Retired people have significantly more time, and thus have significantly higher capacity to vote and influence society even though they will not experience the long term consequences of said influence.
You ought to be worried about who whispers what from sunrise to sundown.
On the other hand, we should be very vigilant on the kind of experiences kids get to have as those indirectly influence the future of society.
A healthy habit that senior executives learn is to ask the question “why are you telling me this (particular fact, among all the facts there are to tell)?”
BTW, retired folks don’t have a greater capacity to vote, as compared to all voting age qualified voters. Mobility issues in fact make it harder. Also, depending on the definition of “long-term”, it is definitely true that the elderly will experience the consequences of their actions or, conversely, no one currently living will. Why did you tell me this? :-)
> BTW, retired folks don’t have a greater capacity to vote, as compared to all voting age qualified voters. Mobility issues in fact make it harder.
I think a lot of it is simply that many younger people are too busy to vote, or have too many appealing alternatives, or just don't get around to it; retired people have much more time on their hands, so they are more likely to do it.
A good way of levelling that playing field is what we have here in Australia – compulsory voting. If you are eligible to vote and don't, the government will send you a letter asking for an excuse, and if they don't think that excuse is good enough (you can appeal their rejection of your excuse to court), they'll fine you (for federal elections it is only AU$20, although if you don't pay that on time, they add another zero on the end). Added to that, voting is always on Saturday, a day which the majority of people have off work – and those who have to work that day (or are observant Jewish/etc), can go to an early voting centre before then, or cast a postal vote. Young people are much more likely to vote when you force them to.
Are you saying that young people do not vote because they don't have time? Whilst the very topic we're discussing argues they're on their phone the entire damn day?
As to older people being numerous in terms of voting, that's democracy.
In the US, due to voting not being a national holiday, and due to people working, it is difficult to actually go out and vote.
I don’t mind that older people can vote, it’s democracy after all, but I do mind the fact that they are constantly exposed to a barrage of propaganda from troll farms.
Retired people have significantly more time, and thus have significantly higher capacity to vote and influence society even though they will not experience the long term consequences of said influence.
You ought to be worried about who whispers what from sunrise to sundown.
On the other hand, we should be very vigilant on the kind of experiences kids get to have as those indirectly influence the future of society.