I’d be for tests of capabilities past some age. This would be the correct course of action, especially as technology may very well upend all these fixed and static notions about aging. Setting arbitrary upper age limits is kind of stupid even without that. We all have known people that have stayed quite sharp into very, very high ages, well beyond retirement age.
The notion of a child holding the role is of course silly.
Sure but let’s talk about realistic solutions though. Ideally all public servants would have to pass a civic test as well as a physical and mental acuity tests. That would eliminate people like mtg and trump from ever holding office (because ya know you gotta be at least literate to pass a test). However there is no precedent for what you’re proposing. It would require agreement on testing requirements, some independent agency to do said testing, a protocol for updating test content and most importantly trusting that the legislators will trust scientists and educators on what these tests should be. Current government would never do any of those things and at least there is a precedent for age limits. Yes in a perfect world it would be some form of test but in the real world we gotta look for solutions that might actually happen. Top end age restrictions have a precedent and would drastically improve the state of our governing body.
Note: yes I understand that a 40-some year old mtg is magnitudes worse than even Bernie’s corpse at governing, that’s undeniable.
I’d be for tests of capabilities past some age. This would be the correct course of action, especially as technology may very well upend all these fixed and static notions about aging. Setting arbitrary upper age limits is kind of stupid even without that. We all have known people that have stayed quite sharp into very, very high ages, well beyond retirement age.
The notion of a child holding the role is of course silly.
Sure but let’s talk about realistic solutions though. Ideally all public servants would have to pass a civic test as well as a physical and mental acuity tests. That would eliminate people like mtg and trump from ever holding office (because ya know you gotta be at least literate to pass a test). However there is no precedent for what you’re proposing. It would require agreement on testing requirements, some independent agency to do said testing, a protocol for updating test content and most importantly trusting that the legislators will trust scientists and educators on what these tests should be. Current government would never do any of those things and at least there is a precedent for age limits. Yes in a perfect world it would be some form of test but in the real world we gotta look for solutions that might actually happen. Top end age restrictions have a precedent and would drastically improve the state of our governing body.
Note: yes I understand that a 40-some year old mtg is magnitudes worse than even Bernie’s corpse at governing, that’s undeniable.
So…you think that Congress is going to realistically pass some arbitrary upper age limit for the job?