Just wrap your mind around the million years.

Longer than human beings have been on the face of the earth. And they want more, and more, and more.

. . . Waking up. .

We need to put an end to spoiled heirs and trust fund babies.

could get by quite nicely on 25% of that ill gotten horde.

There are thousands of people much smarter and more capable than myself who KNOW what needs to be done, there is an utter lack of willingness to pursue that which is necessary because it is deemed "too hard", "not practical", or "radical".

Change of any kind is ALWAYS radical. It was radical when Reagan started the process of destroying the social contract of the New Deal back in '81. It was radical when Bush II went "Reagan-on-steroids" in '01. It was even more radical when Bush II went into the illegal war game in '03 and the rest of the atrocities his administration carried out through '08.

The things we need are in no particular order:

* term limits - 12 years maximum in the House, Senate and Executive branch; additionally, since the SCOTUS has been politicized beyond repair, the justices MUST be similarly limited to 12 years on the bench. Lifetime political and ideological appointees was NOT the intent of the separation of powers, and it has become detrimental to the functioning of the government to allow it to continue.

* bans on lobbying positions within 12 years of leaving political office - you should NEVER be allowed to return to Washington in ANY lobbying capacity - registered or unregistered - to play tit-for-tat with the representatives for profit and for influence peddling.

* publicly financed and administered elections (I favor compulsory voting, but an extended voting period would be a step forward at least)

* re-instate the draft and eliminate ALL deferments (the war mongering would end overnight...)

* close down all but 20 critical/major US Air Bases and Naval Stations outside of the Continental USA (end "Empire USA" NOW!)

* make a Federal university system that would be 1) free to all citizens who qualify and 2) on par with the greatest universities of the world...INVEST IN OUR OWN PEOPLE AND OUR OWN FUTURE...instead of spending billions on Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the rest.

* switch the spending for "defense" from military to energy research and development until the USA is 100% on renewable energy

(That last part has the added geopolitical benefit of being able to fully divest of Israeli-Arab politics and complete withdraw from the region - no troops, no bases, no aid, no skin in their sandbox games. A energy-independent and divested USA could then regain moral standing in the world in ways that are currently non-tenable.)

These are the things we KNOW we need.
These are the things we KNOW we will not get.

Instead, it will be more of the same...the GOP lurching ever more into insanity and religious demagoguery and the Democratic Party triangulating and giving up on principles for Pyrrhic victories of no substance or bite.

Its no great mystery - Americans are easily distracted gluttons for punishment. Our collective attention span makes the Tsetse flies seem ponderous by comparison. But we have also lost our ability to form lasting and collective outrage. The heirs of a retail distribution model that brutalizes small businesses, steals billions a year from the people in the form of government assistance to the exploited workers of the distribution model, and in general acts as a monolithic profit machine for the enrichment of 6 people who fell ouit of the right vagina in the genetic lottery is beyond outrageous - it is sick. But is also going to continue to be roundly ignored as well.

The economy if the US tanks, global trade is distrupted, regional conflicts now simmering break out, and quite likely civil war in America.

Oh, and a regional nuclear war in the Middle East.

But yay, we're energy independant and the empire dismantled.

Except for the energy independence, or course.

The Great Divide by Joseph Stiglitz.

Always some tool spouting that one. As if somehow estates are special and privileged...

I pay income tax. Then any money I have is taxed again if I spend it on anything that is subject to sales tax, including gasoline which is subject to several other taxes. The poor and middle class spend propotionately more on the seconday taxes than the wealthy do. Not to mention, many things that the wealthy spend their money on, like real estate and the stock market, are not subject to sales tax. Even a yacht can qualify as a "second home" now and any interest paid in financing it is deductible on the person's federal income tax!

I don't want anyone to lose a family farm or business, but I don't think US tax policy is resposible to continue dynasties. Besides, if inheritance taxes are a worry, the owner can always buy a sizeable life insurance policy for the express purpose of paying the estate taxes for the heirs. The thing that boggles my mind is the very wealthy don't think there should be ANY inheritance tax, not even 20%!

If what they inherited were 500 million shares of stock that were originally worth $2 bucks and now are worth $40, not a penny of that $38 dollar gain has been taxed. It's only taxed when the stock is sold. So, that would be $19 billion that was never taxed.

I think that's the answer we need to give when the "tool" you mentioned starts spouting that.

when so many can be born into stark poverty and a few great wealth?

I think Howard Dean is right when he says, and I'm paraphrasing, as soon as enough figure out that capitalism doesn't work for them, that's the end of capitalism.

90% tax on all inheritance, no matter the amount

90% tax on all trust funds

90% tax on all capitol gains, no matter the amount

My father worked in a sweat shop for 50 years so he could pay off his home and leave a modest amount of cash for his grandchildren... and the government should get 90%.

My wife and I put a few dollars away for our kids education from the time they were born. Today their modest trust funds will pay for about half of the tuition at a NYS university. But the government should get 90%.

We have paid off a 30-year mortgage and would now like to use our equity to buy a modest home in a more moderate climate, but when we sell our home the government should get 90%.

Great ideas... all of them.

as they can afford to pay millions to lawyers and accountants to avoid it. It would be the middle-income folk who would get slammed.

I don't think you've thought that through. That would hurt middle class people WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! more than it would the rich.

but one that is properly taxed

People die and leave behind estates to their heirs. This is recognized as appropriate throughout the US.

But. The people, and the people's government, has an interest in not allowing inheritance to create people whose wealth threatens democracy.

To that end, progressive taxation on inheritance is a necessity in defense against potential domestic enemies of the community and state. Inheriting millions is OK if many score millions are first paid to communities, state and nation.

A good idea, and it's successful capitalization by one generation is no reason for inherited power to be granted to another generation. This nation loves success and loves money, but it stands against the concept of inherited power.