The government can put whatever bullshit rationale they want to justify the estate tax. In the end, the only reason it exists is because the government wants more of your fucking money, even when you die. I would much rather see the families get ridiculously wealthy. As Beebs said, at least then the money is being invested and used efficiently. Government spending, as we all know, is less efficient. It's just another example of the government sharing in all of your upside potential, but bearing none of the downside. For example, if you die with nothing but shit tons of debt, does the government pay your mortgage? Does the government pay for your funeral costs? Fuck no they don't. The government won't even pay for your nursing home care until you've been bled dry by the nursing home. Even then, they only pay for the most basic of all care.
The estate tax was originally put into law in 1916 under President Woodrow Wilson, a democrat. I'm no historian, but I would imagine that during this period (WWI) the country saw a vast increase in government spending, and as a result, the government needed more revenue.
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