STAR WARS HAS always been political, no matter what the MAGA types who cosplay as Imperial agents and scream about Disney shoving diversity into “their Star Wars” say.
The original trilogy showed a band of anti-imperialist fighters going up against a vicious pan-galactic state — based, according to its creator George Lucas, on the Vietnam War, with the Viet Cong “rebels” going up against the United States “Empire.”
The prequels showed the transformation of the Galactic Republic into the Galactic Empire of the original trilogy. In 2018, during Donald Trump’s first administration, James Cameron interviewed Lucas about Star Wars’ anti-authoritarian messaging, highlighting a line spoken by Senator Padmé Amidala as Emperor Palpatine declares that the Republic is now an Empire: “So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause.”
Lucas sold Star Wars to Disney in 2012 and hasn’t been involved in production since then, but Andor, the new series set in the universe, doubles down on its anti-authoritarian roots, focusing on the creation of the revolutionary Rebel Alliance. In the process, it gives us a glimpse into the messiness and conflict that often accompanies building a movement on the left, as activists fight over which political philosophies and strategies work best.
So the left should start blowing things up and stealing weapons?
Where can we pick up some fighters and bombers cheap and can we keep them next to the Mayan pyramids?
Probably should have started about 9 years ago.
I don’t know if you meant to do this, but that’s literally part of the show. The people on this planet waited too long to stand up, but they still have to. Because they waited too long they’re almost all going to die, but they’ll at least die martyrs and get others to stand up before it’s too late for them.
I’m sorry did you say 24 years ago?
At that point, non-violence was an option. Unfortunately, when given both options, Americans chose “neither, we’re fine, and fuck you for being an alarmist.”