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A Generation Cut Off
Lewis
Goldberg
05/26/2003
A
Generation Cut Off
American
tax law has long penalised wealthy citizens for leaving their fortunes to
their offspring - a body of policy that reflects the sense of 'fairness'
[read: covetousness] inherent in our socialist democracy. [Of course, it is
always easier to strive for fairness with other people's money than
one's own.] Dispersion of family wealth is commonly seen as a mechanism to
preserve government 'of the people' in a society that promotes equality.
However, when this line of thought is examined against the experience of
history and the wisdom of scripture, it falls on its face.
Conservative
columnist Michelle Malkin wrote an excellent article on this topic called Making
a Biblical Argument against Federal Death Taxes, in which she skewers
Bill Gates and Warren Buffett for giving lawmakers reason to deny smaller
fortune holders the right to control their own estates. That these men are
irresponsible enough with the blessings God has bestowed upon them to leave
their money to causes that reap nothing but 'legacy fluff' should be of no
consequence to a society that was founded on the respect of private
property.
If
fortunes are left intact and passed down to family - so goes the common
wisdom - then power in this nation will be concentrated in the hands of a
few. To this one may respond: how is that materially different from what we
have, in which power is concentrated in the hands of a few using other
people's money rather than their own? Lawmakers, once elected, use
their control over the tax code and the redistribution of wealth through
government programs to buy votes and perpetuate their office. At least in
the old days, a powerful family was risking their own money when they
embarked on power plays.
Messrs.
Gates and Buffett think that the younger generation should earn their own
way, rather than benefit from their fathers' efforts. How unlike the God of
the Bible this line of thought is...but that should be no surprise to us.
Man's hatred for his children is manifest in numerous ways: abortion,
free-spiritedness [yes son, there is a god, but you can do whatever you
want,] contempt of marriage, promotion of homosexual 'rights,' and a
general disdain for 'bringing up' their children. We leave our offspring
hanging in numerous ways, and the cutting off of inheritance is simply the
icing on a cake that was baked long ago.
Personally,
I come from a family that had little to pass on. It is my dream to be able
to leave my children an 'inheritance,' even if it is a small one. I pray
that in that day I will not live under a government that will again tax the
money for which they already taxed me [and for which they also taxed my
employer whenever they first earned the money - and don't you think we
don't pay that tax as well!] Inheritance is a right, not a privilege - even
if Gates and Buffett don't want it.
Your comments and questions are encouraged. [editor@patriotist.com]
Patriotist
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