...except that The Who are still touring and Townshend has basically said the lyric was more about wanting to die before the mindset of the old sets in. Frankly, you can draw a line from My Generation to Won't Get Fooled Again to Tea and Theatre to get a secular yet wonderful exposition on life.
If I was cynical, I'd say that Zeke put forward his theory as a way of garnering broad-based support for it. However, the end-game will have a qualifier that smart and "needed" people like him should of course be spared.
Your right about the mindset, but it could be that people think it’s more about physical age itself, at least I thought so. “Never trust anybody over 30” was also a mantra at the time.
I gave up on The Who after Quadraphenia. Good vocal scream by Roger on Love Reign Down On Me, but over all too depressing.
I don’t know what you mean when you say, “people like him should of course be spared”. Are you thinking he is garnering support for an end of life program? I didn’t get that impression.