AgehasitsspecialadvantageinAmerica.Andoneofthemoreimpressiveofthemistheseniorcitizendiscount.Anyonewhohasreachedacertainage—insomecasesaslowas55－isautomaticallyentitledtoplentyofpricereductionsatnearl

　　AgehasitsspecialadvantageinAmerica.Andoneofthemoreimpressiveofthemistheseniorcitizendiscount.Anyonewhohasreachedacertainage—insomecasesaslowas55－isautomaticallyentitledtoplentyofpricereductionsatnearlyeverylevelofcommerciallife.Eligibility（资格）isdeterminednotbyone’sneedbutbythedateonone’sbirthcertificate.Practicallythediscountshavebecomearoutinepartofmanybusinesses-ascommonascolortelevisionsinmotelroomsandfreecoffeeonairliners.

　　Peoplewithgrayhairoftenaregiventhediscountswithoutevenaskingforthem；yet,millionsofAmericansaboveage60arehealthyandsolvent（有支付能力的）.Businessesthatwouldneverdareofferdiscountstocollegestudentsoranyoneunder30freelyofferthemtoolderAmericans.Thepracticeisacceptablebecauseofthewidespreadbeliefthat“elderly”and“needy”aresynonymous（同义的）.Perhapsthatoncewastrue,buttoday,tobesure,thereiseconomicvarietywithintheelderly,andmostofthemaren’tpoor.

　　Itisimpossibletodeterminetheeffectofthediscountsonindividualcompanies.Formanyfirms,theyareastimulustoincome.Butinothercasesthediscountsaregivenattheexpense,directlyorindirectly,ofyoungerAmericans.Moreover,theydirectlyannoysomepoliticiansandscholarswhoconsideritacomingconflictbetweenthegenerations.

　　GenerationaltensionsarebeingfueledbycontinuingdebateoverSocialSecuritybenefits,whichmostlyinvolvesatransferofresourcesfromtheyoungtotheold.Employmentisanotherpoint.Supportedbylawsandcourtdecisions,moreandmoreolderAmericansarerefusingtheretirementdinnerinfavorofstayingonthejob-therebylesseningemploymentandpromotionopportunitiesforyoungerworkers.Farfromakindofcharitytheyoncewere,seniorcitizendiscountshavebecomeapowerfuleconomicprivilege（特权）toagroupwithmillionsofmemberswhodon’tneedthem.

　　Itnolongermakessensetotreattheelderlyasasinglegroupwhoseeconomicneedsdeservepriorityoverthoseofothers.Seniorcitizendiscountsonlyenrichthemyththatolderpeoplecan’ttakecareofthemselvesandneedspecialtreatment；andtheythreatenthecreationofanewmyth,thattheelderlyaleungratefulandtakingforthemselvesattheexpenseof