X-Message-Number: 22844 From: randy <> Subject: Re: which country will be first to legalize cryonics? Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2003 09:05:32 -0600 References: <> On 15 Nov 2003 10:00:01 -0000, you wrote >---------------------------------------------------------------------- > >Message #22838 >Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 08:00:34 -0800 (PST) >From: Randall Burns <> >Subject: Russia and Cryonics > >I personally think that exploring how it might be >possible to lobby in Russia would be a good idea. I >also suspect that some countries like Japan and Korea >would be amenable here. > >If cryonicists could just get 3-5 countries to >_firmly_ legalize cryonics, this would be a big step >forward. I am thinking that if any country would be able to legalize cryonics, it would be one of the northwestern European countries, such as Switzerland, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, etc. THey seem to have a more pragmatic, non-religious approach to life. For example, polls show that far fewer citizens of those countries have a belief in a god or afterlife (I think the figure there is maybe 30-40% or so, as opposed to 60-70% here in the USA). Also, Switzerland and Netherlands have, I believe, practically decriminalized euthanasia. You can see the European pragmatism in their choice of government: Here in America, we seem to have a sort of "lottery culture", where we all seem to think we will be rich some day if we just put our heads down like sheep and work as hard as possible. The Europeans seem to acknowledge that only a minority will become rich, and so they have a far more reliable social safety net and welfare state, with higher taxation. We Americans are in many ways more obedient and sheeplike, although we would deny it of course. But just look at the rates of voluntary voting in America: we have maybe 30% of eligible citizens who bother to vote for either Republicrat Tweedledum or Republicrat Tweedledee. In some countries of NW Europe, however, voluntary voter participation rates are much higher, e.g., 90% or over! Anyway, it just seems to me that compared to NW Europeans, many of us Americans have our heads in the clouds, what with our afterlife religion, our credit card debt, our I'll-be-rich-someday lottery culture, our who-cares-who-is-voted-president politics, etc. As far as I am concerned, cryonics is nothing if not a pragmatic choice trying to make the best of a bad situation. So, why is cryonics only practiced in America (and somewhat in England and Australia)? I dunno.....but along with Russia, I look to NW Europe to be the first to officially recognize cryonics as something worthwhile. America in general actually holds cryonics in disdain, as we have seen with the Ted Williams affair. >I tend to agree, the political situation in the US is >such that there is a good chance the religious right >will at some point ban cryonics in the US. Now, the >other option here to start exploring allies in the >Democratic party. Dennis Kucinich for example is >trying to figure out how to appeal to libertarian >voters(for example he had a recent positive article >about John Gilmore on his blog). Yeah, Kucinich is THE MAN! He is the only presidential candidate who has come out in support of proportional representation, which would give us the tool we need to remake American political structure. Also, he has a pln for implementinguniversal health care, which is of course what gives NW Europeans their longer life spans (they live about 3 years longer on average than Americans). But I have no idea how he feels about cryonics. Maybe I could email him--I am involved in his campaign as a volunteer here in Houston..... ---- Randy ------------- The United States of America: If you like low wages, you'll love long hours! Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=22844