Taxation and exemption policy

[Banquo's Ghost]

If you define old money as like, going back to the Tudors, no, we don't have old money. But we have our own version of it, we have people with the last name Rockefeller who are still filthy, insane, can't get rid of it if they wanted to rich. We have people with the last name Bush with family ties going back to English royalty who remain rich, not apparently out of any particular family lineage of talent or intelligence, but just because they seem to have always had wealth and been plugged into the power system of our country.

The Tudors were johnny-come-lately arriviste usurpers and very bad for business.

The estate tax, in my view, is absolutely more than fair. Snip lengthy explanation.

Thank you for your well-thought out and constructive analysis. Clearly, I don't agree, but you make a solid and consistent case.

I take it however, as you have not addressed the point in your response, that the idea of private stewardship does not figure in an American sense? To be clear, I refer to the conservation of architectural, artistic and environmental assets accrued over centuries and handed down through families that discharge the duty of caring for them at personal expense.

You would prefer that the state owns and maintains these assets for the benefit of all citizens, am I right?