鄧永鏘（DavidTang）
中國會、上海灘創辦人
Dowelivetoolong?Ahundredyearsago,individuallifeexpectancywasprobablyonly45years.Now,thatislikelytobeover70years,atleastindevelopedcountries.Sowithinadecade,wehavemanagedtoextenddramaticallyallofourlives.Thereasonsseemobvious:sciencehasmanagedtoprovideuswithsomanythingsthatallowustobebornmuchmoresafelyandtolivemuchlonger.Wehavemedicalknowledgeandmedicinesthatinsulateusfrominfectionsandillnessesanddiseases.Wehavesurgicalexpertiseandinstrumentsthatcanpreventordefeatmalignantgrowthsandmutations.Wehavebasicandadvancedsciencestoprotectusfromextremeclimates.Wehavehigherlearningandresearchthatcontinuetoexcludeandcopewiththedangersoflife.Inshort,througheveradvancingsciences,wehavelearnedtolivelonger.Andweallseemtoloveit.Whodoesn'twanttolivelonger?Onthecontrary,thereisaquestforlongevitythatresemblesthatoftheHolyGrail.
Buthavewenot,however,interferedwithMotherNature?Wegetworkedupaboutglobalwarning;wegetworkedupaboutenvironmentalpollution;wegetworkedupaboutanimalslaughter;andwegetworkedupaboutcloningandstem-celldevelopments.WegetworkedupaboutthesethingsbecausethosewhorespectNaturearerightlyconcernedaboutman'srecklessnessandignoranceofthedisastrousconsequencesofinterference.YetIcannotthinkofagreaterinterferenceofNaturethanourownextensionofindividuallifeexpectancy.Isn'titunnaturalthatweshouldhavetoresorttoandrelyonsomanyartificialthingsinlife?Webuildhospitalstotakecareoftheproperconditionsofchildbirth.Webuildconcretehomesinwhichtolive;wepumpgasintothemforcookingandheat;weinventtransportandtechnologicalsystemstoachievemobilityandcommunications;andwesupplymedicinesandvitaminstocureandenhanceourhealth.Itmightwellbethatashumanbeings,itisonlyrightthatweshoulduseourbrainstoimproveourownlivelihood.ButIamoftenscepticalaboutourdoublestandardsontheinterferencewithNature.Everyday,environmentalistspontificateaboutabusesoftheearth,yetweneverhearoftheircriticismsonourgreedtolivelongerandlongerbyunnaturalprocesses.
Thereis,inanyevent,anotherimmenseproblemabouttheprolongmentofourlives.Pensionschemesaresimplynotadequatetolookaftertheaged.Thisdinosaurialworryhasonlydawnedongovernmentsandpeoplearoundinrecentyears.InHongKong,wehaveseentheintroductionofcompulsorypensionschemes.Butalready,thereareimmediateheadaches.Thepensionfundsareoftenmismanagedorunder-managedwiththeresultthattheyactuallydepreciateinvalueovertime,therebyprovidingallthebeneficiarieswithlessvalue.Thenthereisthequestionofadequacy:arepensionpaymentsenoughtoprovideallthepensionerswithanadequatelivinginretirement?Invariably,theanswerisno.(InChina,thecountrywilldefinitelygrowoldbeforeitgrowsrich.)Sohavinganincreasinglylargepopulationofpensionersisgoingtocreateanenormousproblemfortheworld,especiallywhenwecanalreadypredictthattheyarenotgoingtobeproperlyprovidedfor.
Thisseemstobeverymuchlikeanotherhumanfolly.Ourvanitytoprolongourlivesisgoingtoendupinanothertragedy.Inanotherhundredyears,theearthisgoingtofacetheproblemofanaginghumanpopulationthatwillhaveanunimaginablyadverseeffectonNature.Weshouldthinkcarefullynowbeforewetakeitforgrantedthatlivinglongerisnecessarilyagoodthing.Andenvironmentalistsshouldbegintoaddressthecause,ratherthantheeffect,ofhumanabuses.Fortheanswerdoesnotresideinhumanbehaviouritself,butrathertheartificialchangesthatbringabouttheelongationofourlives.
P.S. IamheartenedtolearnofanimpendingvisitonDecember2bygovernmentofficialstoourDownSyndromeCentre.Atthevisit,theAssociationwillpresentitsemploymentcentresothattheGovernmentcantakeonjustoneortwocandidatesforemploymentbeforeChristmas.AsIhavesaidrepeatedly,IknowtheGovernmentcandoitiftheyhavethewill.ForthesakeofallofuswhocareagreatdealabouttheDownSyndromecommunity,thereisnotamomenttolose.TheGovernmentwillthenhavesetanexcellentexampletoothers,andmostimportantofall,demonstrateacompassionatesidewhichissovitalinourcivilizedsociety.Iwillreportonthevisitandoutcome.