Over three-fourths of Americans think there should be a maximum age limit for elected officials, according to a CBS News/YouGov survey.

  • Rodeo
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    4
    arrow-down
    4
    ·
    10 months ago

    If there were age limits it should be well below the point of any cognitive decline, because it’s also about having younger people in power who can think and plan on a scale of several decades, because that’s how long they have left to live.

    I’m thinking like 50.

    • TechyDad@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      10 months ago

      The problem with setting the age limit too low is that people of that age range might not feel represented.

      To give an example, I’m 48. One of my upcoming concerns is retirement. Will it be able to afford to retire? Will I need to work part time after “retiring” just to survive?

      If every politician in a position of power was too young, retirement might not seem to them to be an important issue. After all, when you’re 30, retirement seems forever away. They could enact policies that are great for people under 40 but devastating to people approaching retirement.

      That’s why, while I definitely think politicians like McConnell and Feinstein should have retired long ago, I’m leery about setting too low of a forced retirement age.

      • WarmSoda@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        10 months ago

        Also, you do want people with experience there. Having a rotating door of only young people doesn’t really help anything.

        • Rodeo
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          10 months ago

          The door wouldn’t be rotating anymore than it is now.

          And what’s your source on young people not helping anything? All the times in US history that we made the most progress were under young Democrat presidents.

          • WarmSoda@lemm.ee
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            10 months ago

            I didn’t say young people don’t help anything. I said having only new young people all the time doesn’t help. Having people with experience is a good thing.

            • Rodeo
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              10 months ago

              Do you think JFK had no experience? He became president at 47. Did he “not help”, as you put it?

              Your claim is not only vague but has also been presented without any reasoning.

              • WarmSoda@lemm.ee
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                10 months ago

                Why are you trying to argue? It was a general statement I made, I’m not presenting a case study.
                Chill out, goddamn.

                • Rodeo
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  arrow-down
                  2
                  ·
                  10 months ago

                  Because the statement you made doesn’t have sound reasoning.

                  In other words, you’re wrong.

                  • WarmSoda@lemm.ee
                    link
                    fedilink
                    arrow-up
                    1
                    arrow-down
                    1
                    ·
                    10 months ago

                    Just because you’re missing the point it doesn’t mean the other person is wrong.

      • Rodeo
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        10 months ago

        I’m 31 and I’m pretty fuckin concerned with retirement. Because if I’m not now, I’ll probably never be able to.