X-Message-Number: 25835
From: 
Date: Sun, 20 Mar 2005 12:26:09 EST
Subject: U.S. vs Europe

David Verbeke has suggested that future support for cryonics in the U.S.  may 
be less likely than in "progressive" Europe.
 
First, I am grateful for Mr. Verbeke's membership in CI and his initiative  
in the Belgian support group. Second, I don't want to see general politics on  
Cryonet. But I do think a couple of comments are in order.
 
First, the "progressive" label is often misused. Indeed, many people called  
Mao's Chinese communists "progressive," and still do. ("Liberal" is also a  

misused term, but I won't go into that.) The main point here is that Mr. Verbeke
 lumps together things that are disparate, not all in the same basket. 
 
Second, and mainly, let's just look at the known facts concerning cryonics.  
In the U.S.--and only in the U.S.--do we have both operating cryonics  
facilities and explicit legal recognition. CI is licensed as a cemetery. In  
California there are court decisions favoring cryonics. In Arizona, despite  
high-profile  attempts at unfavorable regulation, there hasn't been  any. 
 
As to religion, we have had favorable intervention in specific cryonics  
cases by Roman Catholic clergy. The head of Alcor, Joe Waynick, is a  

fundamentalist Christian (Seventh Day Adventist, I think) who has publicly said
he 

doesn't believe in the theory of evolution, but nevertheless is active in  
cryonics. 
In "progressive" China we have zero members. (In less "progressive"  Taiwan 
there seems to be more interest.) 
 
In France--still part of Europe, last I heard, and apparently "progressive"  
in some eyes--the climate is venomously anti-cryonics. Ask Yvan  Bozzonetti.
 
If I had to choose between domination by "progressives" or by Christians, I  
would choose Christians without hesitation. But we are not forced to that  

choice. The U.S. is not dominated by anybody. Almost every election is decided
by just a few percentage points.
 
Finally--short of subsidy by wealthy people--there is no chance in the near  
future of a storage facility outside of the U.S. 
 
Robert Ettinger


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