America's aging elite symbolizes a broader cultural stagnation, writes Peter Franklin in a note published on the UnHerd website .
“With his approval ratings plummeting to new lows, Joe Biden doesn't have much reason to celebrate right now. But he will be looking forward to November 20, his 80th birthday. And this will not only be a personal milestone, but also a national milestone - since the USA will have an eighty-year-old president for the first time," Franklin begins.
The article quotes Derek Thompson's fascinating – and alarming – piece in The Atlantic
America's elite is rapidly aging.
In almost every field of human endeavour, from politics to business to science, the leading figures are on average no longer as young as they used to be.
However, according to the article, politics is where the graying of the elite is most evident. He takes the example of Biden's rivals for the 2020 Democratic nomination — when the second-, third-, and fourth-place candidates (i.e., Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Michael Bloomberg) were all in their seventies. Along with Republican incumbent Donald Trump, this meant that the top five presidential hopefuls were all of retirement age. But he notes that
America, for example, now has the oldest Senate in history. Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of Representatives is 82-year-old Nancy Pelosi.
Photo: Stringer/Anadolu Agency via AFP
“Why is this happening? Why aren't America's leaders making room for younger men and women? The most obvious explanation is that Western societies as a whole are aging. Thus, there are more older people in leadership positions and more older voters willing to elect them. Advanced medical treatments mean our leaders last longer, and advanced cosmetic treatments prevent them from looking too old,” writes the author.
According to the article, cultural stagnation can also be blamed. In most art forms – music, film, literature – this is clearly not a golden age. According to the author, it is possible that voters prefer older politicians because their public personalities are rooted in a more colorful and creative era. However, these demographic and cultural factors apply equally to Europe, where politics is not dominated by the elderly. The French, for example, elected Emmanuel Macron to the top when he was only 39 years old.
Meanwhile, in Britain, the next Prime Minister will be either Liz Truss (47) or Rishi Sunak (42). In addition, the average age of members of parliament - around 50 - has barely changed in the last forty years.
“So the mystery remains: Why are American politicians so old? It's not like everything is going so well, as if there's no need for fresh blood," notes Franklin.
"Instead of looking at the aging of Western societies, we should look for the answer in the specific factors of the American political system.
Two explanations jump out immediately: firstly, the rigidity of the American two-party system, and secondly, the unlimited influence of big money. A country whose economic success was built on ruthless competition is now hostage to a political system ideally designed to accumulate power," concludes the UnHerd journalist.
Featured image: GettyImages
