You might rather one or the other (eating salads till age 90, or Big Macs till age 75), but in purely-cynical terms, Europe doesn't need either. It needs old people to Die Off, and rather quickly.
When the Birth Rate falls below the Replacemant Ratio, any addition to the Life-Span (aside from a "Work till you die" Calvinist Ethic) exacerbates the Dependency/Support Ratio.
"Beneficial" Mutations ain't beneficial, in such a case. Life-Span enhancement only accelarates racial extinction.
(BTW, I agree with the concept of working 'till you die. Or at least, being productive 'till you die. :-) I disagree that a fully capitalist society (one not burdened by today's gov't. style Social Security & Medicare) would not be able to support 300-year old senior citizens. In a fully free market society most 300-year old retirees would be living sustainably off 401K's that have been growing more or less steadily for 270 years! TTFN
Well, if you ain't breeding, it's still genetically moot anyways.
But if one permits a momentary intrusion of Realism (Libertarians are permitted to be Organically Realist; hail Rothbard!!) -- every society in human history, rich or poor, requires Parental Work-Energy to provide for children. You can't very well breast-feed an infant on T-Bills, or let the Mutual Funds read Junior a bed-time story. It's just not gonna be the same.
It's not even a question of Wealth, it's a question of available Work-Energy.
And if you are proposing that the indigent elderly shall become economically-independent of worker-support... show me, don't tell me. As I said, Libertarians are permitted to be Organically Realist; hail Rothbard. Just give me one example, anywhere in history.
Or just say, "I'm less realistic than the Creationists!! I'm basically a Utopian!! Anyone gotta Brooklyn Bridge to sell me??"
It's not even a question of Wealth, it's a question of available Work-Energy.Wait, are you trying to say that a society of near-immortals would eventually run out of people of working age (over many generations)?And if you are proposing that the indigent elderly shall become economically-independent of worker-support... show me, don't tell me. As I said, Libertarians are permitted to be Organically Realist; hail Rothbard. Just give me one example, anywhere in history.