I haven’t actually heard any grandmas demand that we plunge into a Great Depression for their sake. Every grandma I’ve talked to has said the opposite. Seems to be mostly frightened millennials hiding behind their grandmas and cloaking their fear in concern for the elderly.

Mostly what I hear from grandmas is that they’re grown adults who are perfectly capable of managing their own risk level. This infantilization of the elderly is not only fraudulent and done in bad faith but also insulting.

My parents both have pre existing health conditions. Both of them think this whole thing is crazy and the very last thing they want is to see their children bankrupted and unemployed. I suspect their attitude is shared by most people in the 60+ camp who have kids and grandkids.

And the point isn’t that older people are suicidal and have a death wish. The point is that they can avoid infection by staying home. There is absolutely no reason why everyone else has to stay home too. It doesn’t make any sense at all. Never did. Still doesn’t.