Question we should ask those who advocate for raising the retirement age.

[JDPriestly]

8. Yes. Great statement, but I do want to clarify that those waiting for Medicare eligibility are,

i believe, under 65.6

Eligibility for full Social Security starts later, but I think 65 is still the age for Medicare. I could be wrong, and I hope someone will correct me on that if I am.

I am specifically thinking of those of us between 65 and 70.

This came to my mind because I applied for jobs a few years ago and have now been sorting through files and throwing away old records. I ran across a huge packet of job applications I made when I was all of 61. I am highly qualified, but my quest was in vain. No job, not even something part-time that made some economic sense.

In the light of the anti-Social Security and anti-Medicare propaganda claiming we have to raise the retirement age to 70, my experience is very instructive.

As for technical expertise, I worked for a non-profit some years ago. They were given a computer by a large corporation. I read the manuals and figured out how to make it work. No one else in the company, whether younger or older did what I did in terms of learning the technology. I'm not sure I could do that now that I am getting closer to 70. Maybe I'm just a bit too disappointed to bother attacking new technological challenges. I don't think it is that I can't do it. I just am kind of resigned to sticking with what I know.

Aging is not an easy process. These anti-Social Security, anti-Medicare people are cruelly adding yet another cause for anxiety to those of us who are aging and aged.

It's just plain mean. There is always, always lots of money for the arms manufacturers.