A New Political Sport: The Demonizing of Age

I have lost track of how many times I have listened to, heard or watched some politician or social analyst narrate the new political revelation that Australia and the rest of the developed world have too many old people.

We are a problem, we are continually harangued, and until the ‘Age Problem’ is solved, we democracies are on a slippery slope to an abyss.

These ageing analyses invariably refer to the “Age Problem” of Japan. The UK ‘Guardian’ of 2 January 2011 tells us, “…In 1989, only 11.6% of the population was 65 years or older, but by 2007, that figure had risen to 21%, making Japan one of the “greyest” countries on earth.” Presaging the ‘Guardian’, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2011 revealed that the demographic shift in Japan’s age profile has triggered concerns about the nation’s economic future and the viability of….(its)…the…state. Obviously, a new paradigm or ‘final solution’ is needed, or so that is the not-so-subtle insinuation.

This stylish thinking made me ask of myself what validity did this ‘aged rationale’ have? Perhaps people like me ARE the new demons and we should be put on the end of a flatbed truck at age eighty-two or thereabouts and dropped off The Heads at Sydney or other promontories abound the Antipodes. So, I looked into what I, as father, worker, teacher, economist and philosopher have contributed to the countries in which I have lived…forty-three of these years in Australia.

I am now eighty-one years old and have earned wages (in today’s wages as my first professional job in Chicago in 1959 was $200 per month) well in excess of a few million. On these earnings I have always paid my taxes, on time and without rancour. I like to feel I am a generous person and have contributed to church, charity and volunteer groups approximately sixty-seven to eighty-five thousand dollars. I have authored or co-authored about ten books.

Having been a teacher at many levels it would be a safe bet that my forty plus years of teaching has seen about 25,000 students walk through my university and other teaching doors. And I was damn good and well prepared.

I fathered four children and helped raise four more, all of whom have become educated, good citizens and a credit to Australia.

I have built or purchased six houses and kept them all in good repair. Their value in today’s dollar? Millions.

In volunteer work, such as political parties, door knocking, radio programmes and free articles for newspapers, or collecting funds for charity, I have contributed thousands of hours.

I could go on but will not. POINT IS, people like me by the tens of thousands and even millions, are now being demonized. Why? Simply because we are getting old and expensive. The sub-rosa message here seems to be: when an old car gets too old because of the expenses the best thing to do is junk it! I will not be junked!

Yes, I have chronic medical problems: arthritis in all joints, macular degeneration which calls for medical ops frequently, blood pressure and cholesterol pills are my daily friends. I am a pretty average old man and I have to go to the doctors very often (but then there were years and years when I never saw one sawbone). I may have ten more years to live if I am fortunate. BUT HEY! Dammit, do not demonize me and my seventy-five old wife who has been even more productive in life then I…after all she bore the children. Don’t develop a society that always views solutions to social complications as monetary and economic.

I may not be a saint but I and thousands…no millions…like me are NOT demons. Our world needs to care and share not demonize and ostracize!

Venerate us!

• Davanjac, in Comments: Well said. Yes with all our hard work we helped to build the Australia we have today. It only takes a few politicians with a few screws loose to unravel it all. Cowards and bullies always pick on the weakest in their society and that is what we have as a Prime Minister at the moment. He seems to want all those over 65 years to crawl into a corner and die. Well I am sorry but I for one will not. My husband and I reared eight children, had seven jobs between us to feed, clothe and educate them, we did not receive nor would we ever ask for handouts from anyone. Bring it on Tony I am so fired up, because I am so disgusted, I will fight for the retirement and peace that we deserve.