With age comes wisdom, so they say, but also with advanced age often comes confusion, disorientation and in some cases the onset of dementia.
Not to mention falls, strokes, heart attacks and other calamities. So most of us retire before those things happen rather than continue in high-stress jobs.
This became a relevant political conversation this week when 90-year-old Sen. Dianne Feinstein got confused when it was her turn to vote and instead launched into a lengthy statement. Her colleagues had to instruct her to “just say ‘aye’” before she awkwardly complied.
At least she laughed at her own gaffe, which was a sign that she remains sentient — for now.
A scarier moment happened earlier in the week when 81-year-old Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell simply froze during a press conference and stood there speechless for 30 seconds or so.
He may have been suffering what neurologists describe as a “mini-stroke,” which can occur when there is a temporary shortage of blood to the brain, and is often an indicator of worse things to come.
(McConnell insists he is “fine.”)
These two events illustrated the vulnerability of our political system when leaders stay in office beyond the point they can assure us that they are fully capable of carrying out their duties. Of course this also highlights the age of the incumbent, President Biden (80), as well as that of his putative opponent next year, Trump (77).
Personally, I think they all should consider leaving office at this point. In addition, Trump was never qualified to hold public office in the first place — at any age.
At least Feinstein, McConnell and Biden have largely distinguished themselves as government officials, whether you agree with them politically or not.
But there comes a time for everybody to call it quits and leave the battle to the next generation, and for this group of 80+ year-olds, their time has arrived.
LINKS:
As McConnell Tries to Convey Business as Usual, His Future Is in Doubt (NYT)
McConnell says he plans to serve his full term as leader despite questions about his health (AP)
Why Did Economic Forecasters Get Their Recession Call Wrong? (New Yorker)
‘These are my tapes’: Trump rips new charges in classified docs case (CNBC)
Why Jack Smith waited until now to charge Trump for secret Iran document flaunted on tape (MSNBC)
Supreme Court May Have Handed Jack Smith New Tool Against Trump: Lawyers (Newsweek)
The Boss and His Botched Coverup (New Yorker)
The White House said there's no possibility of a presidential pardon for President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, a day after a federal judge rejected a plea deal for him over felony tax and gun charges. [HuffPost]
How Supreme Court Justices Make Millions From Book Deals (NYT)
Blistering US heatwave spreads from south and scorches 190m Americans (Guardian)
The Economic Cost of Houston’s Heat: ‘I Don’t Want to Be Here Anymore’ (WSJ)
Dangerous fungus is becoming more prevalent. Scientists believe climate change could be to blame (AP)
African leaders press Putin to end Ukraine war (Reuters)
Russia’s Wagner boss appears to hail Niger coup, tout services (Al Jazeera)
Typhoon Doksuri swept into southern China, unleashing heavy rain and violent gusts of wind that whipped power lines and sparked fires, uprooted trees, and ripped off part of a stadium roof. (Reuters)
EPA says three widely used pesticides driving hundreds of endangered species toward extinction (Missouri Independent)
Scientists woke up a 46,000-year-old roundworm from Siberian permafrost (WP)
What my $30 hamburger reveals about fees and how companies use them to jack up prices (NPR)
Fatigue Can Shatter a Person (Atlantic)
Chinese AI arrives by stealth, not with a bang (Reuters)
‘A certain danger lurks there’: how the inventor of the first chatbot turned against AI (Guardian)
10 ways artificial intelligence is changing the workplace, from writing performance reviews to making the 4-day workweek possible (Insider)
History offers some clues for navigating the skills gap in the AI era (Fast Company)
Artificial intelligence is powering politics – but it could also reboot democracy (Guardian)
AI-Generated Data Can Poison Future AI Models (Scientific American)
Being Eaten Alive By Shark Not Nearly As Terrifying As Man Had Imagined
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