Days are Short Part 2: Immortality for All

Immortality for all! Why not? We discuss post scarcity cultures all the time (TNG taught us, it's pretty boring IMO.) Wy not a post-death culture

Let's say there is a process that extends human life indefinitely. It won't regenerate lost limbs or cure poisoning.  It will stop the aging process, and make many if not all diseases chronic at worst. What would society be like?

Risk assessment might go out the window. When only an accident or violence can end you, you don't want either around. Violent criminals might be sentenced to death -or at least mortality. Mortality might be regarded as a form of punishment in fact. Assault someone and you get aged ten years, murder, fifty years? Simpler and cheaper than a jail. That's assuming immortality is based on a regular dose of something, or it can be reversed. 

The salient question. is, how many is all? The entire society? All the upper crust or rulers? How does one figure out who gets the process and defies natural order? Lottery, tyranny, meritocracy? If it isn't agreeable to the masses, they may swarm the geezers. Oh, you'll call the army to put them down? What stops the army from killing you and taking the process for themselves? Society may have a cycle of revolutions and juntas, or be stuck in a unending dictatorship.

What about evolution? As I said previously, immortals may fail to adapt to a changing world in a number of ways and possibly pass this inability to their children. An immortal with an otherwise fatal genetic disorder has no business having kids. Immortals can have a lot of kids, assuming the process doesn't leave them sterile. 

Immortality might be doled out to people with awesome genetic potential. Imagine the possibility of a Newton or Tesla, not only living and remaining productive, but with dozens of similarly brilliant offspring as the decades roll by. The development of eyeglasses extended human productivity, treating eyes weakened by age. This helped with the Industrial revolution (or some revolution). How about letting the gifted do what they do down the centuries.

It can also usher in a long-lived tyranny. Immortals will probably vote against term limits, or merely skip a few elections. After a few years, when the voters forget your failings, take to the election trail again. After all, years may be long, but memories are often short.

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