X-Message-Number: 24180 From: "Mark Plus" <> Subject: Why should we care what "markets" say? Date: Wed, 02 Jun 2004 07:43:40 -0700 If we really respected what "markets" said about cryonics -- overwhelmingly that it won't work or that it isn't desirable even if it could, as we can tell from the low levels of public interest in it -- then why are we here? Clearly we have more confidence in our own judgment than in the collective judgments of the people who have assigned themselves to the "control group," as Ralph Merkle calls them. BTW, I'm amused by the economic analysts who defend the "rationality" of market outcomes, yet who are performing mental contortions as they argue that the growing "fear premium" added to the price of oil is, in fact, "psychological" (i.e., irrational), even as oil extraction is declining in OPEC countries. Indonesia may have to drop out of OPEC because it has become a net importer of oil, which defeats the purpose of belonging to the cartel; and the New York Times reported in April that Oman's oilfields, which lie just south of Saudi Arabia's on the Arabian peninsula, are definitely in decline. OPEC is talking about raising the supply, but the fact is, its members are near their limits now and have little or no "surge capacity," apart from politically volatile Saudi Arabia. Regards, Mark Plus _________________________________________________________________ FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar get it now! http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/ Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=24180