Zeke Emanuel clarifies why you should just go ahead and pull the plug on grandma when she gets to 75

Dammit, Zeke Emanuel. Can you not be a ghoul for even, like, five minutes?

The answer of course, is no. No he cannot. He literally cannot not salivate at the prospect of cutting elderly people’s lives off once they hit 75 years old or so:

Great talking with @smerconish about my 2014 @theatlantic piece. Here are 3 key points I find often get lost in the discussion 🧵…https://t.co/TmHkqJpJXw

— Zeke Emanuel (@ZekeEmanuel) January 24, 2023

If you’d like to hear him out, here are the “3 key points” he thinks people need to keep in mind when discussing life expectancy. Or, rather, life allowance:

1. Not everyone can be an outlier. By the time we reach 75, creativity, originality, & productivity are beginning to wane for the majority of us. There are exceptions to the rule, but too many ‘American immortals’ assume that they’ll be the anomaly. https://t.co/jhHgijvK7Y

— Zeke Emanuel (@ZekeEmanuel) January 24, 2023

2. Death is a loss but living too long is also a loss. It leaves most of us debilitated and unable to contribute to society. We are no longer remembered as being vibrant and engaged, but instead as feeble and ineffectual. https://t.co/c1yEfz2dMG

— Zeke Emanuel (@ZekeEmanuel) January 24, 2023

3. U.S. life expectancy has slightly dropped in recent years, and there are significant disparities in life expectancy in the US. We should focus on these problems not on extending lifespans with no regard to quality of life. pic.twitter.com/i3woZRt6W2

— Zeke Emanuel (@ZekeEmanuel) January 24, 2023

Shorter Zeke Emanuel: At a certain point, you’ve lived long enough. Be thankful if you don’t make it to 80, because you’d just be a burden and a drain on society if you did.

Remembering the phone conversation with my Nana, from her hospital bed, the day before she died at 87. What a joy it was for us both. What a gift that still sparkles in my memory. It will live with me, reminding me of the brilliance of humanity and connection.

— Parisa Fitz-Henley (@ParisaFH) January 26, 2023

PS. Some of her most profound growth and insights came in her 80s as she processed her life. She talked about how prayer for her long-dead parents was changing her relationship with them. This illuminated my relationship with personal growth. She was a treasure trove.

— Parisa Fitz-Henley (@ParisaFH) January 26, 2023

“Grandma overstayed her welcome,” says Zeke Emanuel.

I’ve lost family members who were ultimately in a weakened state and yet my brain was complex enough to still remember them in their more vibrant state. And also to treasure the time I had with them when they were what you would consider “feeble.” Also, ineffectual for what?

— Terri Gerstein (@TerriGerstein) January 26, 2023

If I'm being treated with immunosuppressants for a manageable illness and that makes me "unable to contribute to society"/"no longer remembered as vibrant" in my early 30s, what do I do? Just kill myself to make things easier?

— Jolenta Greenberg (@JolentaG) January 25, 2023