X-Message-Number: 25272
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 2004 10:33:53 -0500
From: Randolfe Wicker <>
Subject: IS CRYONICS ISOLATIONIST ?

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Is cryonics isolationist?  I have wondered about that idea since becoming 
involved here.  I immensely enjoy keeping up on daily news and postings.  
However, I find that few "cryonics first" people are involved at The Immortality
Institute although most of those most active there see cryonics as their only 
"option" for defeating death at this time.


I would like to see more passionate cryonauts posting there.  As you will see 
from the introduction about distributing a small four-inch flier at a conference
in NYC last Thursday night, we share "exclusion" with several other groups.

BIOTECH CONFERENCE FOR LIBERALS

How conservatives controlled the agenda, 12/9/2004
 


                                                                                
                                                                                By
                                                                                
                                                                                RANDOLFE
                                                                                
                                                                                WICKER
                                                                                
 

 

 

 


When I first heard about "THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, THE BIOTECH AGENDA, THE HUMAN 
FUTURE: What direction for liberals and progressives?  A post-election 
symposium" being held at City University of New York's Auditorium just twenty 
minutes from home at 34th Street and Fifth Avenue, I thought it was worth 
checking out.

 


(Links will be posted throughout this report and then will be posted again at 
the end to enable a reader to explore those of interest now or later in the 
least disruptive manner possible.)

 

www.genetics-and-society.org/nextfouryears 

 


I received a confirmation on November 8th simply saying, " Thank you for your 
interest. Your registration has been noted.  Please note seating is on a first 
come first serve basis, so we advise you to arrive early to ensure a good seat."
Signed simply, "The Graduate Center, 212-817-8215".  I made a mental note to 
keep Thursday, 12/9/04, open.

 


The conference site was overflowing with grim slippery-slope doomsday scenarios 
about how biotechnology was either about to take over the world or might just 
simply destroy it. 

 


I 'd masochistically endured many such conferences in person or via the Internet
since founding the reproductive human cloning movement in 1997.  It wasn't 
that anything was above scrutiny; it was the way bioethicists used "fear of 
biotechnology" as the coin of their realm just as many religionists used "fear 
of hellfire" as the coin of their realm.

 


Bioethicists, after all is said and done, are still captives of what can best be
described as a Frankenstein science-fiction mindset.  If that were not the 
case, their opinions would not resonate with the general public.  Without the 
currency of popular misinformation, they would be bankrupt: fired from lucrative
positions in academia; their books gone either unpublished or unread.

 


Of course, one of the many "givens" in bioethical debate was that reproductive 
human cloning was beyond serious consideration.  Few discussions included anyone
who saw cloning as a reproductive right, or as the "religious right" to see 
their genotype live on into another lifetime.

 

 

 

 

 


Those who advocated genetically-engineered enhancement and/or the scientific 
conquest of involuntary death were also excluded.  So I, Human Cloning Activist,
Immortalist,  Cryonicist and Transhumanist, was part of the kooky fringe they 
chose to ignore. 

 


 Those who worked in real world biotechnology, such as Michael West of Advanced 
 Cell Technology, whose vision included the promise of an enhanced healthier 
 future through biotechnology medicine and science, were demonized as 
 "exploiters" and "profiteers". They were accused of seeking "to commodify" that
 last frontier left to evil capitalists: "life itself".

 


Indeed, I respect such views.  In fact, I've often suggested to journalists that
they interview Dennis Kucinich, someone whose sincerity and moral viewpoint I 
genuinely both respect and disagree with regarding all types of cloning.

 


So, with the stage set, I invite you to share with me the frightening adventure 
of going to  "The Next Four Years, the Biotech Agenda, and the Human Future" and
attempting to distribute a small four-inch square leaflet which read:

 

       "BEING LIBERAL IS NOT ENOUGH"_____       
FOR OUR GENETICALLY ENHANCED FUTURE

 

THE IMMORTALITY INSTITUTE: DEVOTED TO CON-
QUERING THE BLIGHT OF INVOLUNTARY DEATH.

WWW.IMMINST.ORG 

 

STEM CLONE DIGEST: GREATEST SOURCE FOR NEWS 

ABOUT BIOTECH, PRESENTED WITHOUT BIAS.

WWW.STEMCLONEDIGEST.COM 

 

CLONING NEWS FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN THEIR 

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS !

WWW.CLONERIGHTS.COM 

WWW.REPRODUCTIVECLONING.NET 

 

Randolfe H. Wicker
Founder, Clone Rights United Front
Spokesperson, Reproductive Cloning Network 
Correspondent, StemClone Digest 
Advisor, The Immortality Institute
201-656-3280 (Mornings)

 

(TO BE CONTINUED SOON.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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