X-Message-Number: 22551
From: "John de Rivaz" <>
Subject: Who is pulling the strings?
Date: Sat, 20 Sep 2003 11:03:05 +0100

It has been asked "who is pulling the strings?" referring to events at
Alcor.

I think here it  is worthwhile considering the theories of Robert Axelrod
and others about co-operation. In ants nests the whole thing looks as though
it  is organised like a leader directed state. In fact, they suggest, each
ant is doing his own thing, but in doing his own thing it just happens that
the purpose of the nest (to make new ants nests) is fulfilled.

What we have here with cryonet, and to some extent with cryonics service
providers, is a number of people doing their own thing but with similar mind
sets and similar purpose. It is hardly surprising that many have sent
private and public messages to Charles Platt encouraging him to maintain his
cryopreservation arrangements. That is because we all think it is a good
idea to have cryonics arrangements, and we all think death is a bad thing,
not only for ourselves but for others. The only "leader" who has ordered
such messages to be sent is a common set of values.

As to private meetings, here the pressure to do so is because of the nature
of civilisation and the way the legal profession conducts itself, as
explained in earlier messages, both from myself and others. If Alcor is the
only organisation in the world to conduct private meetings amongst their
leaders then maybe there would be cause for concern, but this is not the
case. The legal profession is something that influences the behaviour of
everyone in a legislature (indeed that is its purpose). The only "leader"
who has ordered the private meetings is the legal profession as a whole, by
its members advising clients of possible undesirable consequences if
statements at meetings amongst totally honest and respectable people are
deliberately misquoted.

With regards to election of a new president, all organisations have to do
this when the previous one retires. It is generally well known why this is
happening at Alcor. The only "leader" here is whatever process or being made
the world the way it is.

-- 
Sincerely, John de Rivaz:  http://John.deRivaz.com for websites including
Cryonics Europe, Longevity Report, The Venturists, Porthtowan, Alec Harley
Reeves - inventor, Arthur Bowker - potter, de Rivaz genealogy,  Nomad .. and
more

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