The New Sparta:
Mythmaking, Masculinity and Managerialism in US Navy Seals Memoirs

In English with simultaneous German translation.

Drawing on a large body of memoirs, novels, and military histories written by and about the Navy Seals, Laleh Khalili reflects on the neo-Spartan mythmaking so prevalent in these writings, with their identical narrative arcs, heroic endpoints, hyper-masculine bellicosity, and the neoliberal ideologies embedded therein. These texts are exemplary documents of their time, illuminating the politics of past events, the possibilities of violence into the future, and the startling popularity and continuity of U.S. military adventurism overseas. These narratives also laud unfettered capitalist accumulation, celebrate militarism, and subtly reinforce deeply right-wing gendered, racial, and national politics.

In English with simultaneous German translation. Headphones will be provided. A valid photo ID (or alternatively € 20) must be presented as a security deposit.

In addition to lectures and music, the exhibition Dry, featuring works by photographer Abdo Shanan, will be on view during the Edward W. Said Days in the foyer of the Barenboim-Said Akademie.