Age is an unreliable indicator of one’s intellect, energy or ability
The cry is heard that America has grow to be a “gerontocracy.” That’s imagined to be unhealthy, it’s argued, as a result of our superannuated political management is out of contact with the citizens and blocking youthful and (theoretically) extra vigorous and intellectually vibrant leaders from taking their hour upon the stage.
Earlier this 12 months, CNN referred to as President Biden’s age a “scorching subject.” Leaving apart that information organizations comparable to CNN have helped make it a scorching subject, the actual query is whether or not it’s something greater than that. The reply isn’t any.
“Leaning into this language a few ‘gerontocracy’ is a distraction method,” says Tracey Gendron, chair of the Division of Gerontology at Virginia Commonwealth College and writer of the 2022 ebook “Ageism Unmasked: Exploring Age Bias and Easy methods to Finish It.”
“It’s simply the most recent factor that’s holding us from taking a look at issues which are extra vital, like race, gender, training,” Gendron instructed me. “All this stuff don’t precisely mirror the demographic make-up of the nation. So why are we singling out age amongst all this stuff?”
The gerontocracy critique additionally threatens to deprive us of our most skilled leaders. Moderately than take away poor performers from their sinecures, the present fixation on age might take away from our political and financial buildings women and men who’ve spent many years studying in regards to the world and providing the knowledge born of lengthy skilled expertise.
The U.S. State Division, for instance, requires its skilled overseas service workers to retire at 65, “when they’re on the peak of their knowledge and data,” publishing government and writer Michael Clinton noticed lately, a rule he attributed to “poisonous ageism.” Some firms require their high officers to retire at 60 or 65, whereas most are nonetheless keen to make an expert contribution.
Claims {that a} political gerontocracy is someway undermining American democracy — the theme of a lot political navel-gazing — merely don’t maintain water. They depend upon the notion that as we get older, our political outlooks coalesce into one thing at odds with the general public curiosity. The place’s the proof for that?
It’s broadly famous that Biden and his likeliest presidential challenger, Donald Trump, can be the oldest president if both wins election in 2024. Biden can be 82 on inauguration day 2025 and Trump almost 80. Does that inform us something about how their administration would unfold? Clearly not.
As for the notion that superior age robs us of bodily capability and psychological acuity, which may be debatable as a demographic common, however ignores what Gendron observes is the rising individuation as we age.
“Early in life, you’ve gotten markers that inform you roughly at what age somebody’s going to begin to discuss or somebody’s going to stroll,” she says. “We don’t have that in later life. There actually isn’t a guidepost to say, ‘At this age, one thing’s going to occur.’ At older ages, we grow to be extra particular person and fewer like different individuals.”
Actually each Biden and Trump have misplaced a couple of steps since they have been of their 20s, 30s and 40s. Doesn’t everyone?
A few of our political leaders have notched their most excellent achievement at an age many years later than when standard knowledge holds that they need to have retired.
The questions raised in regards to the bodily and psychological capability of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 89, didn’t apply to former Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who compiled what could be probably the most profitable document in Home historical past by shepherding the Inexpensive Care Act by way of Congress in 2010 at 70 and Biden’s progressive insurance policies to enactment after the age of 80.
Fairly plainly, one of the best guides to politicians’ adequacy are their phrases and precise efficiency in workplace. Few attain the best echelons of American politics with out leaving a document to be examined.
Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor, lately took a swipe at Biden’s age, remarking that he can be unlikely to dwell to the top of his subsequent time period.
Who reveals extra psychological acuity? Joe Biden, who sometimes stumbles over his phrases (apparently an artifact of his youthful stuttering)? Or Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who lately referred to as for a “nationwide divorce,” i.e., secession by crimson states, on the age of 48?
The one conclusion one can draw about age is that it’s a really unreliable indicator of a person’s mind, vitality or potential. The right response to anybody who tries to inform you that our gerontocracy is a political downside is to ask what extra related fact they’re attempting to hide.
“For many years and many years we’ve lived in a society that has devalued what it means to be older,” Gendron says. “For me, the primary message is, ‘Don’t get distracted by age, when age doesn’t inform you one thing significant about somebody.’”
Michael A. Hiltzik is a Los Angeles Instances columnist. ©2023 Los Angeles Instances. Distributed by Tribune Content material Company.
