andrel wrote:
> On 07-Dec-08 2:11, Darren New wrote:
>> somebody wrote:
>>> It would be a miracle if 65, which happens to be the present 
>>> retirement age,
>>
>> In the US social security system (which started paying out at age 65 
>> when it first started), the age 65 was chosen as the age by which 
>> about half the people owed money would die.  
> 
> Somewhere in my memory something is suggesting that it started in 
> Germany, but you may be right.

I'm almost certain the US social security system didn't start in Germany. ;-)

> going to change the retirement age slowly. 

Yes. Bumping it up because there's too much money going out and not enough 
money coming in. :-)  My point is that the government setting retirement age 
has little to do with how long you "should" work or when you "should" 
retire, and much more to do with how much tax you should pay.

> that because (almost) everyone wants to life forever that would be the 
> ideal lifespan for everybody.

No, naturally not. I think the outrage was more "what makes *you* the one to 
decide" more than anything. Clearly, the age of 10 years old is too long a 
life span for *some* people. Who is going to make the call that *that* 
little girl should die for the good of others?

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/aubrey_de_grey_says_we_can_avoid_aging.html

-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   The NFL should go international. I'd pay to
   see the Detroit Lions vs the Roman Catholics.

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