[ExI] The Manifesto of Italian Transhumanists

[estropico]

Just to clarify Stefano's indirect accusations of beign a neocon (or
whatever!): yes, I have collected (on www.estropico.com) a number of
articles by Carlo Pelanda, but only those that touch on transhumanist
themes, and you won't find many other mainstream intellectuals in
Italy that write such transhumanistic (in all but name) material. They
are in a section of their own, called "exodestinies" (a Pelanda
neologism meant to indicate our destiny outside of the boundaries of
the body, the planet, a limited lifespan).

Anyway, if the Italian transhumanist association can have a
representative of the (borderline?) neofascist Nouvelle Droite
(wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nouvelle_Droite) as unelected
"national secretary", I really don't see why www.estropico.com can't
have some articles from a neocon alongside all sorts of other
materials (including stuff from leftists such as Riccardo Campa and
James Hughes).

Cheers,
Fabio

From: "Stefano Vaj" <stefano.vaj at gmail.com>
>
>  Additionally, I do consider it a very bad idea and a great risk to
>  align Italian transhumanism and extropism with themes and positions
>  that, far from having anything to do with any flavour of
>  libertarianism, are 100% in the area of neocon extremism, where the
>  alliance with the few local (i.e., catholic) teocons and creationists
>  is promoted together with the ideas of Western supremacy; military
>  imperialism; strong-arm attitudes towards internal dissent, political
>  opponents and freedom of speech; and clash of civilisations.
>
>  I am referring to the ideas mostly represented in Italy by the
>  staunchest Bush supporters in the postfascist party Alleanza Nazionale
>  that Mr. Pelanda officially supports, in particular as a member of the
>  Promoting Committee of the Fondazione Fare Futuro, the think tank
>  established by one the leaders of the extremist wing of said party,
>  Adolf Urso.
>
>  Now, having been the victim myself of repeated reductio ad hitlerum
>  attempts (regularly coming from the right of the Italian H+
>  movement!), it is not my intention to call for any obstracism of
>  anybody based on his associations. But I would find any identification
>  of the Italian H+ movement with such area - the real importance of
>  which is almost entirely based on the transatlantic supports it still
>  enjoys - indeed very limiting, taking also in account that at a
>  popular level such ideas are very badly received by the vast majority
>  of both conservative and progressive publics.
>
>  Thus, I accept myself to be interviewed by the daily newspaper of
>  Alleanza Nazionale and welcome the comments on my books by magazines
>  of that area, but I think that the Associazione Italiana Transumanisti
>  does very well in markinh its difference from those who may share the
>  legacy - or rather the luggage - above.
>
>  Stefano Vaj