James Chappel’s insights reveal that aging in America has become a major policy issue due to the increased number of elderly citizens. He argues that population aging is one of the most significant historical changes in the last century, though it has only recently begun to receive intellectual and policy attention. While issues like education and healthcare have been explored for centuries, aging and its consequences have not, indicating a need for deeper understanding and reform in how society perceives and supports the elderly.
"Population aging is one of the biggest historical transformations of our time. Many people think of politics, iPhones, or AI when considering dramatic societal change, but those things matter less than major demographic changes."
"We've only been seriously contemplating population aging for a century. Even people thinking very hard about social reform and progress, like Karl Marx, weren't thinking about aging at all."
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