4 Comments
User's avatar
⭠ Return to thread
JanusIanitos's avatar

I get that thinking but it's a wholly selfish viewpoint for him and anyone else in that position.

Fact is that these jobs are at their core positions of public service. They exist to help steward the nation and its people in a direction that aligns with the values and enrichment (in all meanings of the word, not only financial) of its people. It is not a job that exists as a hobby or for the benefit of the people filling it. Staying in the position when they are sufficiently aged that they are not able to give it their all, that they are sufficiently divorced from the future needs of the nation and its people, that they are sufficiently divorced from the zeitgeist, should not be the norm. Should there be exceptions, people who are good choices despite that? Yes. But they should be exactly that: exceptions.

Yes, there's been a lot of backsliding on this with greed and disappointment abound. When someone like Clyburn sticks around for what seems like the reason of "I've done this as long as I can remember" it reflects poorly on him. If he was going around talking about it with less entitlement and more like he felt that for reasons XYZ that he was specifically suited to handle the challenges of the present era and that he felt he was still suited to the job it might be different.

Expand full comment
michaelflutist's avatar

Is there evidence that he's not able to give his all or is divorced from the needs of the people? I wouldn't overconclude from something he was quoted as saying on one occasion to mean that he's lost core values he's committed to working toward.

Expand full comment
JanusIanitos's avatar

No one, not even the most exceptional of individuals, is capable of giving any taxing and challenging job their all at the age of 84. Age takes its toll on all of us and those tolls are going to show up even stronger once people start to hit their 80s.

Expand full comment
michaelflutist's avatar

I disagree. Mahathir Mohammed became Prime Minister of Malaysia again in his 90s after a couple of decades out of office and saved Malaysia from the disarray caused by the corrupt PM who preceded him. Some exceptional people can do great jobs late in life.

Expand full comment