I'm puzzled. When Switzerland introduced Social Security and (fully-funded) pensions after WWII - age 65 - life expectancy was about 67. It was a "end-of-life" stop-gap measure. Fundable. Life expectancy has increased, but the pension age has not. Clearly, there is a gap emerging.
The problem is political, rather than demographic. Today France is struggling to reverse Mitterrand's politically motivated boon of lowering the pensionable age from 62 to 60. (And I'm not talking about De Gaulle's unfunded X billion € priority pensions for nuclear power plants).
A consensus that pensionable of age is, say "life expectancy minus 3" would ease the problem.
An alternative could be that pensioners are consulted but no longer have voting rights. This would break the political link. Sortition is an other approach achieving the same result (See Irish referendum on abortion).
I'm one of those unlucky gaijin whose seat next to mine never remains empty. Maybe it's because I'm slim enough that I don't take one seat and a half, and I don't use a strong perfume or after-shave. I'm also white Caucasian, which may help in this respect as "colored" people are more likely to be the object of xenophobia and racism.
Dear Pallavi,
I'm puzzled. When Switzerland introduced Social Security and (fully-funded) pensions after WWII - age 65 - life expectancy was about 67. It was a "end-of-life" stop-gap measure. Fundable. Life expectancy has increased, but the pension age has not. Clearly, there is a gap emerging.
The problem is political, rather than demographic. Today France is struggling to reverse Mitterrand's politically motivated boon of lowering the pensionable age from 62 to 60. (And I'm not talking about De Gaulle's unfunded X billion € priority pensions for nuclear power plants).
A consensus that pensionable of age is, say "life expectancy minus 3" would ease the problem.
An alternative could be that pensioners are consulted but no longer have voting rights. This would break the political link. Sortition is an other approach achieving the same result (See Irish referendum on abortion).
Let's be creative.
I'm one of those unlucky gaijin whose seat next to mine never remains empty. Maybe it's because I'm slim enough that I don't take one seat and a half, and I don't use a strong perfume or after-shave. I'm also white Caucasian, which may help in this respect as "colored" people are more likely to be the object of xenophobia and racism.