X-Message-Number: 6255
From: John de Rivaz <>
Newsgroups: bc.politics,sci.cryonics
Subject: Re: Limiting the freedom of harmless minority interests
Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 09:48:06 +0100
Message-ID: <>
References: <> <4nmdmr$>

In article: <4nmdmr$>   (Brad 
Templeton) writes:
> 
> Don't be too sure that it's just BC.  Lots of jurisdictions enact laws
> to forbid the selling of things related to medicine that are considered
> "quack", improperly represented, dangerous or even plain uncertain.
> 
> And there are lots of people out there who think Crynonics is quack,
> improperly represented and uncertain.
> 
> I have no idea why BC made such a law but people should find out.
> I suspect all it takes is one complaint from an heir who thinks he or she
> was cheated out of $50K by some "quack cryonics scheme" to get these 
sorts
> of laws passed if they fight hard enough.

I am sure you are right, but personally I think it is obscene that someone 
can be cheated out of a chance of life, however small, just because someone 
wants to inherit their money.

All surgery is a gamble: would such beneficiaries deny their potential 
benefcators a chance of life though a conventional operation? Would they 
deny them the use of their potential inheritance to spend on comforts to 
make their last days less miserable? An inheritance is only a legitimate 
transaction if freely given by contract, eg a will or trust. Otherwise it 
is extortion in fact, whether legal or not.

I consider it to be obscene that anyone has a "right" to anyone else's 
money, alive or dead, unless that right is provided by a contract that both 
parties have entered into. (EG A has a right to be paid if B has provided 
goods or services.) The only exception I can see is for damages such as in 
a road accident, but even that is covered by compulsory insurance.

-- 
Sincerely,     ****************************************       
               * Publisher of        Longevity Report *
John de Rivaz  *                     Fractal Report   *
               *          details on request          *
               ****************************************
In the information age, sharing can increase world wealth enormously,
because giving information does not decrease your information.
          http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/JohndeR    
                Fast loading, very few slow pictures


Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=6255