McCain Is Too Old?
Had I not taught a psychology course focused on geriatric changes in one's mental functions, I would be worried now about the fact that I have to pause on occasions to recall a name or fact that would have been instantly in mind only a few years ago. I happen to be the same age -- 75 -- as Representative John Murtha who yesterday suggested that John McCain is too old to take on the pressures of the presidency:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24162740/
Murtha is dead right. My own experience as a professional philosopher now just retired tells me so.
Several decades back I was delighted to hear that the retirement age of 65 -- an accident of the Depression years when we were trying to open up scarce jobs for younger people -- would no more be imposed. I had seen too many fine academics (and others) tossed prematurely on the scrap heap of history precisely at the time when they were hitting their peak in performance. I greatly enjoyed teaching and was good at it. I had a manageable schedule of two days a week with an occasional extra day for a meeting or other event. I had no heavy physical demands placed on my body that could have ended my working life. So I sailed on happily doing my things until last year. Then during the semesters following my 73rd birthday I found myself tiring earlier in the afternoons and evenings when my classes were scheduled, waking early each morning at dawn, and frankly not doing such a good job as a teacher later in the day as I had throughout my teaching career. I realized that it was time for me to retire and so took the final sabbatical semester during the spring last year and entered retirement this past September 1.
I am keeping busy with other things such as this blog -- it is marvelous to be able to communicate with email friends daily at all corners of the earth ranging from the West Bank to Scotland. But I am aware that I taper off during the course of the day and find myself weary towards the end of it and slower by far in recollecting facts and making decisions. I am good for a four hour day rather than an eight hour one and use the non working hours for other things that seem to crop up regularly -- doctors' appointments, errands, time with children and grand children or whatever comes my way.
In addition to mental slow downs the body presents its problems, too. Arthritis and other conditions cause a bit of pain and resulting irritation with the world and friends and family on occasions. I know my judgment is not at its best at such times.
In short -- John McCain IS too old to take on the incredible rigors of the most demanding and critical job in the world today. He is a nice guy. Not a genius by all reports. He lacks some basic information and will be facing a slowdown in his capacity to learn and to stay fully alert during critical briefings on this and that. There is no assurance that he would be alert for a 3 a.m. phone call demanding an instant decision, say, as to whether to launch a nuclear attack on Iran!
Hopefully Senator McCain will pass through the election process okay and be returned to the Senate where he can continue to make a contribution at his own pace. If a nice guy, he is a bit wobbly in his stands on this and that, not too clear on domestic or foreign policy as well -- who are the Sunnis and who are Shias? His blic on life is through the eyes of his military training -- far too narrow for the current world situation.
Murtha is right, as he and I know from our own experiences with aging past 70 -- McCain is too old!
--
"A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy cited by Machiavelli)
--
Ed Kent 212-665-8535 (voice mail only) [blind copies]
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CollegeConversation
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PeaceEfforts
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EndingPoverty
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/440neighborhood
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/StudentConcerns
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AcademicFreedom
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PrivacyRights
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Israel_Palestine
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FindingHumaneJobs
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OurStupidEconomy
http://BlogByEdKent.blogspot.com/
http://www.bloggernews.net
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24162740/
Murtha is dead right. My own experience as a professional philosopher now just retired tells me so.
Several decades back I was delighted to hear that the retirement age of 65 -- an accident of the Depression years when we were trying to open up scarce jobs for younger people -- would no more be imposed. I had seen too many fine academics (and others) tossed prematurely on the scrap heap of history precisely at the time when they were hitting their peak in performance. I greatly enjoyed teaching and was good at it. I had a manageable schedule of two days a week with an occasional extra day for a meeting or other event. I had no heavy physical demands placed on my body that could have ended my working life. So I sailed on happily doing my things until last year. Then during the semesters following my 73rd birthday I found myself tiring earlier in the afternoons and evenings when my classes were scheduled, waking early each morning at dawn, and frankly not doing such a good job as a teacher later in the day as I had throughout my teaching career. I realized that it was time for me to retire and so took the final sabbatical semester during the spring last year and entered retirement this past September 1.
I am keeping busy with other things such as this blog -- it is marvelous to be able to communicate with email friends daily at all corners of the earth ranging from the West Bank to Scotland. But I am aware that I taper off during the course of the day and find myself weary towards the end of it and slower by far in recollecting facts and making decisions. I am good for a four hour day rather than an eight hour one and use the non working hours for other things that seem to crop up regularly -- doctors' appointments, errands, time with children and grand children or whatever comes my way.
In addition to mental slow downs the body presents its problems, too. Arthritis and other conditions cause a bit of pain and resulting irritation with the world and friends and family on occasions. I know my judgment is not at its best at such times.
In short -- John McCain IS too old to take on the incredible rigors of the most demanding and critical job in the world today. He is a nice guy. Not a genius by all reports. He lacks some basic information and will be facing a slowdown in his capacity to learn and to stay fully alert during critical briefings on this and that. There is no assurance that he would be alert for a 3 a.m. phone call demanding an instant decision, say, as to whether to launch a nuclear attack on Iran!
Hopefully Senator McCain will pass through the election process okay and be returned to the Senate where he can continue to make a contribution at his own pace. If a nice guy, he is a bit wobbly in his stands on this and that, not too clear on domestic or foreign policy as well -- who are the Sunnis and who are Shias? His blic on life is through the eyes of his military training -- far too narrow for the current world situation.
Murtha is right, as he and I know from our own experiences with aging past 70 -- McCain is too old!
--
"A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy cited by Machiavelli)
--
Ed Kent 212-665-8535 (voice mail only) [blind copies]
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CollegeConversation
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PeaceEfforts
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EndingPoverty
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/440neighborhood
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/StudentConcerns
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AcademicFreedom
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PrivacyRights
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Israel_Palestine
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FindingHumaneJobs
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OurStupidEconomy
http://BlogByEdKent.blogspot.com/
http://www.bloggernews.net
posted by Ed Kent at 8:33 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home