While I generally agree that we ought to have an inheritance tax, I want to push back on this because I think it's a poor argument in favor of inheritance taxes.
The question is never about what the children think they deserve, it's entirely about what we as human beings work for. Most parents don't care about their own consumption, and instead work entirely for the well-being of their children. It doesn't matter what the children think. The argument is that it matters what the owner of that wealth thinks should happen to their own wealth, and that nuclear family values are deeply entrenched in society.
There are a number of arguments that you can make that the cost of inter-generational wealth and the benefits of taxing it far outweigh the familial considerations of wealth transfer (especially after a high enough dollar amount). But THOSE are the arguments that we need to be making.
The question is never about what the children think they deserve, it's entirely about what we as human beings work for. Most parents don't care about their own consumption, and instead work entirely for the well-being of their children. It doesn't matter what the children think. The argument is that it matters what the owner of that wealth thinks should happen to their own wealth, and that nuclear family values are deeply entrenched in society.
There are a number of arguments that you can make that the cost of inter-generational wealth and the benefits of taxing it far outweigh the familial considerations of wealth transfer (especially after a high enough dollar amount). But THOSE are the arguments that we need to be making.