X-Message-Number: 23212
Date: Sat, 3 Jan 2004 02:08:32 -0500 (EST)
From: Charles Platt <>
Subject: assisted suicide
References: <>

Randy/cryofan seems so enthusiastic about the "quality of
life" in Europe, I have to wonder how much time he has spent
there. In my experience, the quality is generally low.
Indeed this is why I relocated in a nation where "free
market" sometimes actually means what it says.

And Randy, "just about every study" is not what I would call
a good cite to support an argument. Can we have anecdotal
evidence, at least, for the wondrous qualities of Euro life?

Regarding assisted suicide, I see this as being primarily a
religious issue rather than a political issue. In a country
such as the US, where organized religion is quite powerful,
naturally there will be opposition to the idea of allowing
people to cryopreserve themselves "prematurely."

Switzerland is in some respects a libertarian model
(government decentralized into cantons; a foreign policy
which has been consistently noninterventionist, relying
heavily on an armed citizenry to defend the nation). I
understand from someone who has lived in Switzerland that
assisted suicide does not offend the Swiss, probably because
organized religion is not as influential there as it is here.

In any case, changing the subject is not a very good way to
respond to a fairly clear argument. To reiterate: a political
system that protects the rights of minorities by limiting the
power of government is generally advantageous to a minority
interest such as cryonics. Surely this is clear?

Incidentally the euro-enthusiasts should verify whether the
storage of cryopatients is legal in [insert the name of your
favorite quasi-socialist state here]. I don't know of any
european nation that permits it. It has been permitted in the
United States by default. In California, where the concept
was tested legally, an argument in favor of permitting it was
that the nation is based on the principle that rights not
specifically assigned to government are reserved by the
people. But I have already gone through this case history and
the obvious lesson to be learned from it.

I still see this whole discussion as being rooted in the
unfortunate human desire to have your cake and eat it. Being
nurtured and protected by a benificent social system
apparently seems very attractive to some people on this list,
who seem to imagine that they can get "free" medical care
*and* the right to indulge their idiosyncratic ideas about
life and death. But saying "take care of me, my way" to a
government employee less likely to achieve desired results
than if you say the same thing to someone in the private
sector who simply wants to make a profit and is not afflicted
with the delusion that he has a social duty to protect you
from yourself.

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