X-Message-Number: 5742
From:  (Brian Wowk)
Newsgroups: sci.cryonics,sci.life-extension,uk.legal
Subject: Re: Death (was Donaldson MR and Miss Hindley)
Date: 16 Feb 96 05:49:08 GMT
Message-ID: <>
References: <> <>

In <> Owen Lewis <> writes:

>I have no difficulty that persons may choose to spend their money as they wish
>and to be preserved (or not) as they choose after their death. I do have
>a problem that such persons may wish to prevent the distribution or 
>devolvement of their estate in case, one day, they might return to life and 
>wish to resume their rights over it. If the former 'right' in respect of
>cryonic preservation is to be allowed at the consequent cost of ever 
>increasing wealth being tied up indeterminately in cryonics linked trusts
>than that seems unreasonable (and as the law stands often illegal?). .

	These concerns (your only concerns?) are rooted in misunderstanding.
You implicitly assume that wealth not passed on to heirs or other bequests
disappears from the economy.  This could not be further from the truth!
The money of cryonics patients is not kept in mattresses.  It is invested
in stocks, bonds, and other instruments that drive the world economy.
Having large amounts of wealth "tied up indeterminately in cryonics linked
trusts" would be an economic boon!  Instead of being spent on frivolous
short-term consumption, this wealth would be invested by money managers in
companies providing jobs and long-term economic growth.

	Here in Canada the government has created tax-sheltered Retirement
Savings Plans that it encourages individuals to invest in to save for
their retirement.  There are now billions of dollars in these plans, and
they are a significant source of strength in Canada stock markets (helping
provide old and new companies with capital for expansion).  Money tied 
up in these plans is precisely analogous to money in cryonics trusts:
it is an economic benefit, not detriment.

 ***************************************************************************
 Brian Wowk          CryoCare Foundation               1-800-TOP-CARE
 President           Your Gateway to the Future        
    http://www.cryocare.org/cryocare/
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------


Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=5742