# What would happen if everyone over the age of 70 died tomorrow? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 17, 2016, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-everyone-over-the-age-of-70-died-tomorrow/772212 "2016-11-17T00:52:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-everyone-over-the-age-of-70-died-tomorrow/772212/41 "2016-11-17T18:04:49Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > Well, we have these wildfires raging in the Southeastern US right now. Instead of buckets of water I suppose we could drop buckets of old folks into the flames… That would not make it smell any better. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2016, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-everyone-over-the-age-of-70-died-tomorrow/772212/42 "2016-11-17T18:06:26Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > You’re straying awful close to the lump of labor fallacy. It’s true that jobs and workers are not simply plug-n-play, and it’s also true that the amount of labor required is not fixed. (For example, it’s already been noted that elder care workers would not be in much demand if there were fewer elderly). But it’s also true that if someone never leaves at the top of the hierarchy, it cuts down on the ability for the those at the bottom to move up. That’s the entire point of “up or out” in the military. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2016, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-everyone-over-the-age-of-70-died-tomorrow/772212/43 "2016-11-17T18:15:23Z")
I would lose my mother and be devastated. She’s my best friend. ---
**Author:** ![Tzigone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Tzigone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzigone)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2016, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-everyone-over-the-age-of-70-died-tomorrow/772212/44 "2016-11-17T18:19:40Z")
> [@](#): > > The 2014 labor force participation rates for those aged 70-74, 75-79, and 75+ were 18.9, 11.3, and 8.0%, respectively. So we’d lose workers, which is generally not a good thing. Do we know what fields these people are employed in? What percentages owns businesses or are CEOs or does high skill work or are Walmart greeters and cashiers? And yes, certain fields are going to be hit much harder than others, regardless. There will be savings to SS and Medicare, but costs will immediately start going back up as new people age into the systems. > [@](#): > > Didn’t the Black Plague jumpstart an economic surge in Europe, as estate money got doled out and workers were able to demand a rise in wages? I think it was more because there was less labor to go around, but big landowners still wanted their land worked, so supply was shorter than demand. Not sure if/how estate money played in - never read about it, but it’s not my field of expertise. There may have also been a move (in England) to shift some land from crops to sheep because they took less labor. There’s a number of interesting speculations in this thread. I guess OP wants us to ignore the massive investigation into what caused this to happen and how we can prevent it from occurring again? The conspiracy theories and social upheaval and people freaking out? ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2016, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-everyone-over-the-age-of-70-died-tomorrow/772212/45 "2016-11-17T18:27:47Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > We’d take back both houses of Congress and the Presidency…? This. Only people over 70 voted for Trump. Once all those evil old people die we’ll finally be free. Anyone remember the last time millions of people were killed? That went pretty swell. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2016, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-everyone-over-the-age-of-70-died-tomorrow/772212/46 "2016-11-17T20:00:44Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > This. Only people over 70 voted for Trump. Once all those evil old people die we’ll finally be free. > > Anyone remember the last time millions of people were killed? That went pretty swell. Well, Trump + 3 Supreme Court justices would be eliminated. That would leave a President Pence with 4 appointments to fill. Note that the the Justices are Kennedy, Ginsburg, and Breyer. Gay Rights activists would be justified in getting a bit nervous in that scenario. We’d lose 25 Senators (13 republicans, 10 Democrats, and both Independents [who caucus with the Dems]) Although some of those were retiring (Reid, specifically). Glancing over the states they’re from I don’t think there would be too much change in the senate make up. Only 5 governors though (Happy Birthday to Governor Branstad of Iowa, BTW). ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2016, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-everyone-over-the-age-of-70-died-tomorrow/772212/47 "2016-11-17T20:39:10Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > True, but those jobs would be freed up for unemployed 18-30 year olds to take up. > … > [@Ruken](#): > > You’re straying awful close to the lump of labor fallacy. > [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > It’s true that jobs and workers are not simply plug-n-play, and it’s also true that the amount of labor required is not fixed. (For example, it’s already been noted that elder care workers would not be in much demand if there were fewer elderly). > > But it’s also true that if someone never leaves at the top of the hierarchy, it cuts down on the ability for the those at the bottom to move up. That’s the entire point of “up or out” in the military. The larger point is that if those people die, the economic demand they represented goes away. So while they will free up those jobs \*some \*of them occupied, the much larger effect will be to eliminate the purchasing they \*all \*used to do. Which in turn will cause those businesses to need less labor. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2016, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-everyone-over-the-age-of-70-died-tomorrow/772212/48 "2016-11-17T21:33:06Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The larger point is that if those people die, the economic demand they represented goes away. So while they will free up those jobs \*some \*of them occupied, the much larger effect will be to eliminate the purchasing they \*all \*used to do. Which in turn will cause those businesses to need less labor. Unless their children and grandchildren spend the inheritance. People over 65 are the richest demographic - those resources aren’t going away, and younger people are going to spend rather than invest. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-everyone-over-the-age-of-70-died-tomorrow/772212/49 "2016-11-18T14:07:47Z")
> [@Catamount](#): > > That would not make it smell any better. What do you have against BBQ? ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Quatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc8723/32.png) [@Mr\_Quatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Quatro)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-everyone-over-the-age-of-70-died-tomorrow/772212/50 "2016-11-18T14:35:56Z")
At the moment of death that is who you are forever, good, bad, indifferent, republican or democrat … forever is a long time too ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-everyone-over-the-age-of-70-died-tomorrow/772212/51 "2016-11-18T14:42:56Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Piles of bodies stinkin’ up the place. This. Most mass disasters the funeral industry can handle because there aren’t a lot of physical remains left to be dealt with. But a rapid die-off in numbers that large? System overload. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-everyone-over-the-age-of-70-died-tomorrow/772212/52 "2016-11-18T15:06:28Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The larger point is that if those people die, the economic demand they represented goes away. So while they will free up those jobs \*some \*of them occupied, the much larger effect will be to eliminate the purchasing they \*all \*used to do. Of course, their estates would be inherited by their families. A massive amount of wealth would be instantly transferred, more or less simultaneously, to people not expecting it. Spending amongst the people who suddenly received that wealth would spike, as would total indebtedness. There would be huge disruptions in many markets - think just of real estate, where you’d have empty retirement communities and assisted living centers, while at the same time people with sudden infusions of cash would be looking to upgrade homes or build new ones. It would be absolute goddamn chaos. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-everyone-over-the-age-of-70-died-tomorrow/772212/53 "2016-11-18T15:12:04Z")
Might as well declare it a federal holiday week. So many people will be taking bereavement time that there would be very few actually working. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-everyone-over-the-age-of-70-died-tomorrow/772212/54 "2016-11-18T16:03:41Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > This. Most mass disasters the funeral industry can handle because there aren’t a lot of physical remains left to be dealt with. But a rapid die-off in numbers that large? System overload. The National Guard would be called to make mass graves. Sucks for families, but the health hazard would would be worse. Of course, since we wouldn’t know what killed the people, the bodies would have to be treated as Hazmat, so you wouldn’t get people in wheel barrows calling for people to bring out the dead. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-everyone-over-the-age-of-70-died-tomorrow/772212/55 "2016-11-18T16:59:03Z")
This is what CDC works to prevent with all those flu vaccines. Although the Spanish flu pandemic killed lots of young healthy people, I think most models usually predict disproportionate death rates among the elderly. So if a flu (or something similar) slips through or vaccine is ineffective, many oldsters would pass. Not everyone over 70, but many. Probably many others, too, especially infants and children. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-everyone-over-the-age-of-70-died-tomorrow/772212/56 "2016-11-18T18:36:55Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > What do you have against BBQ? I don’t like long pig BBQ. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-everyone-over-the-age-of-70-died-tomorrow/772212/57 "2016-11-19T01:50:28Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > so you wouldn’t get people in wheel barrows calling for people to bring out the dead. I will skip the Monty Python link because everyone knows that bit already. Ah heck Actually there is some question these days if the government would go the mass-grave-route in this country and with the bad press it got in Haiti a lot of the rest of the world as well. Plus there is a lively debate among medical people/epidemeologists if it does much good. So for now I would say YMMV but in the US it will be more funeral homes and funerals until the system goes bust and beyond. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-everyone-over-the-age-of-70-died-tomorrow/772212.md?page=2)