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Wednesday, December 3, 2008 12:00 AM

Nepotistic succession in the political class

A large, and rapidly growing, percentage of high elected officials are part of politically powerful families. What accounts for this anti-democratic dynamic?

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  • Wednesday, December 3, 2008 08:55 AM

    America's hereditary aristocracy

    America has suffered from the deviation from its historical meritocracy to its current hereditary aristocracy.

    And like their peers throughout history, aristocrats resent being taxed -- taxes are for the "little people."

    As our wiser ancestors realized, there's only one way to prevent the rise of a hereditary aristocracy in a free society: tax wealth.

    There was a reason for those 90% tax rates on multi-million dollar incomes and estates until the 1960's. Those vast fortunes allowed the "malefactors of great wealth" to buy and control the government through our legalized system of bribery known as "campaign contributions." Is there any wonder why our government now invariably represents the interests of a tiny wealthy minority at the expense of the middle and working classes?

    We can have representative government of, by and for the people -- or we can have unregulated, untaxed wealth -- but we can't have both.

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