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Both candidates have the syndrome of eternal youth, that of a generation lulled by the promises of the postwar decades. But for the Democratic candidate, the illusion of the eternal political body has collided with the harsh reality of the biological body.
Baby boomers don’t see themselves getting older. The debate between Biden and Trump brought home the tragic evidence of this. If the first was born during the Second World War, if the second saw the light of day at the end of the conflict, both have now exceeded the average age of life expectancy in their country and therefore do not give up exercising the one of the most exposed functions in the world despite the passage of time. This syndrome of eternal youth is hardly a surprise for a generation lulled by the promises of the post-war decades. The main one was that of an exceptional medical revolution allowing the age of death to be constantly postponed. In 1945, life expectancy was 63 years; even if it has been falling recently, it is now around 79 years. Supported by a powerful industry, whose political power is considerable in Congress, this decline in death has been accompanied by a permanent struggle against the ravages of time on the body.
From sexuality to skin, including medical care, pills, tablets and creams are pushing back the consequences of age a little more each day and fueling an extraordinary market for eternal youth. With his customary exuberance, Trump has made it a political weapon by constantly playing on his virile body, his sexual escapades and his body shape. His famous dance, now a campaign ritual, is supposed to be a barometer of his physical strength. Despite multiple warnings about physical difficulties and
