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I know it’s rude to say negative things about a person who has just passed, but I can’t help feeling happy that such an influential Senate seat will finally go

I know it’s rude to say negative things about a person who has just passed, but I can’t help feeling happy that such an influential Senate seat will finally go to someone that’s not over 70 (hopefully). There should be age limits for public office and it should match whatever we consider the retirement age to be. We have too many dusty old codgers running things and ruining things, clawing at power and money while destroying civilization for their great grandchildren (which is all the worse, because they’ve met them). When I see someone like Feinstein elected repeatedly, it’s blatant evidence of how broken politics is in America. In California, apparently, policy positions, personal character, and corruption don’t matter, you can elect a corpse in a wheelchair if it has a D next to its name, and they did.

layer8 3y ago
> it should match whatever we consider the retirement age to be. That would create wrong incentives for pushing the retirement age upwards though.
- tristor 3y ago
  Then we set it to 65, means the last Senate term has them exiting at 71. People over 70 should not be running the country, and currently the median Congressperson is on social security. We have a problem.
  - layer8 3y ago
    “We” don’t set it though. They do.
  - pnut 3y ago
    Hard really to say that elected politicians are running the country though. They serve at the pleasure of their benefactors.
- jstarfish 3y ago
  Pin it to the military's retirement age then.
bombcar 3y ago
Adding an age limit would just get you a slightly younger equivalent in that seat (wheelchair?). At least now you have the (minuscule, I admit) chance that some secure senator will go against his or her party because they know their seat is secure in re-election.
- tristor 3y ago
  Many of the policy positions held by Congresspersons I believe to be directly tied to their age and place in life and their lack of understanding around technology, all of which are best rectified by reducing the median age of those serving in Congress. While this does nothing to affect special interest groups, lobbying, or corruption, those are separate issues with separate solutions. Age limits are not a panacea, but they are necessary.
happytoexplain 3y ago
Your concern about being rude is endearing considering that your comment is downright reverential by comparison to other sibling comments.

layer8 3y ago

> it should match whatever we consider the retirement age to be. That would create wrong incentives for pushing the retirement age upwards though.

tristor 3y ago
Then we set it to 65, means the last Senate term has them exiting at 71. People over 70 should not be running the country, and currently the median Congressperson is on social security. We have a problem.
- layer8 3y ago
  “We” don’t set it though. They do.
- pnut 3y ago
  Hard really to say that elected politicians are running the country though. They serve at the pleasure of their benefactors.
jstarfish 3y ago
Pin it to the military's retirement age then.

bombcar 3y ago

Adding an age limit would just get you a slightly younger equivalent in that seat (wheelchair?). At least now you have the (minuscule, I admit) chance that some secure senator will go against his or her party because they know their seat is secure in re-election.

tristor 3y ago
Many of the policy positions held by Congresspersons I believe to be directly tied to their age and place in life and their lack of understanding around technology, all of which are best rectified by reducing the median age of those serving in Congress. While this does nothing to affect special interest groups, lobbying, or corruption, those are separate issues with separate solutions. Age limits are not a panacea, but they are necessary.

happytoexplain 3y ago

Your concern about being rude is endearing considering that your comment is downright reverential by comparison to other sibling comments.