I read 2 letters in today's Straits Times Forum which I disagree with. The first has to do with estate duty, the second has to do with NDP tickets.

The writer of the first letter wants estate duty to be raised instead of scrapped. Here's the reason. "The passing of wealth from one generation to another creates a grossly unfair headstart for the wealthy few. In a civil society, it is the duty of the Government, as a matter of principle, to tax such estates to ensure that the future generation's less fortunate have a fairer chance to seek space for themselves." He also cites the philanthropic efforts of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett as proof that the two richest men in the world are against bequeathing great wealth to the next generation.

This sounds like a great way to level the playing field and achieve income equality, but I think it's a pretty absurd idea. The previous generation worked hard and built up a large estate. He has the money to spend on enrichment activities for his children and other luxuries. That is his privilege and his reward. Taking his wealth away upon his death to deprive his children of a full inheritance in the name of creating a level playing field is just as unfair. The very idea sounds like a case of sour grapes.

Is it the duty of the government to pull those ahead back just because they're ahead? They got there by virtue of hard work, and maybe a bit of luck, but they dared to dream and they succeeded. How they want to distribute their estate upon their deaths should be up to them. If they want their children to succeed on their own and choose to donate a large part to charity, that is their prerogative. If they want their children to live a comfortable life without working, that is also their right.

The idea raised in this letter reminds me of the complaints against Microsoft accusing them of monopolising the OS industry, and there are calls for them not to integrate certain software into the OS so others can compete. The integration of a web browser or music player doesn't prevent you from installing others, just like the presence of rich children with bountiful opportunities doesn't prevent one from working hard and succeeding. I feel that people are just jealous that others have managed to get so far ahead. Would a dominant company in any industry give a chance to potential competitors? Would a soccer team in the lead purposely slow down and give their opponents a chance? Would a good student purposely answer questions wrongly so he won't be so far ahead of his class? So why should a rich person be forced to hand over part of his estate to the state upon his death?

Actually, I have no opinion on whether estate duty should be abolished, but I feel that the reasons brought up for raising estate duty in this letter are unfair to those who have succeeded.

The second letter write wants the NDP organisers to allow her kids to watch the parade without tickets. She has two tickets, so only her husband and her can go in, to the disappointment of the children. According to her, this is not a pro family policy.

I didn't bid for NDP tickets this year so I'm not sure of the system, but the year I did bid for them, I could choose how many tickets I wanted. She apparently bid for two and got them. Instead of being happy about it, she now complains that her children will have to miss the show. Some may argue that two children won't take up much space, but where will the line be drawn? How many families are also in this situation? How many more children will have to be packed into the already full stadium? Anyway, there are other solutions. If she is so concerned that her children will miss the show, one of the parents could miss it instead. This will be unfair to the other child, but apparently they are too young to go by themselves.

If the NDP organisers are flexible about this, how many more children will they allow in? How many parents will "attach" their children to friends and relatives with tickets? The tickets are to limit the number of people to the capacity of the stadium. In addition to being unfair, letting children in without a ticket can also be dangerous.

Every year, many more people will bid more tickets than there are places. It is a great privilege to be able to watch the parade live. I can understand the disappointment of this parent, but she must also consider the needs of others.