One of the reasons why the recent law about retirement age was so controversial is that the French are getting older and older and that our life expectancy is also increasing (which is a good news of course, except for our national debt!). The recent figures published by Insee (the French national statistics organization) are formal: by 2060 the French life expectancy will jump from 84 to 91,1 years for women and from 77 to 86 for men. More than that, there will be 200 000 100 year old people against 15 000 today (and 1 150 in the 60's). France is not on top of the world list though, Andorra is! (check this table). BTW, I chose an illustration by MBW, which I believe shows Leornard Nimoy who precisely was not exactly born yesterday ;-)
Eric, not to worry, because by then, our children will be putting us to sleep instead of retirement homes like we have in the US.
ReplyDeleteMay you live long and prosper! ;-)
ReplyDeleteaging is inevitable, which makes the culture more mythical
ReplyDeleteNice one Cali! You beat me to it.
ReplyDeleteI guess Spock is still alive and prospering in Paris...with Captain Picard, too, no doubt.
Yikes, those numbers are incredible & a little scary to think about.
ReplyDeletefrom Cali beat me to it too, mon ami Coltrane! I took pretty much this same picture in NYC: Spock as Marilyn Monroe. This MBW gets around. Good that we're all living longer, but I worry about the quality of that long life.
ReplyDeleteJust checked out the links—the numbers for life expectancy in parts of Africa are truly sad!
ReplyDeleteThe demographics you cite are parallel to the U.S. An aging population because the baby boomers are retiring. Statistically, there will be fewer working people to support the society.
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, of course women live longer. Remember the old joke? Why do married men live longer than unmarried men? They don't: they just feel that way... (I know, it's really evil, but it's one of my favorites.)
Live long and prostrate.
Oh, wait, is that prostate...?
ReplyDeleteSame problem in the states.
ReplyDeleteIf we didn't have wars and saved the money we would be OK.
yvonne
Someone once said that aging doesn't matter as long as we are not cheese or wine.. Just live and celebrate. It's just a number..but of course, the more birthdays one have, the better it is for them!
ReplyDeleteSilver
Reflections
There nothing ever so wrong as a prediction. In the '60s it was said we'd all live to 100 by the mid 80s and well you know that didn't happen.
ReplyDeleteI feel there's a lot of political/economic management of the news going here.
If the old ones are working till forever how are the young ones ever going to get a job?
If we didn't spend money on war, we would spend it on something else, and it probably wouldn't be something smart like saving it for a rainy day or for an aging population. In my family, we have 3 grandmothers who are over 90, all in fairly good health, but one who suffers from Alzheimer's. She doesn't remember anything short term, but knows she doesn't and while it can be comical, as in, "Why don't you take me to lunch at this place? 'I do, Grandma, every Thursday.' Oh, I'm sure we have a wonderful time." it is still sad that she doesn't remember her extended family or even her children or husband some days. As one grandma just told me a few weeks ago, growing old stinks.
ReplyDeleteThere is an interesting documentary on Mr. Brainwash (the artist who did the Leonard Nimoy illustration) called "Exit Through the Gift Shop." M.B.W. is French and lives in Los Angeles. -- Elizabeth
ReplyDeleteSorry for your Alzheimer grandma, Christie but the way you reported it made me smile!...
ReplyDeleteGreat find Eric. The photo and the website are new to me. And I like both.
I agree for aging as long as I can learn every day something new.
OK that's working for today!
Aging can go on for tomorrow then ;-)
Thanks for that Elizabeth...always wondered who did these. Here's a link to Mr. Brainwash's website.
ReplyDeleteI think I began to realise that old age was creeping up on me when I heard Led Zep's new album 'Stairlift to Heaven'
ReplyDeleteLOL Drummond!
ReplyDeletesomething fun to do in paris! i loved this when i went to see it last week
ReplyDelete"Moulin Rouge Show"
http://www.isango.com/france-tours/paris-tours/moulin-rouge-show-and-dinner_2901
Ditto PHX! Don't need a drumroll for Drummond.
ReplyDelete@PHX, Michael. I say, Drummond should have been a columnist somewhere. He would have become extremely famous and rich!
ReplyDeleteMy post happens to be pretty timely (or not actually...) as I just learned that the oldest woman in the world - who happened to be French ;-) just died at 114. See more on this Aussie site (the only one I could find in English)
...but never as rich and famous as you Eric!
ReplyDelete@Drummond. Yeah, right...
ReplyDeletevery nice one ;-)
ReplyDeleteCheers.!
Nikolai
whoyouart.com