War Games? The Military-Industrial Complex and the Future of Warfare

Comment: Prof. Dr. Markus Kienscherf
Moderated by Dr. Tine Hanrieder

A critical exploration of the military-industrial complex inspired by the detective work of Walter Benjamin: The experimental documentary Project Z (written and produced by James Der Derian) takes us back to the future, to find the original maps for a new world order after the Cold War. Combining rare footage from inside the war machine with corrosive commentary by leading critics of global violence, injustice, and inequality, Project Z is a dystopian warning that war, video and language games already anticipate the final global event.

James Der Derian is Michael Hintze Chair of International Security Studies and Director of the Centre for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney. He is not only a leading theorist of International Relations, but also a successful documentary film maker. Among his publications are On Diplomacy: A Genealogy of Western Estrangement (1987), Antidiplomacy: Spies, Terror, Speed, and War (1992); Global Voices: Dialogues in International Relations (with others) (1993); and, Virtuous War: Mapping the Military-Industrial-Media-Entertainment Network (2001; 2nd edition, 2009). His most recent book is a collection of selected essays, titled Critical Practices of International Relations: Selected Essays (2009).

Markus Kienscherf is Assistant Professor at the John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies at the Free University Berlin.

Tine Hanrieder is Research Fellow of the Research Unit Global Governance at the WZB.