Why Won’t America’s Aging Elite Retire? | Interesting Times with Ross Douthat
American leaders are staying in office past their prime. Boomers are reluctant to relinquish control — from political offices to corner offices — to the detriment of their juniors. In a society where the elderly hold so much power, should younger generations revolt? My guest today is Samuel Moyn, a professor at Yale Law School, and he argues that American democracy is distorted by the power of the old. We discuss how seniors have hoarded wealth and influence and how Americans can renew an intergenerational compact. 0:00 The Tyranny of the Elderly 2:01 Why Aging Politicians Refuse to Retire 4:19 Europe's Anti-Gerontocracy 5:15 Is "Gerontocracy" Pervasive Beyond Politics? 7:07 How Longevity Creates Structural Problems 9:40 How Age Impacts Policy 15:10 The Age Wealth Gap and Asset Hoarding 20:21 How About Millennials? 23:28 An Agenda to End Gerontocracy & Rebalance Power 35:11 How To Build Intergenerational Solidarity 38:14 The Economic & Social Realities of End-of-Life Care
Read the full transcript here: nytimes.com/…/30/opinion/american-gerontocracy-sa…