[jonlandrum]

"Denmark’s economic philosophy seems to be that the market is an unfortunate socioeconomic lottery system"

Exactly this. People born to wealthy families have literally won the socioeconomic lottery without trying.

[dnautics]

Why is this limited to wealth? Why don't we consider that adeptness at accessing government benefits is a socioeconomic lottery system? As in, those who are particularly capable of extracting resources from public sources teach their children how to do this. I'm not referring to welfare, but rather, stimulus packages, bailouts, SBIRs, business development tax incentives, low interest goverment loans, etc.

[woodpanel]

Exactly.

As for welfare: "adedptness at accessing" is what is also driving inequality within the group of welfare-recipients. While the college grad, that can't find a job has a rather easy time figuring out what forms to fill out how, the typical poor kid coming from a family of consecutive generational poorness, won't even know about the majority of services he could get from the government.

It's why I find welfare-reactionaries (people who oppose welfare reform) often to be subconsciously devious: They oppose reforms that would simplify welfare, even if it means more money for those who are poorer than themselves.

[thisisbad]

Good looking, tall people have literally won the genetic lottery without trying.

Look at inheritance as a payment for providing happiness and support. If a wealthy man has a wife that makes him happy and supports him, then why would it be a problem if he leaves her 50% of his wealth?

Children, especially your own, are a great source of happiness and motivation. Some people work mainly to leave wealth to their children and other family members - it's their main motivation.

I don't understand people who have problems with other people giving their money to those they love (children, spouse, relatives, friends etc.).

It's kinda funny - people who are for forced redistribution at a gunpoint, want to give people money just for existing. But, if someone wants to give their own children money for existing and making them happy, then it's a problem.

[adamlett]

Look at inheritance as a payment for providing happiness and support.

In that case, shouldn't inheritance be taxed as income?

I don't understand people who have problems with other people giving their money to those they love

The problem I have is that some people receive large fortunes effectively tax-free that they have done literally nothing to deserve. I have no objections to people donating their wealth to whomever they choose, just as long as those who receive are taxed like everyone else.

[jhbadger]

I don't understand people who have problems with other people giving their money to those they love

Because inherited wealth creates idle aristocrats, who traditionally have contributed little to society, and pretty much all societal progress since the Middle Ages has been how to limit the power and wealth of aristocrats. You seem to be big on providing motivation for people to work. Well, not having an inheritance is an excellent one.

[pjc50]

There's a difference between leaving a modest family house/farm to your kids versus someone inheriting a business empire worth millions. Especially if that means the inheritor refuses to acknowledge that not everyone has it that easy. It's not so much the giving that's objected to as the receiving.

Especially when there are other children suffering the effects of poverty in childhood that will give them lifelong disadvantages.