X-Message-Number: 5173
Date: Mon, 13 Nov 1995 20:20:36 -0500 (EST)
From: Methuselah <>
Subject: Cryonics and Whose Society?

Re:

> Message #5161
> Date: 12 Nov 95 12:12:05 EST
> From: "Kent, Saul" <>
> Subject: Cryonics And Society
> 
> 	Kevin Lynch says that in his opinion: "Cryonics only makes sense
> from an individualist perspective."
> 	I disagree.

Mr. Kent goes on to describe from a rather global-futuristic perspective 
why he disagrees.  I think he makes some good points.  I also disagree, 
however, from a more short-term perspective; i.e., the period from, 
whenever it may be, the end of my "normal" lifespan until such time, if I 
am cryopreserved, I may be reanimated.

Reason:  during that period of time, I don't have much opportunity to 
speak for myself, handle my own affairs, or to be "individualistic" in 
much of any other way than perhaps all or part of my body 
frozen/vitrified and stored in a dewar.

Since I don't expect to have much say-so regarding my individualistic 
self during that period, other than whatever instructions and other 
arrangements I may have left behind with some cryonics organization, it 
behooves me to attempt to determine which of those organizations now 
existing provide the best chance of following through with their promises 
regarding matters I have contracted and paid for while I am still 
operating in "individualistic" mode.

So, I look at the options.  I look at things like organizational 
structure (which will stand the test of time best - democratic or 
self-perpetuating?), demonstrated history (years of surviving battles vs. 
new and untested), attitude towards growth (actively promoting to achieve 
economies of scale vs. "we'd like to and one day we .." vs. "who cares?"), 
and even sometimes look at who might have the "best" yet-unproven 
technology.  

One thing that keeps surfacing in my mind is this:  I won't be able to do 
a damn thing about it if after I deanimate and am cryopreserved, some 
"individualists" running the organization I signed up with decide to 
exercise their legal option to reaffirm my legal deadness and ignore any 
of my rights I may have supposed that I had.  And without an adequate 
structure within the organization itself, I doubt any single "advocate" I 
have appointed (the likelihood of whose lifespan being long enough to 
cover through my reanimation appearing quite remote) would have much 
clout, unless said person by chance happened to be one of the 
individualists running the organization.

I am therefore left with the probability of selecting the organization I 
feel has the best record of long-term stability and adherence to purpose, 
and a governing structure that is strong, solid, well-represented in 
numbers, and hard to be affected by the whims of democracy much less of 
individualism.

The above is hard to be said by one who is an individualist at heart and 
who once even thought anarchism was cool.  But when I can no longer even 
speak for myself much less have any influence over my destiny, my 
practical side takes over and appreciates the idea of a "big daddy 
looking out for me."

Signing up soon,

Guy Gipson


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