Neal Boortz's recent appearance on "Hannity and Colmes" has resulted in a big stink over whether Boortz referred to people who favor the estate/death tax are Marxists. (See Cathy Young and Neal Boortz for more details.)

Pulling The Marx-Engels Reader off the bookshelf, I turn to the "Manifesto of the Communist Party" (p. 490 of the book) and find a 10-point program. The third item on that list is "Abolition of all right of inheritance." Strictly speaking, the death tax doesn't abolish "all right of inheritance." It is also possible (though I think unlikely) that someone might favor abolishing inheritance but oppose the other nine items in Marx's program. Nonetheless, it looks like ole Neal might be onto something. The strong reaction from the Media Matters crowd suggests that Neal just might have hit a nerve.

ADDENDUM: Speaking of Marx, I loved co-blogger Tim's line:

"We are ready to fire the heads of FEMA, Homeland Security, even Bush himself, over a thousand dead from Katrina, yet people love the figurehead of a philosophical movement that has killed tens of millions. If only we could tie Marx to Halliburton, maybe people would stop idolizing him."