Отрывок из книги
The Author
Carl-Henning Wijkmark was born in Stockholm in 1934. He studied literary history and philosophy in Munich and Lund. He is the translator of works by Benjamin, Nietzsche, and Lautréamont. His many publications, some of which have been translated into German, include essays, novels, and plays. He has also written for television and radio.
.....
For decades we have been reckoning damage caused by alcohol, traffic accidents, and suicide, in terms of social costs for care and reduced production. Even those who are still angling for pensioners’ votes by talking about more funds for long-term care, and about non-erosion of pensions and such-like things, finally fall back on an economic argument, namely, that the old have the right to a comfortable old age, because, it is said, they have built up this society. But what if their old age costs so much that they tear down again what they have built up? And now, when the economic situation is really bad, we have an explosion in the numbers of old people. Dying is seen ←3 | 4→as unnatural. More than ever. An important reason for this, of course, is that there has been great progress in the easing of pain. But we also have what is called the new fear of death, and we have to deal with this. We need a new attitude towards death and towards aging. It must again become natural to die when the active phase is over. We have to solve the problems with the old people, not against them.
One politician wanted to take away from pensioners their right to vote, along with their driver’s license. But as long as they have the vote their numbers will be sufficient to out-vote such a suggestion. For the same reason it is not possible to lower their standard of living in any significant way. The politicians can get nowhere. As planners we have to help them to make a start.
.....
