Nassim Taleb: The older generation must not justify its “utility” to the younger one. They earned it!

In a series of Tweets last evening, Taleb went attacked those who think older people dying due to COVID is not a big deal and a part of life. Here is the tweet thread

LOGICAL INCONSISTENCY DU JOUR
Someone said "if an old person dies of COVID, it's not a big deal because they could have died of someone else".
To be consistent, you must accept:
"If a someone kills an old person, it's not a big deal because they could have died of someone else".
— Nassim Nicholas Taleb (@nntaleb) June 2, 2020

He was particular upset with those who considered old people as mere numbers and not people like rest of us.

2) Societies types: one for which a life is a life, another where life is some actuarial number.

Watch the ravages economics has done to modern societies: comes with scientism, pseudoutilitarianism, pseudocost-benefit analysis & … moral decay.

As in Dostoyevski's Crocodile.
— Nassim Nicholas Taleb (@nntaleb) June 2, 2020

He reminds the readers that if this how we treat older folks, we will be treated the same way some day.

3)Do not disrupt the Silver rule: don't treat the older generation the way you don't want the next generation to treat you.
Civilization and group moral rectitude started with the Silver and Golden rules.
Geronticide is morally repulsive; only accepted in nouveau-riche societies.
— Nassim Nicholas Taleb (@nntaleb) June 2, 2020

Lastly he says older folks need not prove their utility to younger people. They have earned it

4) The older generation must not justify its "utility" to the younger one. They earned it.

CIVILIZATION: Athenians granted old mules who worked hard a privileged and "honorable" retirement, free to roam with a pension at public expense. That's the reverse of Geronticide.
— Nassim Nicholas Taleb (@nntaleb) June 2, 2020

Nassim Taleb: The older generation must not justify its “utility” to the younger one. They earned it!

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