[pyuser583]

Then the dead guy will give all his money to his kids before dying.

At the very least the dead guy will pay for them to go to Harvard, arrange the appropriate internships, etc.

It’s very possible to preserve a class system without actually transferring wealth to your children upon death.

Just use your wealth and money to make sure they’re set before you die.

Easy-peasy.

Just look at the many children of still-Alice billionaires. They’re not hurting.

For example, Warren Buffet announced he was giving away all his wealth, created a foundation that possesses most of his wealth, and named his son as director.

Not rocket science.

And that doesn’t include the affects of private tutors, nanny’s, quality education, etc.

[FeloniousHam]

> Then the dead guy will give all his money to his kids before dying.

Don't let the perfect be the enemy of good enough. Inequality is a fundamental part of human existence, but I'd prefer that inequality to be as much as possible an expression of individual merit rather than a financial windfall as a result of parental success.

As I mention in another reply, your "inheritance" is what you get while your parents are alive.

[pyuser583]

It’s not so much the perfect being the enemy of the good, as the fundamental point being missed.

The goal is to prevent persistent, cross-generational inequality. High inheritance taxes simply won’t accomplish this. Or even come close.

The only policy that had ever achieved the sort of field-evening you want is a very strong public sector.

Providing quality education, job, opportunities to everyone (or at least lots of people).

A good example is Sweden. Sweden had massive asset-inequality. A handful of families are massively wealthy, and the successfully pass that wealth down generations.

Yet Sweden had little income inequality, because of their strong public services.

[FeloniousHam]

My complaint with inheritance is not that perpetuates income inequality (though it may do that). I don't care about income inequality in the abstract, it bothers me not a whit that multi-billionaires prosper while the poorest in the US live merely pretty OK lives.

I simply hate the unfairness of this particular form of wealth transfer: the winners hit the jackpot without even buying a ticket.