[ExI] Stefano Vaj

Tue Mar 4 00:20:21 UTC 2008

2008/3/3, Damien Broderick <thespike at satx.rr.com>:
>
> Given all the angst flying about, I wonder if Dr.
> Vaj might provide us with some background?

Hi, I'm Giancarlo from Italy.

Well, I will try to give you a detailed background of Stefano Vaj - a person
really very intelligent and cultured, and because of this very dangerous -
from a different point of view..

Below you can find some interesting elements in order to better understand
Stefano Vaj's thought, together with his "transhumanist current", which he
calls "sovrumanism" (it's quite difficult to find an english term: actually
– as Estropico/Fabio correctly pointed out – "superhumanism" isn't truly
correct, so for now I will use "s*ovrumanism*" – a neologism –, in order to
make evident the intimate relation with the original use of the term made by
Stefano's inspirer, Giorgio Locchi: see below).

The same elements then can be used in order to assess if the strategy of the
current AIT (Italian Transhumanist Association) leadership – that is to
cooperate *now* with sovrumanists, to the extent of co-opting their leader,
Stefano Vaj, onto the AIT board and even appointing him "national secretary"
– is a wise or an unwise "strategy".

*«The real issue concerning abortion may be considered that of whether and
when abortion should be a due, while on the contrary the claim of abortion
as a right may be irrelevant (or even to discourage, from the point of view
of population dynamics) -- a right depending mainly from economic hedonistic
choices, moreover expressed only by the woman.»
*(Biopolitica<http://www.biopolitica.it/biop-testo%28all%29.pdf>,
p. 9).

[In Italian: «Similmente, la vera questione in materia di aborto potrebbe
essere considerata quella di se e quando l'aborto possa essere un dovere,
mentre viceversa potrebbe parere irrilevante (o al limite da scoraggiare,
sempre da un punto di vista di dinamica delle popolazioni) la sua
rivendicazione come diritto, in relazione a scelte di tipo essenzialmente
economico-edonistico, per di più unicamente della madre.»]

This is the translation of a passage from Stefano Vaj's most recent
book, Biopolitica
<http://www.biopolitica.it/biop-testo%28all%29.pdf>(2005) – the
Sovrumanisti's "sacred book" – made by Giuseppe Regalzi, an italian
transhumanist who left the Italian Transhumanist Association after Stefano
was co-opted (not elected) as national secretary.

Interestingly, shortly after (p. 10) *Stefano Vaj prophesies that the new
sovrumanist* *"era" (age) will last "1000 years"*: one might ask why just
1000 years, why the use of quotations marks, and - above all - *who is he
quoting*? (For a possibible answer, see
here<http://www.google.it/search?hl=it&q=1000+years+reich&btnG=Cerca+con+Google&meta=>
).

At the end of his book you can have a taste of Vaj's conflicting scenario,
where the strongest community finally prevails thanks to the use of
transhumanist technologies: *"a new, possible dream of greatness on a scale
never imagined before, able to push o**ur own community's freedom and will
of power** where no man has gone before: the future will belong to those
who'll be able to express the **strongest will**"* (p. 134).

Between you can find much more. When I'll have the time, I would like to
translate the chapter on the "race".

But at this point I think it's time you get acquainted with Giorgio Locchi,
the fascist thinker and Vaj's inspirer (the latter borrowed from the former
the name of his "transhumanist" current: "sovrumanismo", precisely): you
will soon realize that *Stefano central idea is that transhumanism *(his
idea of transhumanism)* can be actually considered the last emersion of a
more general principle - the "sovrumanist principle" - which originated from
Nietzsche and Wagner and during XX century already expressed fascism and
nazism*.

*Giorgio Locchi *

*Espressione politica e repressione del principio sovrumanista
<http://www.uomo-libero.com/index.php?url=%2Farticolo.php%3Fid%3D293&hash=>*

*(**Political Expression and Repression of the Overhumanist Principle*)**

*Foreword by Stefano Vaj*

*«We cannot truly understand fascism if we don't realize or admit that the
so called "fascist phenomenon" is nothing but the first political appearance
of a broad spiritual and cultural phenomenon, which we can call
"sovrumanism".»*

[Non si comprende nulla del fascismo se non ci si rende conto o non si vuole
ammettere che il cosiddetto «fenomeno fascista» altro non è che la prima
manifestazione politica d'un vasto fenomeno spirituale e culturale, che
possiamo chiamare «sovrumanismo».]

(…)

*«The "sovrumanist principle", in relation to the surrounding world, becomes
absolute rejection of an opposite "egalitarian principle" which shakes that
world. If fascist movements considered democratic ideologies – liberalism,
parlamentarism, socialism, communism, anarco-communism – as the spiritual
even more than political "enemy", it's just because, in the historical
perspective builded on the sovrumanist principle, those ideologies represent
as many manifestations, onwards appeared in the course of history but each
one still existing, of the opposite egalitarian principle, (…) all together
cause of the spiritual and material decadence of Europe, the progressive
dejection of european man, the break-up of western societies.»*

[Il «principio sovrumanista», rispetto al mondo che lo circonda, diviene
rigetto assoluto di un opposto «principio egualitaristico» che conforma quel
mondo. Se i movimenti fascisti individuarono il «nemico», spirituale prima
ancora che politico, nelle ideologie democratiche - liberalismo,
parlamentarismo, socialismo, comunismo, anarco-comunismo - è proprio perché
nella prospettiva storica istituita dal principio sovrumanistico quelle
ideologie si configurano come altrettante manifestazioni, successivamente
comparse nella storia ma tutte ancora presenti, dell'opposto principio
egualitaristico, (…) tutte insieme causa della decadenza spirituale e
materiale dell'Europa, dell'«avvilimento progressivo» dell'uomo europeo,
della disgregazione delle società occidentali.]

(…)

*«With the purpose of the "mythical" stance of a fascist movement, the
analysis it makes of the first cause and origin of the European nations
decadence and break-up process is essential. Nietzsche identified them with
Christianism, as a transmission agent of the "judaic principle", which he
identified with the egalitarian principle. Wagner, the other reference point
of sovrumanism, considered instead the only "judaic principle" as the origin
of evil.»*

[Essenziale, ai fini della presa di posizione « mitica» di un movimento
fascista, è 1'analisi che esso fa della causa prima e dell'origine del
«processo di decadenza e disgregazione» delle nazioni europee. Nietzsche le
aveva individuate nel cristianesimo, come agente di trasmissione del
«principio giudaico» che per lui s'identifica al principio egualitaristico.
Wagner, l'altro polo del campo sovrumanistico, aveva denunciato invece l'
origine del male nel solo «principio giudaico».]

(…)

*«The issue of  "totalitarianism" is linked to a fundamental "political
philosophy" problem. Every society (or more exactly community), if wants to
be "healthy", has to be totalitarian, that is it admits only one
"discourse", the one ruled by the principle which shapes and moulds the
community and, at the same time, represents the "communitarian bond".»*

[La questione del «totalitarismo» riconduce invece ad un fondamentale
problema della «filosofia della politica». Ogni società (o più esattamente:
comunità), quando vuol essere «sana» , è totalitaria, nel senso che ammette
un solo «discorso», quello retto dal principio che informa e conforma la
comunità e, insieme, costituisce il «legame comunitario».]

*Please note that Stefano Vaj fully adheres to Locchi's ideas* (and
consequently named his "transhumanist" current "sovrumanismo"): in fact in
his foreword
<http://www.uomo-libero.com/index.php?url=%2Farticolo.php%3Fid%3D293&hash=>to
this article he wrote:

*«Twenty years after its first publication, I think that this short text can
really close the historical discussion over what fascism has represented, as
the** first thorough political expression of the sovrumanist world view, and
take the stock from which consider the just concluded century, in connection
with the future we want to build for ourself**.»*

[Vent'anni dopo la sua prima pubblicazione, crediamo che questo breve testo
 possa così davvero concludere una riflessione storica su ciò che il
fascismo ha  rappresentato, quale prima espressione politica compiuta della
visione del  mondo sovrumanista, e fare il punto da cui gettare lo sguardo
sul secolo  appena concluso in funzione dell'avvenire che vogliamo crearci.]

*Also consider that Stefano constantly refers to Giorgio Locchi, and often
recommends his texts and books to the new members of the italian
mailing list*.

His fierce criticism toward democracy, equality and human rights (see
http://www.orionlibri.com/include/showart.php?idart=820 and
http://www.uomo-libero.com/index.php?url=%2Farticolo.php%3Fid%3D315&hash=)
is very worrying, specially if considered together with his idea of
society/community divided in castes, his fad for indo-european ethnicity
(see http://www.italiasociale.org/libri/libri110706-3.html and
http://it.altermedia.info/cultura/biopolitica-una-traccia_3246.html ), and
the use of new technologies in a conflicting scenario among different
communities.

Finally, I already warned the WTA leaders that it is not wise to restrict
the comments about Stefano Vaj just to what he says in the mailing lists.
There are a lot of relevant sources in order to better understand Vaj's
actual thoughts, that is:

- the books and articles he wrote (and I tried to give you an idea in this
email).
- the publishers of his books (small fascist publishers, sold by the fascist
bookshop *Orionlibri*:
LedeAkropolis<http://www.orionlibri.com/index.php?page=showbyid&idn=820>and
Editrice
Barbarossa <http://www.libroelibri.com/barbarossa.htm> - note that
"Operation Barbarossa" was the code name for german invasion of Russia).
- the journals where he publishes his articles (i.e.
http://www.uomo-libero.com/, notorious extreme right journal and "think
tank")
- the websites which reproduces his articles and quote and review his books
(one for all, the already mentioned "*Italia Sociale, the national socialist
bimonthly*": http://www.italiasociale.org/libri/libri110706-3.html).

If you perform a google search ("Stefano Vaj") you will find, for example, -
and aside from Biopolitica - Stefano's article "For a total ethnic
self-defence<http://www.uomo-libero.com/index.php?url=%2Farticolo.php%3Fid%3D298&hash=>",
or his already mentioned book fiercy critical against human rights,
democracy and equality<http://www.orionlibri.com/include/showart.php?idart=820>
(at
the moment strangely offline <http://www.dirittidelluomo.com/>), or the
already mentioned foreword to text of Locchi
<http://www.uomo-libero.com/index.php?url=%2Farticolo.php%3Fid%3D324&hash=>(a
notorious fascist), or a review of his last book Biopolitica
<http://www.italiasociale.org/libri/libri110706-3.html>written by a well
known waffen SS admirer and Ahmadinejad supporter (specially when the
iranian president talks about the holocaust) on a nazi (national socialist)
website, or a notice of one of his lecture at a fascist association
<http://www.associazioneedera.org/archivio_documenti1.htm>on a
well-know fascist
website<http://kaliyuga.blog.excite.it/archive/category/Appuntamenti_&_iniziative>,
or his interview casted on the fascist radio bandiera
nera<http://radiobandieranera.vivamafarka.com/>("black flag radio"),
or one of his article on
Orion <http://www.centrostudilaruna.it/forum/viewtopic.php?p=358>, a fascist
and anti-american journal, and so on. *But - and this is the problem - among
these questionable and embarassing query results now you can find that the
same Stefano Vaj is also.. national secretary of the Italian Transumanist
Association!*

Besides, particularly noteworthy is Stefano usual "accusation" against his
adversaries to be "Christians", as he knows that there are a lot of
transhumanists who (I think correctly) criticize Christianism. But this is a
strategy based on misinterpretation and mischaracterization. In fact, those
who cannot read italian need to be advised that Stefano Vaj  suggests a
quite odd "genealogic reconstruction": he thinks that human rights,
enlightenment, democracy, equality, liberalism and socialism are all the
"secular face" of the "judaeo-christian" religion (that is, they're all the
products of the "judaic principle" which corrupted and perverted the old
(indo)european "sovrumanist principle" .

Now, it isn't clear yet if he criticize the formers because he hate the
latter, or viceversa. But - that being stated - it's anyway clear that his
"accusation" to be "christian" actually (and paradoxically) can be often
interpreted as a genuine compliment (of course, if you're an advocate of
human rights, democracy, equality, enlightenment, liberalism or socialism).

Finally, consider that in Europe it is a well known tactics by extreme-right
wingers to seek a common field with the Left, usually presenting themselves
as anti-zionist and anti-imperialist, and preaching the "end" of the "old"
political labels and divisions - while infiltrating any Left organization
that allows them in. If you could read italian, I would suggest you this
illuminating text entitled "No-global Fascists":
http://files.meetup.com/508445/i_fascisti_noglobal.pdf .

But anyway you can easily realize Stefano's real attitude and willingness to
manipulate looking at his own unequivocal words
(Biopolitica<http://www.biopolitica.it/biop-testo%28all%29.html>
):

«*Besides, in the biopolitical field several subjects can be read in
different ways, which fascist regimes didn't fail to exploit
propagandistically and tactically, playing on the internal contradiction of
the humanist tendency*, which is culturally dominant. Crimes linked to
abortion and birth control propaganda included in the "Rocco Code" [the
Italian penal code enacted during fascism and still in force, although
heavily amended] (significantly comprised under a title referred to the
"race integrity"), are obviously consistent with a policy aimed at
preserving and expanding our own referential community's demographic, but at
the same time they also meet traditional catholic views. Equally, *using
sterilization or euthanasia in order to minimize the persistence and the
spread of dysgenic characteristics can be also defended and promoted on the
basis of "humanitarian", hedonistic and fundamentally individualistic
considerations (the ones today upholden by the Radical Party), **which
represent the exact opposite of our new values*.»

[«D'altronde, in campo biopolitico vari temi sono suscettibili di letture
diverse, che i regimi fascisti non hanno mancato di sfruttare
propagandisticamente e tatticamente, magari facendo leva sulle
contraddizioni interne della tendenza umanista comunque culturalmente
dominante. La previsione di reati connessi all'aborto e alla propaganda
della contraccezione nel Codice Rocco (espressivamente ricompresi sotto un
titolo che fa espresso riferimento alla "sanità della stirpe"), sono
ovviamente coerenti con una politica volta al mantenimento ed allo sviluppo
della demografia della comunità di riferimento, ma si trovano anche a
soddisfare tradizionali posizioni cattoliche (...). Similmente, l'uso della
sterilizzazione o dell'eutanasia per limitare il perpetuarsi e la
propagazione di caratteristiche suppostamente disgeniche ben può essere
difeso e promosso anche in rapporto a considerazioni di tipo "umanitario",
edonista e fondamentalmente individualista (quali quelle oggi avanzate dal
Partito Radicale), che rappresentano il contrario esatto dei nuovi valori
anche su tale piano affermati.»]

Please consider that the liberal and libertarian Radical Party is probably
the most popular party among italian transhumanists, and then please note:
Stefano verbatim says that that party upholds the *exact opposite* of his
sovrumanist values!

All is written, all is available, but apparently almost nobody want to read
it. Yet his strategy is quite clear: *he's "tactically exploiting" some
temporary convergences in order to attain his sovrumanist goals.*

So we need to ask ourselves: given that we all want a "posthuman" future, if
we were forced to chose between a sovrumanist posthuman future – where the
individual is totally subdued to his community (that is to the cleptocratic
elite self-appointed as the only "Volksgeist" interpreter), where the
reproductive technologies are used in order to replicate the indoeuropean
three-castes order, where the abortion is not a right but sometimes can be a
"due" because of demographic goals – and a non-posthuman future, which one
would we chose?

After knowing better Vaj's thought, I definitely opt for the second: this is
why I think that even to collaborate *now* with him could be devastating:
Stefano Vaj actually could be more dangerous than many antitranshumanists.

Regards,
Giancarlo, Italy
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.extropy.org/pipermail/extropy-chat/attachments/20080304/02401fbb/attachment.html>