Yes, the Alt-Right publishing house Arktos has had their Kickstarter suspended. What nefarious plans were these villainous racist scum planning? Pamphlets on how best to oppress minorities perhaps? Maybe instructions on the best way to terrorize people of color? A global plan to smash "International Jewry?" Nope, turns out it was just an attempt to translate a 20th century philosopher who inspired H.P. Lovecraft and others of a Traditionalist bent.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kickstarter Shuts Down Evola Bookfunding Campaign <a href="https://t.co/tZCbdsbWH2">https://t.co/tZCbdsbWH2</a></p>— Preston S. Brooks (@Rebel_Bill) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rebel_Bill/status/919566375370108935?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Philosopher Baron Evola wrote, among others, Revolt against the Modern. For whatever vague reasons not offered by Kickstarter, this project was a breach of "community guidelines." Wait, seriously, Kickstarter? So is it no translations at all or just philosophy translations. What if I wanted to translate Neruda or (God forbid) that quasi-fascist Japanese author Yukio Mishima? Despite raising over half the targeted goal of $9000 dollars within the first 24 hours, Arktos' crew found their Kickstarter shut down. What's worse, they were locked out and couldn't even message the attempted backers with the new fundraising link. Speaking of which, the fundraiser is <a href="https://goyfundme.com/projects/julius-evola-and-the-rebirth-of-radical-traditionalism/">still running at GoyFundMe</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kickstarter suspended our Evola campaign after raising 50% in one day, but we're back. Apparently, books by… <a href="https://t.co/QDcnCPv2tl">https://t.co/QDcnCPv2tl</a></p>— Daniel Friberg (@Daniel_Friberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/Daniel_Friberg/status/919556503463489537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Evola was considered a Traditionalist philosopher and despite some great interest through the decades in his work, many of his works have never been published in the English language. Arktos had planned to publish The Mask and the Face of Contemporary Spiritualism, The Myth of the Blood, The Bow and the Club and Recognitions. Baron Julius Evola (1898-1974) was an Italian philosopher born in Rome. His books are considered quintessential to the Traditionalist school of thought. The folks at Alt-Right.com are taking the latest shutdown as a sign it's time to <a href="https://thegoldwater.com/news/6691-Pax-Dickinson-and-Baked-Alaska-Alt-Right-Infrastructure-Necessary-to-Protect-Free-Speech">set up alternative forms of infrastructure</a> to ensure against continued monkey wrenching by the Silicon Valley giants they're up against.
Regardless of where you stand politically, I personally think it is a great shame that a literary and academic undertaking of this nature is suppressed. Just wait another generation and they may erase Heidegger from the history of philosophy as well. If, that is, philosophy as an art and practice manages to survive at all in this Brave New World we have entered.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"If one's different, one's bound to be lonely."<br>Brave New World/John the savage</p>— Gustaf Retzius (@Retzius14) <a href="https://twitter.com/Retzius14/status/865182942452121600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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