Creeping Conservatism
From Gothpoodle
One of the most important political trends of the 21st century has been the shift of social power into the hands of the elderly, in all the hyperdeveloped nations. Even in 2000, the elderly formed an important political bloc. In the United States, for example, the elderly were wealthier and more likely to vote than any other demographic sector, and they were organized through special interest groups more powerful than those of any other age bracket.
The demographic and economic trends of the 21st century have only magnified the political power of the elderly. After a century of falling birthrates and improvements in geriatric medicine, the elderly today make up the majority in most of the Fifth Wave nations. In any case, the simplest way to become wealthy is to “buy and hold” investments, a strategy that is most effective for the long-lived. As a result, many of today’s wealthiest (and therefore most influential) individuals are among the oldest.
Elderly people are not necessarily political conservatives. Indeed, some of today’s super-elderly are extremely technophilic and progressive – most notably, those Old Transhumanists who have survived for over a century because of their early interest in life-extension technology. Still, in today’s Fifth Wave nations there is a strong correlation between age and conservatism. Most of the super-elderly survived to that age by being cautious in their investments, in their choices of medical treatment, and in their social interactions. Furthermore, despite their age today’s elderly can still have many years ahead of them. They tend to take the long view, resisting any impulse to take risks or even allow others to do so.
As a result, the hyperdeveloped societies have all grown steadily more conservative over the past century, even while technological innovation has continued to accelerate. Today’s Fifth Wave societies are dominated by a cautious, wealthy, super-elderly class, many of whose members have been in positions of power since mid-century. Their rule has been benevolent but sometimes intrusive, focused on keeping economic growth steady and social unrest under control.
