It'd Be Nice to Live in Less of a Gerontocracy
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It'd Be Nice to Live in Less of a Gerontocracy
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Re: It'd Be Nice to Live in Less of a Gerontocracy
#2As nice as it would be to have a less gerontocratic government, here's why I don't see that happening in the next century.
1) The share of the population over the age of 80 recently surpassed 10% in Japan. Japan is basically on the bleeding edge of population dynamics, and we can expect to see the same demographic changes coming to the US, China, and most of Europe fairly soon. India and parts of Southeast Asian are an exception (at the moment). It remains to be seen if they can take advantage of their young workforce by educating them properly and making sure opportunities are available.
2) Millenials in the US are the largest generation by population ever, and are having the fewest children of any generation ever. As they age, they will represent a growing plurality of the society.
3) This current trend of "we have too many old people in government" is really code for "the people in government don't represent my views", which is largely a generational opinion. As millenials age into the system, the government will start to more closely reflect their world views. So less and less will be done over time to "correct" this perceived defect in government.
4) Medical research and government policy remains focused on extending life, and less so on improving the quality of existing life. People will live longer and spend a longer period time in a deteriorated state, kept alive by medical "advances" and government policy that encourages extending life over all else. More and more money will be needed to take care of people in these advanced states, draining resources from the rest of the society. It's already happening - see the Social Security and Medicare debacle in America.
Not the most organized set of thoughts but I really think the decline in population growth (and eventual plateau at the end of the century) is going to have widespread impacts across all of society. Strangely enough, the representation in American government today is ahead of its time in that it is probably representative (age-wise) of what the population will actually look like in 100 years.
Re: It'd Be Nice to Live in Less of a Gerontocracy
#3Well, that's nice cherry-picking. Older people rise to the top in institutions because they have the requisite experience, patience and people skills, and yes, sometimes, brilliance.
Now, let's talk about the other 99% plus. Older people are throw-aways in society, and will be served, like anyone or anything else, when there's a buck to me made. Need I mention pharma? And forget affordable housing.
I didn't have the patience to wait for another university department taking 2 months to make a decision about hiring me, so I left. And so on for the other above-mentioned skills at other jobs. The demographics of institutions will change when the rules of the game change. The excitement of young brash startup culture either burns you out, changes when you are acquired (or go public) or your founder/owner/CEO decides that laws and regulations are "for schmucks only".
The demographics of government will change when rules change, for example, term limits, but then you'll see more job-hopping and inexperienced people being ineffective locally and globally.
Voter demographics are changing, as more and more angry seniors spend time yelling at clouds and forget to vote, and as young people object to people who "got theirs" already wanting to exert some draconian control over the lives of others who haven't.
Re: It'd Be Nice to Live in Less of a Gerontocracy
#4As nice as it would be to have a less gerontocratic government, here's why I don't see that happening in the next century. 1) The share of the population over the age of 80 recently surpassed 10% in Japan. Japan is basically on the bleeding edge of population dynamics, and we can expect to see the same demographic changes coming to the US, China, and most of Europe fairly soon. India and parts of Southeast Asian are…
I doubt there will be any population in 100 years.
Re: It'd Be Nice to Live in Less of a Gerontocracy
#5Well, that's nice cherry-picking. Older people rise to the top in institutions because they have the requisite experience, patience and people skills, and yes, sometimes, brilliance. Now, let's talk about the other 99% plus. Older people are throw-aways in society, and will be served, like anyone or anything else, when there's a buck to me made. Need I mention pharma? And forget affordable housing. I didn't have the…
It's a demographic wave having auto rule in a democracy sweeping a social graph into power again and again. What is it with some people becoming minstrel bards to any fool in power to the point they do not even start to analyze.
Re: It'd Be Nice to Live in Less of a Gerontocracy
#6Oh... Its so much worse than anyone realizes.
Re: It'd Be Nice to Live in Less of a Gerontocracy
#7Hopefully we'll cure aging soon so this generation can rule the world forever.
Re: It'd Be Nice to Live in Less of a Gerontocracy
#8Well, that's nice cherry-picking. Older people rise to the top in institutions because they have the requisite experience, patience and people skills, and yes, sometimes, brilliance. Now, let's talk about the other 99% plus. Older people are throw-aways in society, and will be served, like anyone or anything else, when there's a buck to me made. Need I mention pharma? And forget affordable housing. I didn't have the…
>Older people rise to the top in institutions because they have the requisite experience, patience and people skills
What is your source for this very opinionated claim? Statistics would conclude that older people rise to the top in institutions simply because they were there earlier and have more chances to move up.
Re: It'd Be Nice to Live in Less of a Gerontocracy
#9As nice as it would be to have a less gerontocratic government, here's why I don't see that happening in the next century. 1) The share of the population over the age of 80 recently surpassed 10% in Japan. Japan is basically on the bleeding edge of population dynamics, and we can expect to see the same demographic changes coming to the US, China, and most of Europe fairly soon. India and parts of Southeast Asian are…
>This current trend of "we have too many old people in government" is really code for "the people in government don't represent my views", which is largely a generational opinion.
That is not "code", its a consequence. Generational divides include divides in culture, education and understanding of the world. If one generation disproportionately controls the government, of course they will not represent the views of any other generation currently living. No one is trying to hide this or pretend it isn't the case.
Re: It'd Be Nice to Live in Less of a Gerontocracy
#10Hopefully we'll cure aging soon so this generation can rule the world forever.
Maybe the old will care more about the future, if they think they will live to see it?