by Lam Luu

Created on: May 19, 2008

Among all taxes, no taxes is more American, more just, and more fair the estate tax. Its other names are inheritance tax and death tax. Recently, politicians and media pundits from the right love using the word death tax, since it does not invoke the most important function of this tax: level the playground and let the American Dream emerge.

Do you remember what the United States of America stands for? From the very beginning, it has always been the land of opportunity, where everyone who dares will have an equal chance of success. As long as you works hard enough, no matter where you come from, whom your parents are, you still can succeed. This dream motivates generations of immigrants to come here, and, together, work to create this great nation.

Estate tax is to preserve that dream. Just pause a minute between your maze of beliefs in economics and justice and consider this: one person starts out his life with a high school diploma with virtually no money and another college graduate with millions of dollars, who would have more chance of success? Of course, the latter. Even if that person does not go to work a day, that person still can enjoy a better-than-average life by invest the multi-million fortune. Where is justice in that? Where is equality in that?

Obviously, we cannot hope to create a perfectly equal starting point for everyone. Let us go back to the example above. The latter person, no matter how hard the government tax that person, the person still have an edge in skill and recognition (and in relationships). However, we, as a society, can at least guarantee that everyone has to work to succeed. Skills and recognitions alone cannot create success and comfortable life. However, a huge wealth can. If we do away with that wealth, and force everyone to work before enjoying life, what sin have we committed? Embracing justice? Or upholding equality?

That is the whole point of estate tax: it aims to take away unfair advantage of a small fraction of the population. It reduces those high and wealthy to just normal people who have to swipe sweat on their browns to earn their future fortune. It is anything but fairness and justice.

I also believe that fairness and justice will, ultimately, result in great economic gains. Remember, people are not stupid. They may not lose track somewhere in the maze of arguments against estate tax. However, they do know whether or not their situations are fair. When people know that their start points, at least in term of wealth,

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