We've been talking about "ideas" recently . . . ideas that highlight the difference between Republicans and Democrats (real Democrats, anyway).  So here's one . . . a tax policy that differentiates between "earned" and "unearned" income that is fair to all Americans.

We have a system, loosely described as "market capitalism", which we tolerate because despite its flaws it seems to favor a kind of "progress" that can  benefit everyone in practice (where other systems which might appear `better" in theory have not proven effective in the "real world").  But we have also learned that "market capitalism" left unregulated and to its own devices produces gross social inequity and a plunder of the "common weal" for short term gain.

We already have government supported (tax free) "private retirement accounts" . . . they are called IRAs and Keoghs.

We already have an old age retirement insurance program . . . called Social Security . . . for those who unfortunately put all their "private" retirement investment in Enron or WorldCom or WPPS bonds.

We have a modest long term problem with Social Security funding because of two "mistakes" . . . 1) we have capped FICA taxes and limited them to wage income instead of including interest, dividends and capital gains in the taxable base and . . .
2) we have "invested" temporary Social Security surpluses exclusively in the bonds of a now bankrupt government.

The twin solutions are simple and obvious.  Remove the FICA cap and apply the tax to all income, and diversify the investment of Social Security "surplus" funds.