Joe Biden, 81 and alarmingly feeble, refuses, at least for the moment, to pass the torch of presidential leadership to a younger Democrat. Meanwhile, the possible reelection of convicted felon Donald Trump, 78 and barely rational, looms like a doomsday scenario.
What’s going on? It’s the age-old (pun intended) struggle of when and how elderly leaders give way — or don’t — to their successors.
In some tribal cultures and monarchies, the son had to kill the father to assume power. Israel’s King Saul tried any number of times to murder David, his son-in-law and divinely anointed successor, to hold onto power.
Erich Bridges
Assassination was the rule, not the exception, in imperial Rome.
Shakespeare wrote of historical Henry IV’s frustration over his rowdy son Hal’s preference for partying with Falstaff to the heavy responsibilities of the crown — and of fictional King Lear, who impulsively abdicated in favor of two no-good daughters (rejecting a faithful third), with bloody consequences.
“How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child,” Lear lamented. True, but the real culprit was his own elderly foolishness.
In democracies, the struggle of succession is usually less bloody, but no less real. Our current national political dilemma provides a case in point. The Democrats, perhaps after denying reality too long or discovering it too late, find themselves led by a president who is increasingly infirm but who refuses to yield to a younger candidate. The Republicans have bowed down to an aging autocrat who nearly destroyed our democracy once and seems eager to do it again.
The gerontocracy still rules
It isn’t just a political crisis in our aging society.
“Gerontocracy transcends government as a full-scale social phenomenon, in which older people accumulate power, and then retain it,” writes Yale professor Samuel Moyn in The New York Times.
The long association of age and power has been greatly augmented by the fact that we — those of us with access to clean water, decent food and good medical care, at least — live much longer. Moyn cites the “sanitary revolution” starting in the 19th century, which cleaned up major cities, disinfected water and attacked the dangerous bacteria and viruses that killed so many young people in previous times. Then came the 20th-century medical advances that increased life spans for hundreds of millions.
Thank God for medical advances and longer lifespans. They’ve vastly improved the lives of much of humanity. But one of the unintended consequences of this progress is rapidly aging societies, where the elderly dominate resources and refuse to relinquish power, while their children will not — or cannot — produce enough offspring to prevent eventual demographic decline. I wrote about this in April.
“What we are facing is an increasing battle between the old and the young for leadership at all levels of society.”
Here’s a quote from that piece:
“U.S. fertility rates have been declining since the late 1950s, when I came along. Deaths will exceed births by 2038. People older than age 65 — again, me — will outnumber children within a decade. By 2100, almost 30% of the U.S. population will be 65 and older — nearly twice today’s percentage. …
“And we’re not alone. By 2050, as many as 155 countries will have birth rates too low to maintain population size, according to The Lancet. By 2100, that number will climb to 198 countries. Global economic growth will decline. Innovation will decrease. Fewer people will enter or remain in the workforce. Demand for goods and services will decline.”
That’s still a ways down the road for Americans, although nations such as Japan, South Korea and China already face the dire consequences of aging populations. What we are facing is an increasing battle between the old and the young for leadership at all levels of society: government, business and social institutions — including the church.
Regarding the latter, consider the megachurches where reigning “senior pastors” hang on until they’re senile or too weak to continue, then turn power over to their sons — as if royal succession applies to the Christian pulpit. That’s an extreme example, but far too many churches sink into decline under the leadership of pastors who should have retired long ago.
Cultural shift
“The ultimate remedy lies in a cultural shift,” Moyn suggests. “Mr. Biden’s struggles dramatize our failure to integrate old age as a definite phase in nearly everyone’s life. In a society in which elderly people are treated as irrelevant and are subject to neglect, those of them holding authority have no incentive to hand over the reins.”
Before we lay all the blame on aging leaders, however, let’s discuss who’s waiting in the wings. When it comes to American politicians, I can’t say I’m impressed. Kamala Harris? I’m voting for her if Biden steps aside, for sure, but I’m still waiting for her to demonstrate actual leadership. J.D. Vance? He’s an utterly cynical populist-isolationist who would lead this country into economic chaos, authoritarian rule and possible world war if he abandons our overseas alliances.
Is this the best we can do?
The youngsters need to step up their game, bigtime, if they want the geezers to hand over power willingly.
Erich Bridges, a Baptist journalist for more than 40 years, has covered international stories and trends in many countries. He lives in Richmond, Va.
Related articles:
Yes, there’s a double standard but Biden still must leave the 2024 race | Opinion by Mark Wingfield
Of politicians and pastors who can’t quit | Opinion by Mark Wingfield
Demographic decline is upon us — what’s next? | Analysis by Erich Bridges