Consequences of Radical Life Extension

Jay and Deb have been discussing the likelihood of radical life extension (i.e., living until proton decay, the big rip, heat death etc.). The real optimists such as Ray Kurzweil or Eliezer S. Yudkowsky think that we'll develop radical life extension in the not too distant future.

I've thought of an odd consequence. Some people will be in positions with life tenure when radical life extension hits, e.g., Supreme Court Justice, Pope, or Dalai Lama. Maybe we should be careful about who is appointed to those positions.

There's a more serious consequence. Given the increasing tendency to excuse (sometimes involuntary) euthanasia, it's likely somebody will be euthanized for a supposedly-incurable illness not long before the singularity.