> But the inheritence tax flies in the face of one > our most powerful genetic > imperatives: to insure the success of our > off-spring.
Precisely. This is exactly the imperative (inherited from kings who took other mens' wives) that the Enlightenment was created in order (at last) to overcome. Everything we have is owed to a civilization that found ways to encourage both cooperation and competition while minimizing the inherent drive to cheat. All four of the great accountability arenas (http://www.davidbrin.com/disputationarticle1.html) are based on this core desideratum. And yes it's hard. No other culture ever managed it. THAT is why I'm patriotic and support Pax Americana. Not because of a flag, or buzzwords like "freedom" that lose all meaning when mouthes as a tribal catch phrase by W. I am patriotic for the complexity and power and goodness of a civil society that's based on open and honest and accountable competition. By the way, the repeal of the inheritance tax is NOT popular among voters. Voters have also polled repeatedly to prefer no tax cuts and paying off the debt. In America, that is. Not in NASCAR country. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
