Thema

Hans-Joachim Lenger: Holografische Kriege. Zur »Echtzeit« des Objekts

Thorsten Loch: Zur Rolle der Medien in asymmetrischen Konflikten. Militärgeschichte und Medienwissenschaften im Fokus

(Summary: This contribution addresses the interactions between the media and war that have increasingly commanded the attention of the interested public as well as the academic world in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks and subsequent interventions of state alliances from the West in Afghanistan and Iraq. Researchers from the fields of military history, media and communications studies, and political science are involved in exploring this interplay. The need for interdisciplinary approaches to the issues involved becomes apparent if we recognize that acts of violence perpetrated in asymmetric conflicts can be interpreted as communicative acts.)

Aufsätze:

Ralf M. Damitz: Prekarität. Genealogie einer Problemdiagnose

(Summary: Since the early 1980s terms like precarious or precariousness featured prominently in the social sciences. These terms express a specific sort of social transformation: the main aspects of this transformation are the spreading of social insecurity and the changes regarding the core of societal structure. This article attempts to construct a genealogy of the problem of precariousness by drawing a line from early hints (e.g. found inMarx or Geiger) to current discussions on social exclusion, vulnerability and precarious transformations in the forms of labour. A special focus is set on the awareness regarding social problems.)

Till Bastian: Scham und Gewalt, autotelisch

(Summary: Shame in contrast to fear or disgust – is a political emotion, in that it can only emerge in the context of an interpersonal relationship, even if the relationship in question is merely imagined. Frequently, an unequal distribution of power forms the framework for actions that evoke humiliation and these can in turn be employed purposefully to affirm or enforce power. In such instances, acts that engender humiliation – which may be ritualized – are not infrequently linked to acts of violence.)

In der Literaturbeilage sichtet Jan Süselbeck Literatur zum Thema und entdeckt in ihr »Traumprotokolle vergessener Geschichte«, wie etwa in einer Arbeit von Rainer Rutz über die in mehrere Sprachen übersetzte und in hoher Auflage euro-paweit vertriebene NS-Zeitschrift »Signal«.

Aus gegebenem Anlass ist Richard Rortys in der Zeit vom 18. März 2004 erschienener Kommentar »Feind im Visier« zum Kampf gegen den Terror, mit dem die »westlichen Demokratien die Grund-lagen ihrer Freiheit gefährden«, in dieser Ausgabe noch einmal nachzulesen.