There is some truth in saying that science progresses one funeral at a time, and in political structures some of the most effective checks on abuse of power is

There is some truth in saying that science progresses one funeral at a time, and in political structures some of the most effective checks on abuse of power is that even the most shrewd dictator eventually dies. Longevity has its benefits, but if the powerful people can become effectively immortal, then that does have some risks of dystopian stagnation. Like, imagine USSR if Stalin would never die, or Salazar and Franco still holding power in Portugal and Spain, because democracy only became possible when their health failed; and lack of change at top management of megacorporations and major privately held businesses because their owners and CEOs now can be eternal.