X-Message-Number: 931
Date: 26 Jun 92 00:42:31 EDT
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: Re: cryonics: #928 - #929

Dear Tim:

Frankly your scenario strikes me as the result of reading too much bad
science fiction. Even if the Amish eventually absorb, it's interesting
and important that they still exist (and are even prospering). As you 
know, they do not swear off ALL modern technology. But more than that,
our survival does not require that we take up with some futuristic
version of the Amish at all. It depends only on our revival by some 
people (or transpeople, if you wish) who are friendly to us in the same
way many people are friendly to children (who again are not marked by 
their instant understanding of the world they live in).

That friendliness is one of the central purposes of a cryonics society.
The idea behind cryonics isn't that we simply leave ourselves lying 
about so that some unknown future people would revive us. It is that 
we create an ongoing institution, the cryonics society, which will not 
only  revive us but help us grow into our new time if such help is
needed. (It need only be a descendant of our society now ... we need not
depend on ALCOR surviving, but simply one of its descendants, to care for
us).

As for the dichotomy between techies and Luddites, most people aren't
Luddites. They're just confused.
			Best and long life
				Thomas

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