Dr Ezekiel Emanuel, 57, thinks old people over 75 are a waste of space. They consume too much healthcare and their lives are so diminished that they are not worth living, he thinks. He publicly announced that he intended to accept no medical treatment after 75 and preferred to die before he became “feeble, ineffectual, and even pathetic”. ” Living too long is a loss”, he says, and trying to diet, exercise, do mind puzzles and so on in order to extend life amounts “manic desperation”.
The Boston Globe, which ran a story about Dr. Emanuel, commented that the doctor had 18 years to ponder his death wish. “He is still young, and not yet wise”.
Old age, with its pains, impediments and memory gaps, requires courage. My mother used to say that old age was not for the faint-hearted. But one thing is for certain – Dr. Emanuel will lapse into silence should he reach the age of 75.
If you are over 75 and are an Epicurean you are not, by definition, afraid of death; you would just prefer it, when it comes, to be a good death, surrounded by weeping friends and relatives, listening to one’s profound last words. Meanwhile, you don’t have to put up with a disagreeable boss, commute, waste time on Facebook, try to find a new job – and a hundred other things. Best of all, you stop worrying about what people think of you, and you can speak your mind. You might actually have acquired a measure of wisdom and can reflect on how much better the world would be if you ran it, instead of the current bunch of incompetents. The good doctor should enjoy his old age; it has a lot going for it.
(Disclosure: the author of this post could reasonably be accused of being “feeble, ineffectual, and even pathetic”, and is certainly a fixture in a number of medical waiting rooms. However, unlike Dr. Emanuel, the doctors concerned seem to welcome him. Maybe it has something to do with income).
How about making these the two criteria for fingering those who “waste space?” (1) “incompetence in running their tiny or big bit of the world;” and, (2) “disrespect for the truth and common good.” The guilty would be banished and age would be utterly. irrelevant.
I think Dr Emanuel is out of his mind. Old people are a massive asset to the world. An older society is generally one with less crime and civil unrest, more wealth, higher life expectancy, lower birth rates, better healthcare, a cleaner environment, healtheir lifestyles and a strong welfare state. We should be proud of being an ageing society, its a product of our successes.
It’s very disturbing to hear the view that old people are somehow a drain on our economy. Many people, especially on the far right, view children, the poor and the disabled the same way. I hold a different view: that we should treat everyone with dignity and respect, even if they are not always profitable. If we wanted life to be always about making money, we could do so very easily. But it would be a very joyless (and apparently short) one.
That is a most charming – and reassuring – post. Thank you, Owen. Incidentally, he had a storm of criticism and came out of it looking an idiot.
You need to calm down. I am an old person (81 years old) and I personally think I have grown to be a waste of space and resources. However, there are certain problems the elderly share, for example grumpiness and a tendency to be a drain on public healthcare, and I do my best to avoid them. But, this dislike of seniors should be specifically for those who are a hassle, and not the interesting, kind, loving ones we commonly have.