X-Message-Number: 1560
Date: 08 Jan 93 18:09:05 EST
From: "A.J. Clifford" <>
Subject: CRYONICS : re Unlimited Suffering

John Eastmond raises the possibility of cryonics patients being revived
into a living Hell.  

I think that every cryonicist has considered this but there are a lot
of comforting counter-arguments.  Firstly, revival from cryonic
suspension requires very advanced technology and a lesson of human
history is that technology requires a special environment to show real
year-on-year advancement.  That environment is a combination of many
things:
capitalism (includes established corporations, stock market, currency
market, R&D programs, international trade, banking, property and
raw materials and insurance markets);
infrastructure (includes telephone, road, electricity, airline, 
rail, shipping networks); 
vast educated workforces produced by schools and universities;
entrepreneurs financed by venture capital;
All of the above needs to be fostered by judicially accountable, 
relatively stable, government. 
Without them a civilization's advanced technological development would
be achieved much more slowly and may even plateau.  This occurred in
the Roman Empire where technology was little changed in 1100 years. 
(Interestingly, inflation in the 90 years to 40 A.D. was about 25% in
total. Infintesimal. Considering these were the golden years of the
empire.)   Another example of decelerating technological advancement is
the Soviet Union in the second half of this century.

It would follow that societies that do not respect Human Rights, 
Orwellian dictatorships, where individuals could be subjected to living
Hell are very unlikely to attain advanced technology because of their
very nature.

It concludes that suffering imposed on a cryonics revivee in an
advanced society would be illegal.  The people or organizations
responsible would eventually be brought to justice.  And what would
they have gained?  It wouldn't be logical.

Secondly, the 20th Century is not exactly the safest place anyway.  
There are political prisoners in Burma, North Korea, Iran, Libya etc
who would really know what "ultimate suffering" is all about.   During
the 1991 Shi'ite uprising in Iraq prisons were opened.  In one case the
rebels found men who had been locked up underground in complete
darkness for 20 years!  One only has to think of Brian Keenan, Thomas
Sutherland and others who were kidnapped in Beirut to remember that
terrible things don't just happen to people of the Third World.

Thirdly, the nightmare scenario of living Hell for cryonics revivees is
in principle no different to the thoughts that we all scare ourselves
with from time to time.  Imagine returning (alone) from the midnight
screening of Evil Dead or The Howling and then walking home taking a
shortcut through the park...   
I know my imagination would run riot!

The process of cryonic revival is a promise of a much better future, 
not one to be feared.

Regards,   Andrew Clifford

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