X-Message-Number: 22868 Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2003 16:20:15 -0800 (PST) From: Jeff Davis <> Subject: China as a cryonics-friendly venue Friends, In a series of recent posts, the idea of China as a potential cryonics venue had been raised. Allow me to offer a single observation in support of this idea. Look at modern American culture. All things young, vigorous, dynamic, fast-paced, loud, flashy, high-tech, and novel are extolled. Hollywood forges this message--and the world laps it up--that the future--or at least the delicious dream future--is "the myth of California". On the one hand, as novelty, extreme-optimism, and life affirmation(and implicitly, youth and health affirmation), cryonics might seem to fit well with the "California vision". But look again. Cryonics as shallowly misperceived, is inevitably dominated by the looming and brooding darkness that is death. The fate which none can stand against. "Everyone out at life's last stop: the threshold to the grave." The realm of old people--old fogies with old boring ideas--is a netherworld of fear, helplessness, patronized irrelevance, decrepitude, and oblivion. In this sense, and I see this as the prevailing view, cryonics is darkly repulsive, "unwelcome at the youth party", inconsistent with the "immortality illusion", excluded, invisible. Old people and death. Yuck! Beyond the cities and the pump of ambitious young turks, the gloss of the youth culture gives way to a more staid and traditional view. Needless to say, cryonics finds no resonance here, where the old 'truths' are rock solid and impenetrable. These are two sectors of American culture, neither particulary welcoming to cryonics. [Uh, hmmmm. Didn't mean to get all sullen and dark on youse guys. Just painting a picture. Not OUR picture. Not representative of our cryonics vision. Sunnier, that.] So much for the "cultural downside" for cryonics here in the US. The upside--yes, there is an upside--is pretty good. The US is rich, technically advanced, and dedicated to tolerance and innovation, even when conflicted about it. Now, check out Chinese culture. I'm no China scholar, but I've heard that they have a tradition of ancestor worship, that they revere old people, honor old people, look on age/maturity as a source of stability and wisdom. They seriously--I'm talking' "seriously" here--value their old folks. This appreciation of the honored elders might make the idea of "saving"/"preserving" them more appealing. Americans--culturally speaking--can't wait to get rid of the old (a generalization, certainly cruel, possibly waaaay wrong, rebuttals welcome). The Chinese hate to let theirs go. Could this constitute a significaqnt cultural 'upside' for cryonics in China? (I'll leave it for others more versed in Chinese culture to point out what may be the downside.) Personally, I think China is, if not THE future, a dominant player, so the question of cryonics in China is, IMO, seriously relevant. Just a thought. Best, Jeff Davis "My guess is that people don't yet realize how "handy" an indefinite lifespan will be." J Corbally __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Protect your identity with Yahoo! Mail AddressGuard http://antispam.yahoo.com/whatsnewfree Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=22868