Posted: Mar 27, 2014 2:12 pm
ED209 wrote:how about having an elective 'family home' exemption
Give them a choice to rent it and a right-to-buy option they can exercise at any time later on. They won't lose the family home - but if they want it they will have to earn it same as everybody else.
I don't think inheritance supporters fully appreciate how much more the majority of people would stand to "inherit" if we banned inheritance. All of the wealth generated by society would be recycled evenly back into society. Everybody would benefit equally from economic growth. This would have a dramatic effect on democracy as well as personal wealth. Power follows money and so the elimination of dynastic elites would shape politics more according to the wishes of the people rather than being the mechanism by which people are exploited to serve the interests of the rich.
If there is a scale with narrow-minded self-interest at one end and deep understanding of what it means to be part of a society at the other, support for inheritance determines where you stand on that scale.
If you want to leave something of great value to your sons and daughters leave them a vibrant, healthy, democratic society. Individuals cannot succeed unless opportunities are created for everyone.