X-Message-Number: 20756
Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2002 06:12:39 -0500 (EST)
From: Dan Hitt <>
Subject: Money for something (20738)

Hi Yvan,

Thanks for posting message 20738 and related ones about wealth and ideas.

Your earlier parable made your point vividly, and there certainly are
plenty of people who inherit a bundle and waste it.  I guess they're
the origin of the `shirt sleeves to shirt sleeves in four generations'
saying.

But are examples in the other direction as well (e.g. Lord Rayleigh).

And implementing a system in which wealth cannot be inherited might
have other consequences---if people cannot spend their assets as they
choose, including wasting them as they choose, then it's not so clear
who would support new and initially unpopular ideas such as cryonics
or, say, brain readers.

I do hope you're right about some of the nouveau riche financing
space development, and i hope that they've learned from the examples
of the many unsuccessful (for whatever reasons) earlier space companies.
You're much more in touch with that world than i am (does Rand S still
post here?).  And with you i hope that some will finance life extension
research as well.

But whether they do or not, i think each one of us has a contribution
to make.  And i think it's a good sign that so many cryonetters (including
you, of course) really are doing something.

dan

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