X-Message-Number: 32397
From: David Stodolsky <>
Subject: Re: cryonics terminology
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:38:05 +0100
References: <>

On 18 Feb 2010, at 11:00 AM, CryoNet wrote:

> It seems to me, however, that the
> inclusion of the four points above in suspension contracts/ 
> literature would
> be a good starting point as one of the standards that each group  
> should,
> perhaps, adopt anyway as some protection against the usual nonsensical
> claim that cryonics is some sort of a "scam" or that we are misleading
> people in any way.


This kind of narrow legalism is not the real question we have been  
discussing. It is important, but only secondarily. Legal decisions, in  
particular, jury decisions, are often based upon 'community standards'  
or a climate of opinion. If cryonics is regarded as a scam or a cult,  
because it uses terms that are in opposition to their everyday  
utilization, no amount of legalistic detail is likely to save the day  
(in court).

However, the overall question is how to make the transition from a  
separatist movement to a mainstream movement.  According to social  
movement theory, this will involve a revolutionary transformation of  
society. Such changes are resisted by current elites. We have already  
seen this in pronouncements of Leon Kass, the head of Bush's  
Presidential Bioethics Council. Kass argues that life wouldn't be  
meaningful without death and opposes any form of life extension:

http://www.acceleratingfuture.com/michael/works/answeringkass.htm

We can be sure that when a political battle develops, the opponents of  
cryonics will attack any weak point in the way cryonics is presented.  
The term 'patients' is one of these. Cryonics is already well  
represented on sites such as Quackwatch:

http://www.quackwatch.org/04ConsumerEducation/QA/cryonics.html

Cryonics has also been a topic of discussion on an anti-cult site, as  
posted here earlier. The accuracy of these sites isn't the question,  
they contribute to a climate of opinion which is detrimental to the  
survival of the movement.

In terms of marketing, terms that don't travel well from inside to  
outside of the movement are detrimental. If cryonics fails, it will  
probably be due to social breakdown or political opposition. The short  
history of the movement has already demonstrated the importance of  
these threats. Therefore, all possible steps toward improving  
credibility should be taken.


dss


David Stodolsky
  Skype: davidstodolsky

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