X-Message-Number: 6452 Date: 06 Jul 96 11:32:41 EDT From: "Kent, Saul" <> Subject: SCI.CRYONICS: Partisanship An "anonymous" poster on Cryonet stated that: "Wakfer is anything other than nonpartisan." The fact that the post is "anonymous" suggests that the message was intended to be critical of Paul's leadership in The Prometheus Project. It also indicates that the poster doesn't want to be identified with an unpopular position. As a strong supporter of The Prometheus Project, I certainly hope that this anonymous position *will* be unpopular, and I encourage *all* Cryonet readers to post their opinions on this issue. In fact, Paul Wakfer *is* partisan, just as I and most of the supporters of The Project are...and just as most of the members of the cryonics community are. One could argue, in fact, that the mere act of *joining* a cryonics organization makes one a partisan of that organization. It is just because Paul is partisan that he has emphasized repeatedly that The Prometheus Project is a NONpartisan effort. Paul knows that it is widely known that he is a member of CryoCare and the the head of Cryospan. He wants it known that his advocacy of "his" cryonics organizations IS NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE an issue in a project that seeks to develop a technology which all cryonics organizations will use and which will benefit the entire cryonics movement. In truth, new projects are started by activists and almost all activists are partisans. However, partisans of all types *must* be able to work together on projects that require a group effort to succeed. If the leaders and members of *all* cryonics organizations *cannot* overcome their partisanship to work together on a project of such magnitude and monumental importance, it will be a very sad day for the cryonics movement. Only cooperation among *all* cryonics organizations will give us the best possible chance of perfecting brain cryopreservation and the best possible chance of surviving as individuals. The only way of guaranteeing nonpartisanship for The Prometheus Project is for all cryonics organizations to participate as equally as possible. Since the company that will conduct the research and own the technologies developed through the research will be owned by its investors, ownership in the company on the part of *all* cryonics organizations will be needed in order to *guarantee* a nonpartisan effort. I, therefore, call upon *all* cryonics organizations to match the $10,000/year pledge (for 10 years) made by CryoCare. I also call on all organizations to report on The Project in their publications and to encourage their members to make pledges. For it is *only* through the participation of all cryonics organizations that we can guarantee the nonpartisanship of the Prometheus Project and optimize our chances of survival. ---Saul Kent Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=6452