Putin and Xis creepy immortality talk is a glimpse into their power-mad psyches

Tremble, mere mortals: The world’s least conscience-burdened strongmen are brainstorming how to stick around for another century or more.At Beijing’s military parade Wednesday, a hot mic caught Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping’s bone-chilling discussion (via interpreters) of extending their lives far beyond natural limits.Putin mused: “Biotechnology is continuously developing,” so “human organs can be continuously transplanted.The longer you live, the younger you become, and [you can] even achieve immortality.”Xi responded: “Some predict that in this century humans may live to 150 years old.”Maybe they can keep grinding their boots into humanity’s face forever!Note, too, that grabbing an extra century or two gets easier if you’re not limited by silly notions such as respect for human life and dignity.Mad Vlad’s focus on transplants is especially alarm-raising, given China’s well-documented history of forced organ harvesting from dissidents and despised minorities.

There’s a tyrant’s endless supply of blood and spare parts right there, to pump his veins full of teenage plasma and swap out aging organs in perpetuity.Subscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter! Please provide a valid email address.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story.

Both dictators have surely heard of Bryan Johnson, the 47-year-old entrepreneur whose quest for eternal youth included infusing himself with the blood of his then-17-year-old son in 2023: He now reportedly claims to have the “biological age” of 37, and for just $2 million a year in upkeep.It’s creepy enough when Silicon Valley weirdos go down this rabbit hole; with unchecked authority and vast resources at their disposal, imagine what Putin and Xi can do.Actually, they’re plainly imagining it (at least) themselves.OK, perhaps it was just macabre chitchat between two self-aggrandizing narcissists who...