It's... People!
Every problem in the world is caused exclusively by terrible people. Work only gives you a half hour for lunch? Poor service at a restaurant? Long line at the DMV? The problem isn't structural to employment, food service or the government. Somebody, somewhere is saying, "Let's not spend money on that."
The Estate Tax Forced my Family to Sell the Farm
The estate tax forced their sale. To my embarrassment, this event buttresses a specious Republican talking point. If you read my previous post about the Second Amendment, you'll know how I feel about context. It is everything. Knowing the context around the sale of this farm demonstrates why I whole-heatedly support the estate tax... and affirmative action.
Breaking Down the 2nd Amendment
The Constitution does not provide for the personal right to a firearm. It was never debated or even brought up. In 1780, the idea of a person living, on what was mostly wild frontier, without a firearm would seem like a joke. It was such an accepted part of life that it was completely unnecessary to discuss. This does not mean that firearms are evil or useless or should be confiscated. It means the argument that even the most modest form of regulation is a constitutional rights violation is invalid.