[Boomer]

Just another version of the “Divide and Conquer” mentality that permeates lots of things.

Sit at a bargaining table to try to negotiate for a fair contract for teachers and watch the other side encourage ageism. Getting the young teachers to see the experienced teachers as the enemy is often way too easy.

My guess is that is often true in other contract negotiations, too. “Divide and Conquer” is an old, classic, and oh so obvious maneuver when money is driving the bus and throwing experience under that bus is usually a part of the opposition’s game. Experience costs more, but the ROI is often not considered.

Ageism in America is nothing new. It is a complex, cultural issue. Sometimes it is subconscious, but often ageism is weaponized for selfish purposes.

(Even though there are, of course, circumstances when older people really should step down, painting with a wide brush is never a good thing. The ability to see others as individuals is being rapidly lost.

‘Dehumanization’ is one of the ugliest words in our language and we are now witness to more and more of exactly that, some ways more overt than others.)