Too many are living too long

“The decline of acute death has ushered in disability, dementia and degenerative disease with profound consequences for self and society.” (Guy Brown in The Living End.)

The proportion of the population 65 years of age and older is rising more rapidly then any other age group. That means many more people living enjoyable years in retirement - but it also means many more with debilitating mental and physical problems due to their degenerating organic systems.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced that there would be 35 million people in this country by 2050. If that announcement was not astonishing enough, then the reasoning behind the arrival at that figure should be. It seems that the expected economic burden of the number of citizens over the age of 65 will necessitate the continuation of our exceptionally high intake of immigrants to pay for their welfare - as our natural birth rate won’t do the job.

Most older Australians are troubled by talk of millions more people coming into this country as we are aware of the burden that there has been on both the urban and natural environment since 1950. But, few realise that the inevitable, greatly increased, future load on public services, housing, soil, water, wildlife and air is the price seemingly being agreed upon to ease the future burden of caring for the old.

After years of warnings, the chronic inadequate staffing of community services has now reached the stage where many people are suffering - especially abused children within dysfunctional families. That money which is going towards those worn-out people who have already lived their lives, could be redirected towards those who are entitled to a real chance at having a normal life ahead of them.

What if we all knew that, by law, after the age of 80 years, there will be no intensive care available? Would a 50-year-old cease abusing his body? Would a 70-year-old better manage the time he has left?

Conclusion

We have allowed ourselves to drift into a situation where organic systems are to be kept ticking away at a level just above ceasing to function at a cost of billions of dollars a year. We fight nature by keeping those who are unaware that they are alive, alive. Parliament squashes voluntary euthanasia initiatives by insisting that those who want to die, live. In the context of human history, that is a highly artificial situation.