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The topic of this thread is about "The mind set", of some who believe that the Government is more entitled to other peoples Money than they are. The Estate Tax is a classic example but it really applies to all taxation. Regarding the estate Tax ,We hear those on this forum say things like , those who are inheriting the Estate don't "deserve it' the didn't "earn " it etc... the question for these people, is what did the government do to "deserve" it or "earn" it? I don't want to debate the estate tax on here that has been done on plenty other threads, what I want to know is what is your thought process that tells you that the Government is more entitled to peoples money than they are. How do you justify that Mind Set? Obviously I chalk it up to typical class warfare liberalism......it is just basic wealth redistribution. You can take it one step further and ask why do the people that actually have a claim to the estate not deserve it.................but the thousands of government recipients of some pork barrel projects do deserve it?
The mindset that allows the train of thinking that government and the people are "entitled" to the earnings of any individual, alive or dead, is, in my opinion, that of collectivism. Simply stated (in general), those who follow Conservatism tend not to be collectivist; and, those who follow Socialism tend to be collectivists.
The topic of this thread is about "The mind set", of some who believe that the Government is more entitled to other peoples Money than they are. The Estate Tax is a classic example but it really applies to all taxation. Regarding the estate Tax ,We hear those on this forum say things like , those who are inheriting the Estate don't "deserve it' the didn't "earn " it etc... the question for these people, is what did the government do to "deserve" it or "earn" it? I don't want to debate the estate tax on here that has been done on plenty other threads, what I want to know is what is your thought process that tells you that the Government is more entitled to peoples money than they are. How do you justify that Mind Set? Obviously I chalk it up to typical class warfare liberalism......it is just basic wealth redistribution. You can take it one step further and ask why do the people that actually have a claim to the estate not deserve it.................but the thousands of government recipients of some pork barrel projects do deserve it?
As for the 'estate tax', it really goes back to the Puritan Work Ethic. For years and years the people of this country believed that a person had to earn their own way. People distrusted the 'old Europe' way of vast fortunes being passed down from generation to generation, resulting in hundreds of thousands of lazy people doing nothing to earn their way. To the Puritans, this was an easy way to Hades. Look at the French Revolution: the peasants were truly revolting against the fact that the country was controlled by a bunch of lazy, wealthy people who did nothing save 'govern' (Sorta like the Kennedy clan).
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Originally Posted by lifelongMOgal
The mindset that allows the train of thinking that government and the people are "entitled" to the earnings of any individual, alive or dead, is, in my opinion, that of collectivism. Simply stated (in general), those who follow Conservatism tend not to be collectivist; and, those who follow Socialism tend to be collectivists.
IMO those who follow Conservatism (at least today's version) are collectivists believing corporate entities are more important than indivduals and are to be entitled as such.
As for the 'estate tax', it really goes back to the Puritan Work Ethic. For years and years the people of this country believed that a person had to earn their own way. People distrusted the 'old Europe' way of vast fortunes being passed down from generation to generation, resulting in hundreds of thousands of lazy people doing nothing to earn their way. To the Puritans, this was an easy way to Hades. Look at the French Revolution: the peasants were truly revolting against the fact that the country was controlled by a bunch of lazy, wealthy people who did nothing save 'govern' (Sorta like the Kennedy clan).
Oops. Lunch time is over and so back to work.
interesting......so what your saying is the puritans were advocates of taking money from private citizens and giving it to government bureaucrats to fund their pet projects?
For I agree with you that there is a natural aristocracy among men. The grounds of this are virtue and talents. Formerly bodily powers gave place among the aristoi. But since the invention of gunpowder has armed the weak as well as the strong with missile death, bodily strength, like beauty, good humor, politeness and other accomplishments, has become but an auxiliary ground of distinction. There is also an artificial aristocracy founded on wealth and birth, without either virtue or talents; for with these it would belong to the first class. The natural aristocracy I consider as the most precious gift of nature for the instruction, the trusts, and government of society. And indeed it would have been inconsistent in creation to have formed man for the social state, and not to have provided virtue and wisdom enough to manage the concerns of the society. May we not even say that that form of government is the best which provides the most effectually for a pure selection of these natural aristoi into the offices of government? The artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government, and provision should be made to prevent it's ascendancy.
interesting......so what your saying is the puritans were advocates of taking money from private citizens and giving it to government bureaucrats to fund their pet projects?
No. It was more usual to leave most savings to the church, unless, of course, it was land, cattle, etc. Estate taxes were not really thought of until after the industrial revolution and the migration of people to the cities. I was saying that when the people saw the great wealth being accumulated by Carnegie, Rockefeller, etc, the Puritan background kicked in. Some of the very largest houses built in this country were not built by the person who earned the wealth, but by his children or grandchildren.
I admit, it is very difficult to try to explain the evolution of thought processes in our country, over the past few centuries, into just a few sentences. Suffice it to say that this outrage over estate taxes, per se, is pretty recent. For most of our history it simply has not been a factor.
I do not have time to go into the history of the thought process concerning how government itself can and has created the opportunity for people to amass wealth. Those who believe that wealth can best be achieved by the utter lack of government should travel to Somalia, where they can, no doubt, achieve great wealth.
I will add that the Puritans were also responsible for the utter lack of a sense of humor in this country until Mark Twain came along (indeed, Twain wrote several essays blasting the Puritans). That was Twain's greatness: giving our country a sense of humor and a voice.
IMO those who follow Conservatism (at least today's version) are collectivists believing corporate entities are more important than indivduals and are to be entitled as such.
No one holds a gun to your head and forces you to buy a product. No one forces you to be part of any corporation, at least not without government interfernence forcing such (Obamacare and insurance, student loan nationalization, GMC, AIG, CFL lightbulbs, etc...). The government gives no choice in taking from the recently deceased for their redistribution. Apples and oranges comparision. It is the collectivist government that forces corporations upon the individual through policy and imposed regulations. Can you really not see that?
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