X-Message-Number: 12212
From: "John de Rivaz" <>
References: <>
Subject: Re: atrocities
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 15:10:40 +0100

Many thanks to Thomas Donaldson for his thoughtful discussion on the subject
of liability for past actions in respect of people interfering with a
cryopreservation.

Just to get it quite clear, did you take this bit on board, i.e.

>>>>>
If the patient can show that there is some evidence
available at the time that cryopreservation could work (similar to the
affidavits that have been sworn in later cases), then if money is still
being used could substantial damages be obtained?
<<<<<

The person involved is therefore in possession of information not commonly
available that their actions are damaging. It is a bit like this:

A crowd of people are outside a building in which a plague virus has escaped
from a laboratory. The authorities are about to set it on fire in order to
make sure the virus is exterminated, but first they think they have got
everyone out (to be sent to quarantine). But one says "there is still
someone inside" and he goes further to show a camcorder recording of that
person still alive but trapped inside. Everyone else outside thinks that all
have been evacuated. Anxious to start the blaze, the commander of the troops
dealing with it tells the chap with the video that he mistook it for a
recording he made yesterday and fire bomb the building. Afterwards, the
burned out skeleton of the person is found, and the position of the bones
suggested that he died slowly and in agony. Murder? Culpable homicide? Would
public opinion differ from the results of legal action?

--
Sincerely, John de Rivaz
my homepage links to Longevity Report, Fractal Report, my singles club for
people in Cornwall, music, Inventors' report, an autobio and various other
projects:       http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/JohndeR


>
> Message #12205
> From: Thomas Donaldson <>
> Subject: comments for John de Rivaz
> Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 00:07:06 +1000 (EST)
>
> Actions appropriate
> to someone who simply did not understand that cryonics might work, at a
> time when there were very few cryonicists, differ from those appropriate
> to someone when cryonics (some day!) becomes widespread.
>

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