Bush is too Stupid for the Sith

There's an interesting sub-text to the Star Wars saga that is currently rattling a lot of cages and causing quite a clamor. I'm speaking of the transformation of a Republic, as the Star Wars Universe represents in Episode I, into a Totalitarian Empire, as we find young Skywalking living in Episode IV. The mumbling from some reviewers is that Lucas is taking a jab at Bush and his handling of National Security since 9/11 and more specifically our illeagal Iraqi invasion. Before I continue, for the best writen peice on this topic, just read the this link to the Wahshington Post. Now, if you're at all interested on my take on the subject, feel free to read on. My initial idea was to just plagerize this Post article, but I don't think CNN would put me on their fine "news" network for simple plagerism.

First and foremost, you have to realize that this story A) was written in the early 1970's and B) is archatypal. Bush was too stoned in the '70's to have any plans of any kind not related to potatoe chips however he is certainly not above repeating the mistakes of the past. What Lucas is attempting to convey is specifically how a self governed people can freely give up their government to a single individual. The key idea is that the majority of people cannot lose the power to an individual, but the certainly can give it away.

Next, you have to realize that in order to get from point B, which is the start of Episode I (released in 1999), to point A which is the start of Episode IV (released in 1977), there are certain checkpoints that must be crossed. This is the case whether you're examining the rise of the Third Reich, the rise of the Village Idiot, or the rise of Emperor Palpatine. Those checkpoints include (but ate clearly not limited to) a culture of fear, a governing body willing to exert itself outside it's domain in the interest of self preservation and a people willing to vote in the idiot. Obviously, I've only listed the 3 main check points that you common in the 3 examples I provided. There are other things needed that I believe are missing, and first and foremost among them is the lack of a populace willing to die for the cause of the Idiot. We're not willing to pay $2.50 for a tank of gas for him, you think this party is still going to be in office when they announce they're going to have to set up a draft!?!?!?

As an archetype, Star Wars is merely a cautionary tale for any group of people in any point in time in history. Obviously, the Me-centric general populace of the USA aren't going to figure it out forthemselves without seeing it up on the big screen and then have the dots connected for them by a semi-intelligent reviewer. I take issue with the idea that Star Wars is a politically motivated, snit-Bush film. Mainly because Palpatine would never be dumb enough to have a hoard of Lemmings chant his name and then turn around and say he's going to reform their social security. But also becasue I think that trivializes not only the scope of the film but the important checkpoint we find ourselves at in the course of American History.

Now, as Bush's Republican cronies are in the process of reducing the power of the Senate, I would not be against someone pointing to Star Wars and saying, "Hey, this is the next step: some evil dude with Jame Earl Jones's voice running around putting the force strangle hold on people that disagree with him." That's OK because that's how you properly use and archetype. If only we had Yoda.