Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sycophant?

Commentary about George Lucas' latest hit, Star Wars III: The Revenge of the Sith and how it relates to contemporary politics.

I expected many big things from George Lucas in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, but I did not expect a loose allegory connecting the film to contemporary politics. Chancellor Palpatine a.k.a. Darth Sidious clearly represents the “dark side” of American politics—the Republican Party—along with his brainwashed sidekick Anakin/Darth Vader. I am not saying the situation has always been this way, but contemporary Republican presidents have advocated a stronger state with more security, and instead of reasoning and cooperating with the rest of the world or even the rest of the free world, these leaders (along with their Democrat counterparts) have chosen a path that I like to call ‘America First.’ This path has led to a U.S. dominated United Nations, a U.S. dominated IMF and World Bank and so on and so forth—doesn’t this sound a lot like the desires of Chancellor Palpatine, who wants “emergency powers” to control the Republic while it’s at war and intends to keep those powers during peace time? Doesn’t the dark lord’s overwhelming craving for centralization and “order” in the region turn your stomach while his sending of Anakin to crush the “separatists” reminds you of the neoconservative notion (and practice) of preemptive war?

If this is unconvincing, think about why Anakin joined the dark side in the first place. He did so professedly to safe his beloved Padme from death in childbirth. In other words, he sold out the Jedi, his friend and mentor Obi Wan and the entire galaxy for his wife’s life and security, a sacrifice she never asked him to make. He also slaughtered young Jedi and nearly killed Padme in a jealous rage. What does this paranoia and need for security sound like? It sounds like post-9/11 America.  Remember the wise words of Yoda in Episode I? The little Jedi council speech went something like this: “Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hatred, hatred leads to suffering. I sense much fear in Anakin.” Some people upon hearing this probably said “no shit,” but it is much more profound than it sounds when you think long and hard about where true suffering comes from—fear. We feared Middle Easterners post-9/11 to the point where some asshole beat up a taxi driver because he looked Middle Eastern. I used to scan the streets for bin Laden (though mostly because I wanted the reward money). We bought duct tape for our windows and built and sold bomb shelters that did nothing and protected us from nothing. We probably would have been dumb enough to betray our best friend, our morality and our life occupation (whether Jedi or otherwise) for more security to protect us from this presumed threat. Why did most people vote for Bush for a second term? I’ll tell you why—a lot of fearful citizens didn’t want a new president in a time of war.

The other, more domestic reason, was because a lot of people are still shaky on the whole gay rights/marriage issue (not that Kerry was that much of an advocate). I think it’s more than a bit convenient that Lucas chose female attachment as Anakin’s fatal flaw. Though, I must say, Anakin’s strangely close relationship with old-man Palpatine seemed borderline licentious considering the age differential. Tell me I’m wrong about this.

“If you’re not with me, you’re my enemy.” –Anakin to Obi Wan

If you’re not with us, you’re with the terrorists. –Bush to the world

If only the world were this simple.