X-Message-Number: 16647
Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2001 10:07:11 -0500
From: "www.IGGY.net - KC Homes" <>
Subject: Future generations will think of us as barbaric? - that would be
References: <>

> From: Keith Rene Dugue <>
> "Bleeding" people was thought to cure some forms of illness before medical
> science became established. Don't you think it was stupid to remove blood
> from people who needed it?
>
> It is highly doubtful that a compassionate future world will look back on
> this one and not think that its people where not the brightest for not
> taking advantage of the only alternative to death and for accepting
eternal
> nonexistence without question. Many of these people will dismiss cryonics
> as laughable in an instant  ,defend to the death bizarre ancient
> superstition that has no basis in fact or logic and bet their eternal
lives
> on it.

Iggy Dybal wrote:

> "I don't think about ancient Maya or Germanic Tribes to be barbaric in
> any way "
>
> This last statement that you have made speaks for itself.


Keith:

"Every generation blames the one before" - this is from a song, if I recall.
As an intelligent person, you cannot blame past generations, you cannot
blame humanity for mistakes. Humanity per se doesn't make mistakes, it's
individual people (possibly, nations influenced by individuals who rose to
the pedestal of national attention - take Hitler or Stalin (from my home
country, Russia for instance). History has proven that we just need to learn
from out mistakes. We cannot label everyone "stupid", "idiots" and
"degenerates". Life is more complicated than that. Doing so will be just
inappropriate and inconsiderate, in my book. We have to learn from them, not
be bitter and sour about it.

Yes, people used to bleed those sick in the past. But you know what? - it
appears from recent medical studies that people who periodically donate
blood (moi including) have lower levels of cholesterol, better red cell
count, and actually more socially involved. Is there any parallel between
bleeding in the Medievil times and blood donations now? I don't know.

We know that Maya civilization was one of the most advanced (if not the most
advanced for their time) in math, astronomy, and construction. Europeans at
that time could not even construct a simple hut - kidding, they could :o)
Life just took them into a different direction, than us - you cannot blame
them for that. Maya were eventually extinct with the help of who else, but
Europeans :o) I can relate to that. Was this stupid? To you, it was in a
way. To me, it was a gigantic scientific experiment that resulted the way it
did. I cannot change anything about it, you cannot change anything about it,
we can only discuss it, learn from it, make our own conclusions or be bitter
about it. Where do you want to go from there?

Almost everything you look at, may look stupid in the past. But have you
thought about why this happened?

Americans bombed Japan with two A-Bombs? That were civilians, or as McVeigh
put it, "collateral damage." Does this most recent example bring it any
closer to you? Did the American government need to sacrifice 150,000 or so
of civilians for 30,000-50,000 American lives? Pure "human math" here. But
it was decided that it was the right way to do it and "Japs" did not deserve
any better. They were "idiots", "enemies" - even civilians. Americans
deserve better than that? Don't you think there is something wrong with this
fuzzy math? To say nothing about a war being wrong in the first place?

Don't forget that Japanese Americans were put in the concentration camps in
the US of A during WWII, while their sons were fighting Japan and Hitler.
Isn't this a paradox? This is very sad, and now looking back at this I'd say
very unfortunate and irresponsible socially. Was this stupid? No, it was a
progressive and slow development of the American moral ways, slowly but
surely,  - the whole country (in general), I mean the whole country of the
US of A was supporting "detention camps", there were anti Japanese headlines
in the paper, radio was filled with hatemongering - there were people who
protested this, but in the minority. Have we learnt anything from that? We
better!

I'll try to illustrate my point of "stupid generations" with a couple of
more relevant in my opinion examples which will hit close to home to
Americans and Russians alike.

Americans lost in WWII fewer people than Soviets did. To the best of my
knowledge the number of American POWs, KIAs, and MIAs was close to a
million, while Russians had over 20,000,000 (that's twenty million) or
according to some account 25,000,000-35,000,000 dead (excluding Stalin's
repressions during the same time). WWII is portrayed in US as "America's
war" fought both in the European and Pacific theatres, however not too many
people are aware of the dominant Soviet forces and their significant (if not
overwhelming) contribution to defeating Hitler in Europe. Could America done
it on its own? I don't know. But after the war, former Allies turned into
enemies and Cold War ravaged through our economies and peoples. Was anything
learnt from that, or are we calling Truman and Eisenhower stupid for what
they did? Or do we admire what they attempted to do and did they struggle
with their history changing decision?

Again, I maybe biased in a way since I was born and raised in Russia. I am
only 31 years old, lived on 3 continents and 9 countries, watch PBS and
listen to NPR a lot :o) I keep my mind open and look at facts, not forming
opinions, but rather pondering as to the causes of things.

Nonetheless, you don't hear about that in the press, it's not being
discussed - why? Because, at some point someone has decided that the
political agenda of one government (US of A) is more important than straight
facts. The same goes for governments of other countries often. This is sad,
however, we need to learn from the past, rather than label it "stupid."

And yes, human sacrifice has been part of the human history. In India, as
early as 1800 under the British, widows used to be burnt alive with their
dead husbands. This is their tradition and history. They still don't eat
beef in India, is this "stupid?"

How about me shelling out $35,000 for the 2002 Ford Thunderbird coming out
later this year - check out http://www.iggy.net/mynextcar.htm. Is this
"stupid?" Will my grand grand grand grand grand children think that way? Or
if I preserve this car to a "T" they'll be able to enjoy it later - maybe
they'll add a hyperdrive to it and will be flying to Vega in it? :o) I hope
they'll think about my car and me at the same time.

But maybe it'll be me flying my 2002 T-Bird to Vega and beyond in about
100,000 years (does steel even last this long:o) or should I start thinking
about "cloning" it already?

I hope this long e-mail has given you some food for thought. Nothing is
stupid or barbaric, it happens, it just happens. Think it over, learn from
it, better yourself and your surrounding. If you go into "you stupid, they
stupid, I am perfect" thing - then this is "stupid" :o)

I am afraid you may underestimate the future people. I think that life form
by itself is positive, has a tendency to go through bad and good on a
spiral, but eventually ending up on the best foot.

But of course, we are all the best, the baddest, and the most perfect,
right? :o)

Enjoyed writing this!

Sincerely,

IGGY Dybal

Broker Associate
RE/MAX Best Associates
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* E-mail:   * Web site:  http://www.IGGY.net
* Phone: (913) 894-4024 * Toll-free: (877) 550-IGGY/ 550-4449  * Fax: (913)
894-4311

Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=16647