Dead People Own No Stuff

24Jul08

This was getting kind of long so I decided to respond to Citizen Q’s comment in a post. Here it is:

To rephrase it’s a matter of respecting the wishes of the dead vs. respecting the wishes of those people that wish to stay alive, but lack the financial resources to do so. Or any other number or legitimate causes through out the world. In terms of estate taxes there is no reason we shouldn’t just take the money after a certain threshold.

All the arguments you present are perfectly valid reasons we shouldn’t just go and take Warren Buffet’s money today, while he’s still living. If we were to do that he rationally be less interested in making money in the future. They have only vague relevance to the question at hand, where you’d have us believe there would some great economic consequences if people could only give a million or so dollars to their children after their death. Like I said I’m not purposing any changes to the laws regarding living people. Rich people could still give their children money.

The only sense in which the limiting estate taxes is rational is that people have a lot of hang ups about death and family. Historically people were no less comfortable with sending their kids to biracial schools or letting women work. You probably think supporting segregation is worse then not supporting estate taxes. Certainly it’s less odious on an emotional level, but not funding urgent needs kills and deprives hundred of millions of people.

Warren Buffet realizes what not using his money to create a better world means, but others think it’s more important to fund their families idleness and leisure. It’s an abhorrent way to spend their resources, and it should be a barred transaction.


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One Response to “Dead People Own No Stuff”  

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  1. 1 Optimo on July 24, 2008 said:

    I heard someone say something about this maybe a year ago that perfectly sums up my reaction to those that would claim the estate tax is unfair.

    I suggest that we enact a clause that for those who feel they have paid estate taxes on money they have personally earned, all they have to do is file a refund for the amount previously paid and the IRS will immediately write them a check for that amount, no questions asked.

    The cost to the government? $0.00. Because nobody alive has ever paid an estate tax on their own money.

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