Longevity - gunna cause some issues

[Sean K]

We're getting older and older due to medicine and a more sedentary lifestyle perhaps.

One result has been people working longer and the aged pension being pushed back a few years.

Going to cause some problems in our life time perhaps.

Any thoughts?

 

[prawn_86]

Yeh interesting stat on Hungry Beast last night is that in the next few years the number of people who are 65yo will be more than than the total people in the past that reached that age...

 

[Sean K]

Imagine what happens when we find a cure for cancer?

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

Perhaps we should encourage smoking, its a dying habit.

gg

 

[explod]

Imagine what happens when we find a cure for cancer?

Or double the baby bonus

 

[Julia]

Of course there are going to be huge problems as people live longer, take advantage of exponentially developing medical technology which will prolong life.

To me, the ultimate irony is that older members of society are made to feel a nuisance, especially if they cannot fund their own retirement, pay for their own medical treatment etc., yet successive governments refuse to acknowledge public opinion re euthanasia where 80% of the population favour being allowed to end their lives peacefully rather than live to be very old if that means taking up public hospital/healthcare resources.

There is just so much hypocrisy around this whole subject.

Imo there should be a much harder headed approach to both the start and the end of life. Children born who are clearly going to have to be completely supported, physically, mentally and emotionally for all their lives, should not have their lives sustained at the beginning, and older people who are in their own assessment a burden on the rest of society, should be assisted to a peaceful exit.

 

[Putty7]

The rule of nature the do gooders have conveniently averted Julia, survival of the fittest

 

[newbie trader]

Talk about 'buying' time. Was watching a program on the building of human organs to replace 'old' ones inside humans. Theyre able to grow a whole range of things and I think have been testing on mice. They hope to be able to (eventually) allow people to extend their lives (depending on the circumstances) by 10-25 years (estimation by the scientist/dr). They showed the tv crew around the labs and their work is far more advanced than I would have expected. I'm not 100% if theyve begun doing this in the human context (trials etc), but it looks promising for those interested in 'extending' their life.

 

[DB008]

I need a new brain. All else is good.

 

[Happy]

Talk about 'buying' time. ....

Almost sure that life extension program will not be Medicare supported, and beyond experimental stage will be prohibitively expensive.
So probably only for those who can afford it.


Taking into account that large percentage of young generation has chemically affected number of organs, looks that couple of generations might die about the same time.
Will be interesting to see, what happens then.
(Possibly people smuggling might be Government sponsored then - as sure as hell it is not now )

Probably euthanasia might become compulsory, once younger generations get to power and due to popular demand will introduce: end of life bill.

 

[Sean K]

One other thing linked to living longer will also be having children later and more of them maybe. In the developed world we're having less children for financial reasons and because we're no longer all Catholic and know how it happens, but in the developing world women could be having tons of them out into their 50s once we have a cheap pill that makes us live longer. Like the Chinese did, we might find a quota placed on the number of children we can have. Issues there.

I'm with Julia on he right to live and die. I think once religion gets out of the law making game we'll have more choices. Life is not 'sacred', it's just life. Our life will always be more valuable in our human mind though because of the benefits we think we provide to one another, as say, compared to an ant in an ant colony. Human life might be a little more special because of our advanced social behaviour and needs.

 

[awg]

The ones that make me laugh, want to get frozen and defrosted later, when their disease is cured.

yeah right mate, as if... chuck you out and pocket the freezer fee

 

[Julia]

. I think once religion gets out of the law making game we'll have more choices.

I hope you're not holding your breath in the expectation of this happening, kennas. I don't remember a time in politics, either in NZ or here, when there have been so many god botherers making our rules.
Very depressing indeed.

 

[Sean K]

I hope you're not holding your breath in the expectation of this happening, kennas. I don't remember a time in politics, either in NZ or here, when there have been so many god botherers making our rules.
Very depressing indeed.

We might see it Julia. There's been some massive shifts in opinion the past few years. The general public are no longer blinded and no longer fear burning at the stake etc. I think that we are now almost free thinkers we'll see a tectonic shift of opinion to 'church' in the next few years.

I'm quite happy to go out on a limb and say that within 10 years organised religion will be dead. Dead!


Unless God appears and says g'day.

 

[Happy]

...
I'm quite happy to go out on a limb and say that within 10 years organised religion will be dead. Dead!

...

Except maybe for one that is determined to rule the whole World.

(No wander why Obama wants to conquer the Mars, he probably thinks that the Moon is too close)

 

[gav]

We might see it Julia. There's been some massive shifts in opinion the past few years. The general public are no longer blinded and no longer fear burning at the stake etc. I think that we are now almost free thinkers we'll see a tectonic shift of opinion to 'church' in the next few years.

I'm quite happy to go out on a limb and say that within 10 years organised religion will be dead. Dead!

You only have to look at the growth of Islam to see this won't happen.