If conservatives believe in Darwinist economic policies, why do they oppose estate taxes?

Question

Don't inheritences sometimes reward untalented people?

I favor a 100% estate tax. Is this considered a liberal or conservative viewpoint?

'Old money' allows idiots access to power.

Answer 1

Yes, inheritences sometimes do reward untalented people. However, a person who earned the money, and can't take it with him, has the right to decide who gets it and how much.

Put another way, lets say your father busted his rump working his whole life and stashed away a million dollars for you, his child. Regardless of whether you, or anyone else, believes that you deserve it or not, your father did. So, you think that the government should get all the money that he rightly earned on your behalf?

I am challenged to decide whether your 100% estate tax is a liberal or conservative viewpoint, though.
On the one hand, I definitely believe it is not a conservative viewpoint, as conservatives tend to want to keep their own money and not hand it over to the government. On the other hand, I could concede that it is at least a socialistic idea, and hence, in modern parlance, a liberal viewpoint.

Answer 2

I've never heard of it referred to as Darwinist economic policies. It's more accurately described as laissez faire.

Economic conservatives oppose estate taxes because they are double taxation. A 100% estate tax would be considered a communist viewpoint.

Answer 3

The existence of Hollywood rewards untalented people. Rosie O'Donnell, Angelina Jolie, and the like should be working at McDonald's. Do you propose we eliminate Hollywood as well?

Answer 4

1) Why shouldn't a person leave his belongings to whom he wants?

2) The smart rich people use trusts to avoid inheritance altogether - the problem being that there's still a gift tax.

The question isn't whether one should 'earn' his money on some objective scale but the realization that it's NOT objective, that it's subjective, and that the only way to make it objective is to let the people decide for themselves - - when a rich person bequeaths his fortune to his daughter, it's no different than when his business' customers spent their money on his business' products.

Answer 5

First, conservatives don't believe in a "Darwinist" economic policy, they believe in personal responsibility...big difference. That being said since your premise is completely wrong it invalidates the rest of your question.

Answer 6

Taxes are paid on that money already, why is there a need to tax it again?

I am not rich - nor is my family extremly rich, but I dont feel that we shoudl punish those who were born into "lucky" circumstances?

Answer 7

Your words, "Darwinistic economic principles," not mine. Individualism predates Darwinism.

But even so, maybe the fittest provide better for their children. They are certainly not saving up for yours.