14. Great wealth inequalities:
an issue of form; actually, a measure that proves it is winning. A crucial future
social issue will be the handling of the wealth of people such as Bill Gates.
It is a crime against humanity that they are so rich while so many other people
are so poor. They have more economic power than many nations, and are effectively
new emperors. Their existence is an affront, and a great barrier, to our goal
of equality.
Society took a great step forward when it recognized that the inheritance principle
for political power was invalid; that such power should not be passed from father
to son. But we have yet to draw the same conclusion regarding economic power;
that great wealth should not be inheritable.
It is also noteworthy that such distortions are exacerbated by the behavior of
the individuals involved. The question must be asked: why don't more people with
great wealth and power (and fame) do more to help? Why don't they make their voices
heard for the benefit of all human society, and all life? Why can't they leave
behind their personal selfishness, their greed, to always want more and more and
more?
A way or ways will have to be found to distribute their excess wealth. The obvious
means is through taxes (estate taxes for the extremely wealthy should be increased,
not eliminated), and this represents an evolving function of government, although
- again - it is linked to the basic role of protection. We need to be protected
from the wealthy, and the simplest solution to this is the redistribution of their
assets.
(Regarding estate taxes, we should not forget that they traditionally were imposed
in recognition of the fact that much great wealth was accumulated in the early
stages of national development, through crime and corruption. Similarly, Bill
Gates wealth derives from the crime of Microsofts monopoly.)
In addition, and as this makes clear, no one should be allowed to control, personally,
any utility, at least any utility which enjoys a market monopoly. These are public
resources; they should be owned by everyone. More generally, we must recognize
that the goal of equality is inconsistent with any great accumulations
of power, either political, military or economic.