The Viagra effect might be thought of as some minor problem that affects older men. Or possibly those women who live with or date older men perhaps. However, the Viagra effect can in fact lead to problems for the larger society. Both Instapundit and Tyler Cowen point to this piece.
Now, before I explain it, take a guess at an answer to this question. When did the last widow from the US Civil War die?
Think on that for a moment....
The Viagra effect is what the Brazilians are calling the acceleration of a trend for older men to marry much younger wives. This has been going on since the 1970s, but the introduction of the drug allowing an older man to keep up with, umm, the appetites of those much younger has accelerated it. So far, no problem, however, the effect on the pensions system is not to be ignored:
"The social security system was planned so that the wife receives her husband's pension for only 15 years or so. With growing life expectancy and remarriages with much younger women, benefits today stretch out over 35 years," the author of the study, Paulo Tafner, explained to AFP.
OK, so that will be something that can be dealt with even if it wasn't planned for. Now back to our question. When did the last Civil War widow die?
Well, as far as we know at least, she's not died yet.
The publicity surrounding Alberta Martin's death prompted relatives of Maudie Celia Hopkins of Arkansas to reveal that the 89-year-old was in fact the last civil war widow. Hopkins married 86-year-old William Cantrell on Feb. 2, 1934, when she was 19. She did so to escape poverty, but kept quiet about the unusual marriage, “I thought people would gossip about it.” Cantrell, who served in the Virginia Infantry, supported her with his Confederate pension of “$25 every two or three months” until his death in 1937.
Just think if the Viagra effect became really prevalent and what that would do to Social Security. A widow collecting it for 68 years would play havoc with the finances....OK, how about "many" widows collecting it for six or seven decades?
Actually, this provokes a thought from one who will be in Social Security territory soon enough. If Medicare gets me my Viagra, will the offer of a 60 year pension for her be enough to capture me some 18 year old to tend me in my declining years?
Comments