My blood... It runs cold when I read all this. The old exist for a reason, they can teach the young some important lessons, infact it's amazing how many people only figure out how much they needed daddy or grandpa to mantain their status of living only when they're (pops and grandad) dead. Also people who retire do not instantly cease contributing to society in fact many retired people work hard till the day thy die, they just don't get paid for it or their social security and such goes down the drain. In fact it would seem that the solution to your problem of noncontributing elderly is already solved by a mechanism in the human body. Whether it be something darwinian or act of god when a person has truly ceased to work and contribute when they're old it sometimes is surprising how quickly their health spirals downwards. In effect when you cease contributing you're dead, it simply may be a question of time. One however can point out the boatload of assorted elderly hooked up to feeding tubes and stuck in nursing homes. I can't say why that mechanism fails but I think that they still have the right to live. You know what in way I could call you all Commies and Nazis at the end of this ramble. I could comment on life's great value and such but I'm thinking that is a dead end. So instead this will have to do. In the end though this falls to the greatest question of all though, is earth full? From an urban perspective perhaps, but from the rural view their is still a lot of spaces. And, this may sound like the words of a dreamer but man can't stay on this rock forever. We must quest further if for no other reason than darwinian survival. For even from a darwinian perspective haveing only Earth is a death warrant in itself. We must venture beyond thus increasing our chances of survival. What the heck though this is for a different discussion and possibly a completely unrelated ramble. Thus I make my case that old people shoul live. (I have the feeling my post is about to be shot down in flames...)
