The above post may make more sense considered as a response to Platt’s article.
If interpreted in that way, it fails completely. It doesn’t respond in any way to Pratt’s argument that the cryonics industry does not have the financial resources to deliver on its promises, and that the shortfall gets larger as more people sign up.
Isparrish simply advises people to ignore this and to optimistically sign up anyways.
Since Isparrish does not seem to be irrational, I have to assume he is not attempting to respond to Platt.
I should clarify that it was not his main point about shortfalls due to signups, but the peripheral point about cryonics being optimistic that I was replying to. I disagree with his main point to a limited degree, i.e. I consider it probable that Alcor is not going to go bankrupt, though I recognize the need to be alert to the possibility.
As he said, money has shown up in the past from wealthy donors who don’t want it to fail. I’m not upset at the inequity there because the donors are purchasing social status, and I don’t have a problem with paying slightly more (or, if I can afford it, a lot more) to help cover someone else’s expenses. (I am more open to socialistic logic than most current cryonicists.)
If interpreted in that way, it fails completely. It doesn’t respond in any way to Pratt’s argument that the cryonics industry does not have the financial resources to deliver on its promises, and that the shortfall gets larger as more people sign up.
Isparrish simply advises people to ignore this and to optimistically sign up anyways. Since Isparrish does not seem to be irrational, I have to assume he is not attempting to respond to Platt.
Edit: Whoops. Bad assumption.
I should clarify that it was not his main point about shortfalls due to signups, but the peripheral point about cryonics being optimistic that I was replying to. I disagree with his main point to a limited degree, i.e. I consider it probable that Alcor is not going to go bankrupt, though I recognize the need to be alert to the possibility.
As he said, money has shown up in the past from wealthy donors who don’t want it to fail. I’m not upset at the inequity there because the donors are purchasing social status, and I don’t have a problem with paying slightly more (or, if I can afford it, a lot more) to help cover someone else’s expenses. (I am more open to socialistic logic than most current cryonicists.)