Way back in April (1st, no less!) I suggested that perhaps it might be condign for the older generations to pony up for the devastating economic and social costs of pandemic responses that are designed mostly for their benefit. The suggestion did not seem to go over well with many readers, but at least one wealthy Boomer is on board.
Telstra and Brambles chairman John Mullen, one of the nationās most respected business leaders, said the unprecedented lockdown of the Victorian economy had put paid to hopes of a U-shaped Ārecovery and warned the nation would be in āreal troubleā if a second wave of COVID-19 spreads to other states.
[ā¦]Mr Mullen ā who is also chairman of Japanese-owned logistics giant Toll Holdings ā made the radical Āsuggestion that people aged 65 or over should be asked to make Ācertain āconcessionsā on their Ābehaviour during the remainder of the pandemic for the greater good of the economy.
Good luck with that.
When the British government suggested, in the early days of its outbreak, that older Britons ought to self-isolate for their own protection and leave the young and healthy to it, Britainās greybeards reacted with self-righteous fury. āHouse arrest!ā thundered ex-chancellor Ken Clarke. āCollective punishment!ā shrieked one Baroness Altmann. āI won’t put up with this ageist claptrap!ā groused Ann Widdecombe. Which makes as much sense as denouncing ovarian cancer as āsexistā.
Mr Mullen begs to differ.
āI am in the at-risk category, just turning 65,ā he said.
āI wouldnāt have any problem with certain restrictions being placed on myself. It is really not that hard to make a few concessions on where I can go and who I can be with to do your bit for the community.
After all, at-risk groups like returned overseas travellers are forced to quarantine for two weeks. Doesnāt it make sense for at-risk groups to self-isolate while those whom the evidence shows will overwhelmingly shrug off the virus with barely any ill-effects get on with building vital herd immunity?
For all the jokes made at their expense, todayās youngsters have been handed a pretty shabby deal. High employment and rates of home ownership, things their Boomer elders could take for granted, are a thing of the past. Now lockdowns are not only denying them vital classroom time but the social contact that, psychological studies show, the young especially need. The effect of this sudden, imposed isolation on the young is showing in soaring demand for services like Lifeline and spiking suicides.
Give the kids an even break, says Mullen.
āMy generation are often in a position where we are more comfortable financially. If we have to take a back seat to let the younger people drive the economy for a time, then thatās a small price to pay. Older people making a few concessions, we are in a better position to do that than younger people who are starting their careers.ā
If history is anything to go by, though, the codgers would prefer shaking their Zimmer frames and shouting at the youngāuns to get off their lawns and put on a mask.
If you enjoyed this BFD article please consider sharing it with your friends.