Bill Rice, Brownstone Institute, 1/4/24
I’m not as big a fanatic of the Star Wars movies as millions of fans are, but I still really liked the first three, which still resonate with new generations of fans decades later.
A few citizens might recognize that the plot of the first Star Wars trilogy is eerily similar to events of recent years.
The Evil Empire, led by the evil emperor and his key enforcer, Darth Vader, has (almost) taken control of the entire universe. Totalitarianism is now almost total.
The only resistance comes from a band of freedom-fighters embodied by Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, and their small group of underground fighters.
It seems there’s no way these freedom fighters can defeat the Evil Empire, which is simply too powerful and too ruthless to be defeated.
The might of the Evil Empire is most conspicuously displayed via a “Death Star,” which, as it turns out, has one tiny point of vulnerability.
If someone could score a direct hit on this target, he could destroy the Death Star and, with it, give the freedom fighters a major, war-changing victory.
Since this is Hollywood, the Good Guys (Yea, Luke!) do score that direct hit. Everyone leaves the movie theater feeling good that tyrannical forces didn’t win in the end.
(Call me naive, but I still think if our side could score one direct hit with the right “truth bomb,” all the other litany of Covid lies might quickly crumble.)
In observing the Star Wars phenomena, I’m struck by the fact so few fans have picked up on obvious similarities to our times.
In movies like the Star Wars films, the Bad Guys are often installing, expanding, or protecting a ruthless, liberty-eradicating regime. For their part, the Good Guys won’t surrender and display inspiring courage fighting a nefarious enemy that’s seeking greater control.
The analogy that Star Wars fans do NOT get is that the Evil Empire could be equated to the real rulers of the earth today. “The Resistance” might equate to the 10 percent of world citizens who are fighting back in the face of overwhelming odds.
Two questions: Why don’t more people see these parallels to our times? Why don’t more people understand who the Evil Empire really is…and who are really the Good Guys fighting back?
The Bad Guys Actually Camouflage Themselves as the Good Guys…
One obvious answer is that the Darth Vaders of our times don’t wear black armor like Darth Vader did.
It’s hard to identify the true villains when these leaders are, in fact, portrayed as the Good Guys.
In the Star Wars movies, George Lucas never made the point that the Evil Emperor and Darth Vader achieved their power because they were perceived as protecting the people of the universe.
As it turns out, in “the real world,” the Bad Guys are usually portrayed as the Good Guys.
In the Real World, according to conventional wisdom, Dr. Fauci, Bill Gates, the WEF, the UN, your local public health officials, all the college presidents and CEOs, the editors and publishers of the big news organizations…are all fighting a heroic battle to save everyone.
In the Real World, Darth Vader would be awarded Nobel Prizes and be feted as one of the most admired leaders in the galaxy.
In the Real World, the public might as well be saying: “God bless these people and organizations. Let’s all support them; let’s all do what they order us to do and let’s all fight back against those wacko ‘freedom’ nuts like Luke and Han.”
Anyway, one might think the tens of millions of people who love Star Wars movies might identify with Luke, but they are actually siding with Darth Vader’s program.
Takeaway: In the movies, filmgoers can easily identify the villains. In the real world, the villains are society’s heroes, the people who get and keep the most important jobs.
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