United States: these old patients who govern

You may remember this book by journalist Pierre Accoce and doctor Pierre Rentchnick entitled These patients who govern us. In 1976, the two authors looked at the cases of prominent political figures who had exercised power even though they were seriously ill.

This theme came back to the fore in 2016, when Hillary Clinton was criticized for covering up pneumonia. His opponents had not failed to criticize him for his lack of transparency, but this controversy had shone the spotlight on the health check of those who seek the votes.

Since 2016, the media and voters have missed no opportunity to question the ability of increasingly older elected officials to do their job well. If we think first of Donald Trump or Joe Biden, some of whom fear a decline in cognitive faculties, other cases are in the news and are worrying.

Beyond ageism

If my first instinct is to avoid sinking into ageism, it is very difficult not to mention that the average age of American politicians is particularly high. If a John F. Kennedy was affected by many health problems despite his young age, we must nevertheless recognize that the older we get, the more the risks increase.

The US Senate has no less than seven octogenarians and, of the number, California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein is the one whose state of health worries the most. References to his cognitive disorders have multiplied since 2020, both among his opponents and in his camp.

Like many other politicians, Senator Feinstein is a workaholic. Pugnacious and meticulously prepared, she never tired of imposing herself, fighting hard for every detail.

For two years, the 88-year-old senator would only be a shadow of herself. His memory problems are frequent and his close guard must constantly intervene. Worse, she no longer masters her files and struggles to recognize interlocutors. At the same meeting, Democrats must regularly recall their identity and the reasons for their visit.

Facing the problem?

Dianne Feinstein’s term ends in 2024. She refuses to talk about retirement and many Democrats insist on the seriousness of the situation.

At the time of the birth of the United States, the Founding Fathers were inspired by the Roman Republic, from which we borrow the senate. If, for the Romans, the senate was a “council of elders”, I do not believe that they envisaged such a situation.

Is Dianne Feinstein a victim of ageism or sexism? If it were only about her, we could dwell longer on the subject. But at a time when American gerontocracy is being talked about more and more often, the problem is broader. We all recognize the value of experience, but should we therefore deny certain realities related to aging?

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