Ecb: Created page with 'Category:Everyday Life 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 hyperdevelo…'

2010-06-19T02:08:36Z

Created page with 'Category:Everyday Life 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 hyperdevelo…'

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[[Category:Everyday Life]]
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 [[Transhumanist]]s 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.

Creeping Conservatism - Revision history

Ecb: Created page with 'Category:Everyday Life 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 hyperdevelo…'