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Why would one have a greater expectation of shortsighted measures from a gerontocracy vs. governments composed of, say, those in middle age? I don't understand
by ridgeguy 10y ago
Why would one have a greater expectation of shortsighted measures from a gerontocracy vs. governments composed of, say, those in middle age? I don't understand why this would be a function of age.
- M_Grey 10y agoBecause humans are selfish, and if you have less than a decade on Earth you may not have as much of a stake in anything other than maintaining a degree of power and comfort until you die.
- ridgeguy 10y agoSome reasons why somebody with less than a decade left might pick a long-term stratagem: • On the basis of kin selection, they would pick policies that favor their offspring - preserving one's DNA contribution is a powerful motivator. • Possibly they're altruistic and want to leave the world a bit better than they found it. I've no idea what the frequency of such people is in the population, but I've met some, and I don't have that big a network. • Ego. They want to be remembered beyond their lifetime for having contributed to something notable. Think of the robber barons like Carnegie, etc., who endowed libraries.