X-Message-Number: 9990
Date:  Sun, 05 Jul 98 22:18:06 
From: Mike Perry <>
Subject: Fideli's Question

Chris Fideli, #9975, wrote,
> 
>     It's my impression that there are plenty of well meaning individuals out
> there who haven't joined cryonics not because they are religious or don't
> want to live forever, but because they think it would be a disaster for
> humanity if we all lived indefinitely.  Perhaps if these individuals can be
> convinced that the opposite is true, that it will be a disaster if we DON'T
> extend lives indefinitely soon (which is a really good case to make), all
> that altruism and love of humanity that these people have reputations for
> can be channeled into something that might actually do some good.
> 
>     Any thoughts?
> 
My thought is that these are very good thoughts (others have voiced 
similar thoughts too). One simple line of 
argument that we will have to extend the lifespan to avoid global 
disaster is that otherwise each generation starts from scratch and 
must learn to cope with an increasingly complex situation. Even 
with "arms control" agreements, the danger of a very bad conflict is 
far from over, what with all the pressures of developing nations 
and perhaps even worse, private terrorist groups or individuals. 
There is the growing population problem, though there are hopeful 
signs such as falling worldwide birth rates. But I think life 
extension would help more than hurt this problem, because people 
would have more of a personal stake in living, have longer to educate 
themselves, and feel less as though they had to reproduce for their 
own "survival."

Mike Perry

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