I wrote:
> I'm just concerned about about becoming a casualty in this patriotic
effort. You may not get too many shots off before the poison gas does you in!
<snip>
> And what if you shoot down the plane thinking you are alright,
when in fact you have been exposed to a horrible disease like anthrax?
Well, at least you possibly limited the area directly infected.
Michael M. Butler wrote:
As my guidance counselor used to say, "And how old will you be in
four years if you *don't* go to school?"
If you're not determined to fight in "go-to-hell" style, you probably
shouldn't fight. I hear Belize is nice.
(end)
YOU HAVE INSULTED MY HON-UH, SUH!!! And with that remark, I then slap you in the face with a white glove! WHACKK!
For me to gain satisfaction we must have a duel. First, we will flip a coin. The loser gets to overfly the winner in a cropduster. The winner gets to shoot at him with his choice of rifles! If you fail to shoot me down, we then switch positions. While flying the plane I promise to use at the very worst the stomach flu virus on you!
We continue doing this until one of us crashes the plane, or one or both of us are hauled off by the police. We will then explain to the world how it all got started on the extropians email list...
Seriously, I believe I could fight fiercely in a "go to hell" style if the situation were before me. I think usually a person does not fully know how they will react(unless properly experienced) to such a situation until it happens to them. I have read accounts of nco's leading raw recruits into battle and being surprised at who the real "tough guys" turned out to be.
I think the average American can stay home instead of running off to Belize, and still be very safe from terrorists. Obviously, the odds are a lot more Americans will die in automobile accidents then terrorist attacks. Barring a nuke or biological attack, this should be the case. Remember, you could go off to Belize and get killed in numerous ways too. lol It is a place one day I would like to visit.
I wrote:
> I think for any cryonicists among us, it could be a smart move
>to keep a big vat of liquid nitrogen in the garage. Should you
> be infected with a deadly disease, simply grit your teeth and gently
>fall into the vat. I hate to think how painful it would briefly
> be, but try to think of the potential long term benefit!
Michael M. Butler replied:
> *Pfft*. I have a freezer contract.
Like that is going to help you in a biological attack by terrorists! Your body will probably be burned, or at least kept away from your cryostasis provider for a LONG time. And they may not even want to handle your disease infected corpse to do a suspension!
My idea of "do it yourself" at home freezing may not be so nutty after all in such an extreme situation. Of course, it would help to have help from others in doing the freezing, and maintaining the dewar/freezer during the crisis period.
Frankly, sometimes I think the idea of cryonics possibly weakens people on some level. I think it might be somewhat hard to be a "hell for leather" combat experienced soldier, cop, firefighter, average citizen, etc. if a part of you is so attached/obsessed to the idea of staying alive, or at least dying in a "controlled" situation so you can definitely be cryonically suspended.
Will the future breed a bunch of immortal and also possibly very cowardly transhumans? People will have so much more to lose with a potential lifespan of millennia ahead of them. This could be good in terms of people saying no to needless wars. But, even with a "just and necessary war" I could see a lot of immortals wanting to stay out of it out of fear of losing their lives.
I see a certain "crazy" but necessary at times power in risking one's life in sadly needed situations of intense risk and potential violence. Whether this be in wartime or "peacetime." Our relatively short lifespans( and social memes which go with it) do give us a sort of edge in such risk taking.
I realize this is fiction, but would a "trans-klingon" of Star Trek mythology be so ferocious and brave in battle if he had indefinite lifespan coupled with a strictly materialist view of life? Would a late 21st century marine?
Michael M. Butler wrote:
I want my death to have meaning, if possible. I'd like to help build
a world that wouldn't mind bringing
me (/us) back, and _most importantly_, a world I wouldn't mind coming back to.
These three desiderata are, for me, in ascending importance. YMMV.
If I had a wife and kids, I'd probably have other priorities.
(end)
I greatly repect your emphasis on wanting to have your future death have meaning, and that death being a means of making the world a better place.
Yes, a wife and kids would change things somewhat. I hope one day you can find a woman of similar views who you can build a wonderful family with.
best wishes,
John
Make a difference, help support the relief efforts in the U.S.
http://clubs.lycos.com/live/events/september11.asp
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Sat May 11 2002 - 17:44:11 MDT