The Government's incentives to see you dead

When you die, they will be able to take 55% of your wealth via the death tax. And they will also save money by not having to pay you social security and medicare. From their point of view, they're better off if you're dead:

Death *OR* Taxes?

[...] And what of those of us who live to see the dawn of the brave new year? Do I need to point out that, with the coming healthcare rationing and the 55% death tax, the government has both the means and motivation to kill off its aging people? Many thanks, citizen, for your years of productive service! Now please die so we can take your stuff to pay off our cronies.

Am I starting to sound like a kooky alarmist? Yes, maybe a bit. It takes a leap to imagine we’ll get to the point of an actual “Soylent Green” policy. No, I don’t believe our government is actively planning to kill us. But you can see that the government has growing reason to kill us. The power, the motive, the opportunity… this is the sort of temptation you do not want to have in anyone’s hands. Would you trust a stranger to be your sole caretaker when you’re critically ill? What if that stranger would collect most of your financial assets if you were to die? And what if that stranger were a spendaholic, deeply in debt, and facing financial catastrophe if he can’t get his hands on a big pot of money?

Are you starting to get uncomfortable? I sure am! [...]

The government that gives you everything can also take it away. And now they have a motive to do the latter. How's that for Change You Can Believe In?


Also see:

The Deadly Impact of the Death Tax

With Timing of Death, Steinbrenner Family Won't Pay Estate Tax