Buchkritik - "Die Fliege. Versuch über ein politisches Tier" von Davide Giuriato
Summary
Michael Opitz reviews Davide Giuriato’s book, which explores the fly as a political animal through literary and historical anecdotes. The discussion highlights how flies symbolize the disruption of power dynamics, citing examples from the Bible to Barack Obama’s infamous encounter with an insect. Giuriato argues that the fly’s nomadic, rebellious nature makes it a unique metaphor for political instability and resistance.
Topics discussed
Introduction to the book and guest Michael Opitz
Why the fly is considered a political animal
The story of Obama swatting a fly in the White House
The biblical story of King Nimrod and the fly
Giuriato's methodology and Walter Benjamin's influence
Elias Canetti, 'Masse und Macht', and the Holocaust
Why the fly specifically? Nomadism and rebellion
Conclusion and book details
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