From The NY Times: The Rich Get Even Richer

[tblue37]

7. Money is power, and no one should have unbridled power.

Since the end of absolute monarchies, we in the West acknowledge that power should not be inherited, although the relatively recent tendency for people to get elected because of their last name suggests that we are moving toward political dynasties.

However, money is power, so the ability of the super-wealthy to pass gigantic fortunes to their offspring is so close to the ability to transfer similar political power to their offspring that it is amazing so many people consider such generational transfers of power by way of enormous wealth to be so uncontroversial.

More reasonable tax policies would at least force the super-wealthy to pay their fare share to support a society that has benefited them so much, and it would also help to mitigate their ability to pass on power to subsequent generations, since such wealth creates dynasties with political as well as financial power.

I forget which DUer said it, but one of my favorite DU posts was the comment that no one should be so rich that he has nothing left to buy but the government.