The Thin End

I am reminded of a discussion I had recently about future welfare costs and why something had to be done now to 'prevent it spiralling out of control'. One lady in the group repeated something we regularly hear from politicians of all parties. "We are all living longer!" She said. As if this itself was a problem. We were in the middle of a discussion about pensions and raising the age of retirement. "No, we are not!" I replied. "Yes, we are, on average!" She persisted. Oh dear, I thought, here is that 'average person' again. "Yes, but I don't live 'on average'" I responded. I've yet to recognise an 'average person' at, say, a bus stop or waiting for a train. I have no idea whether I have sat next to one, ever, in a plane. There is something absurd about the general panic that seems to be settling in. The fear that the welfare budget is about to be overwhelmed by pensioners. The working population is...