but I think if you were self made the things that worked for you on the way up help you be connected to the real world.
kamaal 8y ago
Why do you think there should be high estate tax. The focus should be on making poor people rich, not making rich people poor.
- tankenmate 8y ago
  America was partly founded upon the reaction to injustices foisted on the populace by people who largely had power based on their familial lineage. These people who inherited their power were largely insulated from making mistakes, and hence one could say they were less likely to learn. They were also more insulated from poor fortune making them less likely to be empathetic. So I would suggest if you want to be ruled by people who are less learned and less empathetic then doing away with high estate taxes might be a way to achieve that.