[Centurion2000]

Guess these wealthy Democrats can't stand new competition so they'll use the power of the state to tax to destroy those right behind them.

That has ALWAYS been the case since estate taxes were introduced.

[muawiyah]

Alas, estate taxes are a drop in the bucket compared to what the income tax can do.

BTW, I'm very much in favor of abolishing the estate taxes, severely limiting trusts that survive beyond the death of the founder, etc.

Instead I propose that for those with "immense wealth" ~ say $1 billion or more, that upon death their estates be distributed among their 500 closest blood relatives.

Modern DNA tests should make this quite feasible to determine.