LTry to try something better: talk about age without slipping age. Never before in modern history has the fate of the world in their hands very old. Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping both 72. The Narendra Modi 74, Benjamin Netanyahu 75, Donald Trump 79, and Ali Khamenei is 86.
Thanks for the progress of medical science, humans can first, more active life – but we also witnessed a scary political leaders as they grow old with their young companions.
This week, in their annual summit, NATO leaders – including Emmanuel Macron and Metro Frederiksen (both 47), Giorgia Moneloni (53) – forced to swallow Trump’s needs for further military spending. The average age of NATO heads in the State 60. Germany’s Friedrich Merz is 69, recep Tayyip Eroğan 71.
Everything bowed to a new 5% of defense-spending target – An arbitrary number, imposed with no serious military reasoning or rational debate, allow serious democratic debate at home. It’s less policy, more respect for the whims of a fierce patriarch. The Secretary of NATO Secretary, Mark Rutte – Himself 58 – Goes to Call Trump “Papa”. That is not diplomacy. That’s the submission.
This generation of combat is playing in other arenas. The 47-year-old President of Ukraine, Voltodmyr Zelenskyy, opposes imperial ambitions with Septuagenarian Putin. Septuagenarian XI was watching a Taiwan led by a president seven years his junior. Netanyahu, three-quarters of a century old, the management of Gaza’s destruction, where nearly Half of the population is under 18. In Iran an 86 year old rules of a population with an average age of 32. Paul leave, 92, is in power since 1982 in a country where the The median age 18 and hope in life Only 62.
There is no Gerontocratic Conscheration at work here – no senior clubs’ clubs bent to launch the world. But there is something disturbing about a world that people break that lives are defined by the postwar architecture. Khamenenei six of the world war ended.
Trump was born in 1946, the United Nations year held the first general assembly. Netanyahu was born one year after Israel was established. Modi was born in 1950, because India became a republic. Putin entered the world in October 1952, months before Stalin’s death. XI in June 1953, after. And Erdogan was born in 1954, two years after Turkey includes NATO. These people are children of the postwar world – and while they are about to end their lives, as they are determined to destroy it. Almost looks revenge. Dylan Thomas encouraged us In “rage, rage against the death of light”. It is rare that the line seems to be true.
Yes, international-based rules are often messier in practice than paper. But at least the ideal existing. There is a shared ethical moral – Shaky, yes, but sincerity – constructed by conviction that the violence never repeated the fierceness in the first half of the 20th century and diplomacy. That conviction now evaporated, not least the thoughts of those who need to be more loved on it.
This is an unpunished period. The architects last global disorder – Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, are – all in their 30s or 40s if they rose to power. A new generation has established a new world, and lives with its consequences. Today, that the new world is not in an older generation – one that cannot survive to see its destruction. It’s easy to scream “Drill, baby, drill“If you may not experience the worst climate collapse. Après nous le Déluge, as the French said.
You may think that a generation is very useful to benefit from long life leaves a legacy of care, gratitude and stewardship in the world. However, we have witnessed the worst resurrection, violence, genocide, ecocide and contempt of international law in decades of escape than often interested in conservation.
But this is not necessary.
After leaving office, Nelson Mandela was built The elderlyA network of former leaders in the world working to improve peace, justice and human rights. Inspired by African traditions in agreement and elderly intellect, elders are an example of how old, kindness and conscience can provide.
The problem is not older. How it is chosen to use it. The world is not necessarily older strong power holding power. It requires elders ready to let go – and guidance. The kind of thinking about heritage is not as personal glory, but as they are left in the world. At this time of age, our must not rule, but wisdom. And that, in the end, is separating a principal from a leader.
