The OLD Philosopher – John M. Miller
In this final essay in a series of four essays, I want to address a problem which has become painfully more acute in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. With the undeniable increase in life expectancy, there are way too many old people in powerful elected or appointed positions in government or in government agencies or on corporate boards of directors. I make these observations as a readily certified old codger myself.
This problem is most evident in the three current octogenarian leaders of Congress: Nancy Pelosi, Mitch McConnell, and Chuck Shumer. Ms. Pelosi has served as the Speaker of the House or the House Minority Leader for the past 18 years. Mr. McConnell has been the Senate Majority or Minority Leader for 15 years (although to me it feels like 50). Mr. Shumer served in the House for 18 years and in then in the Senate for 23 years, and he has the Senate Minority Leader for 5 years and Majority Leader for 1 year.
For those who politically oppose Ms. Pelosi and her politics, it must feel as though she has been in a position of extraordinary power for half a century. The same is true for those who oppose both Mr. McConnell’s personality and his politics; he too gives off the impression of being a half-century immovable boulder. Those who oppose Mr. Shumer feel that he has now served for a quarter of a century in his 5 years as Senate Minority or Majority Leader, but it is a fact that he has served in the House or Senate 41 years.
Psychologically, if not actually, when people who have long served in office become old in office, it may have a deleterious effect on the body politic. What seems to be true becomes true in the minds of voters when they are convinced certain old individuals have stayed in office too long. This often happens even when they strongly agree with the politics of the office holders.
Politics is sufficiently challenging under the best of circumstances, but when significant percentages of voters are intellectually or viscerally put off by oldsters in office, the political process, always dicey at best, turns especially sour. American politics finds itself in that state right now because of the trio of octogenarians who control the American Congress.
Many highly capable politicians have had the wisdom and grace to step aside after a few terms in office. But many others have doggedly hung on for half of forever. In particular, the state of South Carolina has a dubious and colorful history of such folk, going back as far as Senator John C. Calhoun, and as far forward as Strom Thurmond, the second-longest serving US Senator and the only centenarian-serving (thus far) US Senator. In addition, South Carolina elected Fritz Hollings as the longest-serving junior senator in US Senate history, at 39 years. Currently we have Lindsey Graham, who is doing his best to catch up to Strom, but shall never pass him, because Lindsey started his quest too late.
For certain people, being elected to office is far more addictive than the most alluring of opioids. Even a cursory study of history will validate that observation.
Therefore it behooves voters to exercise the necessary caution to prevent oldsters serving in office far longer than is beneficial or acceptable. Furthermore, younger voters eventually come to resent older politicians on the basis of generational politics. Even the finest of elderly politicians ultimately damage the viability of smoothly-functioning politics, because the public tire of them. As able as he was, FDR served too long. As truly noble as he was, Fritz did no favors to the Democratic Party of South Carolina. As committed as he was to individual citizens of the Palmetto State, Strom was a disgrace for at least his last decade in office.
Among other failings of the elderly, too many old people no longer have sufficient awareness of their failings. Some who are too old fail to do their best because old age prevents them from doing what their best once was. This tendency may be exacerbated by their incapability of perceiving their own physical and mental decline.
When too many old people have too much power in either politics or business, it dilutes the power that is required to function optimally by putting it into the hands of too many people who can no longer adequately and skillfully utilize that power. Almost always when oldsters serve too long in either business or politics, it is they hold the highest offices, and that is unquestionably a detriment.
There are a very few individual exceptions to the problems I am addressing here. But even the exceptions become more ineffective as time progresses, if only because they lack the stamina they once had. It is a mistake out of gratitude or admiration to continue to re-elect elderly politicians. It also is a mistake for corporate boards of directors to allow old CEOs or chairpersons of boards to continue in office indefinitely.
To encourage the aged from a sense of altruism or affection is understandable, but it may results in situations which are also greatly regrettable. Instead, the elderly who have ripened to their highest level of productivity should be encouraged to retire before they begin a decline which shall do damage to both them and the public they serve.
- October 25, 2021
John Miller is Pastor of The Chapel Without Walls on Hilton Head Island, SC. More of his writings may be viewed at www.chapelwithoutwalls.org.