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GIORGIO AGAMBEN - NO TO BIO-POLITICAL TATTOOING

The newspapers leave no doubt: from now on whoever wants to go to the n!te" #tates w!th a v!sa w!ll $e p%t

on f!le an" w!ll have to leave the!r f!ngerpr!nts when the& enter the 'o%ntr&( Personall&) I have no !ntent!on ofs%$m!tt!ng m&self to s%'h pro'e"%res an" that*s wh& I "!"n*t wa!t to 'an'el the 'o%rse I was s%ppose" to tea'h

at New +or, n!vers!t& !n Mar'h(

I wo%l" l!,e to epla!n the reasons for th!s ref%sal here) that !s) wh&) !n sp!te of the s&mpath& that has

'onne'te" me to m& Amer!'an 'olleag%es an" the!r st%"ents for man& &ears) I 'ons!"er that th!s "e'!s!on !s at

on'e ne'essar& an" w!tho%t appeal an" wo%l" hope that !t w!ll $e share" $& other E%ropean !ntelle't%als an"

tea'hers(

It*s not onl& the !mme"!ate s%perf!'!al rea't!on to a pro'e"%re that has long $een !mpose" on 'r!m!nals an"

pol!t!'al defendants. If !t were onl& that) we wo%l" 'erta!nl& $e morall& a$le to share) !n sol!"ar!t&) the

h%m!l!at!ng 'on"!t!ons to wh!'h so man& h%man $e!ngs are s%$.e'te"(

The essent!al "oes not l!e there( The pro$lem e'ee"s the l!m!ts of personal sens!t!v!t& an" s!mpl& 'on'erns

the .%r!"!'al-pol!t!'al stat%s /!t wo%l" $e s!mpler) perhaps) to sa& $!o-pol!t!'al0 of '!t!1ens of the so-'alle"

"emo'rat!' states where we l!ve(

There has $een an attempt the last few &ears to 'onv!n'e %s to a''ept as the h%mane an" normal "!mens!ons

of o%r e!sten'e) pra't!'es of 'ontrol that ha" alwa&s $een properl& 'ons!"ere" !nh%mane an" e'ept!onal(

Th%s) no one !s unaware that the 'ontrol eer'!se" $& the state thro%gh the %sage of ele'tron!' "ev!'es) s%'h

as 're"!t 'ar"s or 'ell phones) has rea'he" prev!o%sl& %n!mag!na$le levels(

 All the same) !t wo%l"n*t $e poss!$le to 'ross 'erta!n thresholds !n the 'ontrol an" man!p%lat!on of $o"!es

w!tho%t enter!ng a new $!o-pol!t!'al era) w!tho%t go!ng one step f%rther !n what M!'hel 2o%'a%lt 'alle" the

progress!ve an!mal!sat!on of man wh!'h !s esta$l!she" thro%gh the most soph!st!'ate" te'hn!3%es(

Ele'tron!' f!l!ng of f!nger an" ret!na pr!nts) s%$'%taneo%s tattoo!ng) as well as other pra't!'es of the same t&pe)

are elements that 'ontr!$%te towar"s "ef!n!ng th!s threshol"( The se'%r!t& reasons that are !nvo,e" to .%st!f&

these meas%res sho%l" not !mpress %s: the& have noth!ng to "o w!th !t( 4!stor& tea'hes %s how pra't!'es f!rst

reserve" for fore!gners f!n" themselves appl!e" later to the rest of the '!t!1enr&(

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5hat !s at sta,e here !s noth!ng less than the new 6normal6 $!o-pol!t!'al relat!onsh!p $etween '!t!1ens an" the

state( Th!s relat!on no longer has an&th!ng to "o w!th free an" a't!ve part!'!pat!on !n the p%$l!' sphere) $%t

'on'erns the enrollment an" the f!l!ng awa& of the most pr!vate an" !n'omm%n!'a$le aspe't of s%$.e't!v!t&: I

mean the $o"&*s $!olog!'al l!fe(

These te'hnolog!'al "ev!'es that reg!ster an" !"ent!f& na,e" l!fe 'orrespon" to the me"!a "ev!'es that 'ontrol

an" man!p%late p%$l!' spee'h: $etween these two etremes of a $o"& w!tho%t wor"s an" wor"s w!tho%t a

$o"&) the spa'e we on'e %pon a t!me 'alle" pol!t!'s !s ever more s'ale"-"own an" t!n&(

Th%s) $& appl&!ng these te'hn!3%es an" these "ev!'es !nvente" for the "angero%s 'lasses to a '!t!1en) or

rather to a h%man $e!ng as s%'h) states) wh!'h sho%l" 'onst!t%te the pre'!se spa'e of pol!t!'al l!fe) have ma"e

the person the !"eal s%spe't) to the po!nt that !t*s h%man!t& !tself that has $e'ome the "angero%s 'lass(

#ome &ears ago) I ha" wr!tten that the 5est*s pol!t!'al para"!gm was no longer the '!t& state) $%t the

'on'entrat!on 'amp) an" that we ha" passe" from Athens to A%s'hw!t1( It was o$v!o%sl& a ph!losoph!'al thes!s)

an" not h!stor!' re'!tal) $e'a%se one 'o%l" not 'onf%se phenomena that !t !s proper) on the 'ontrar&) to

"!st!ng%!sh(

I wo%l" have l!,e" to s%ggest that tattoo!ng at A%s'hw!t1 %n"o%$te"l& seeme" the most normal an" e'onom!'

wa& to reg%late the enrolment an" reg!strat!on of "eporte" persons !nto 'on'entrat!on 'amps( The $!o-pol!t!'al

tattoo!ng the n!te" #tates !mposes now to enter !ts terr!tor& 'o%l" well $e the pre'%rsor to what we w!ll $e

as,e" to a''ept later as the normal !"ent!t& reg!strat!on of a goo" '!t!1en !n the state*s gears an" me'han!sms(

That*s wh& we m%st oppose !t(

Bobliography

http://www.egs.edu/faculty/giorgio-agamben/articles/no-to-bio-political-

tattooing#