How Liberty Dies: The Politics of Star Wars

"So this is how liberty dies: with thunderous applause."

-Padme Amidala

both the prequels and ep6 could have been so much better just by cutting stuff out that doesnt contribute anything good to the overall story

the writing was kinda poor as well a lot of times

but i do like some aspects of the prequels and more so than the ot

its kinda a shame that overall i cannot like them, and sw as a whole as well

but there were definitely aspects of it that i really do like which this essay captures pretty well

Its funny how they put real life in movies and most u guys just think its a movie so u think its just entertaining until u realized ww3 has started and its just like how that movies is

In 2024, this reminds me too much of a certain person, named after an instrument, who has both of his ears

I can accept the first three movies and then the prequals...the rest didn't happen in my universe.

The Empire mirrors the Nazi party.

Dooku is Roger Stone but worse

Watched this video when it was uploaded, come back to watch it every couple months. Great piece as always!

People get tired of the same old same old spiel from politicians, and in their desperation the reach out to a figure that says only they can fix it, and since they are not a politician, that somehow convinces them that he is the one to cure all.... ignoring the fact that the individual is a POS , lying orange criminal conman 'businessman' . Seems familiar?

Nice video. It was a little longer than it needed to be to make the point. And the only other thing I didn't agree with was the idea that liberty dies when democracy dies. Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what's for dinner. Thus democracy is antithetical to liberty. Equality under the law, even if you're in the minority and a society based on volunteerism is the only way to sustain liberty. If it's not voluntary, it's tyranny.

This is the democratic creed.

It's insane how applicable the situation of the later stage of the republic is to almost all western "liberal democracies". People don't realize how much they cheer for the same fashists and populists in our world, who they so much despise in the movies...

who made the subtitles on this video? they are WILDLY inaccurate, your job is not to rewrite what is being said in the video. its to subtitle it.

2024, Mexico is going through this exact same process

Listen to this music here
Me: Sir Yes Sir

To be fair its a Republic, but its more like the Roman One,

Asoka's speech is incorrect, there are no avenues for people to hold corrupt officials to account in a lot of western democracies so corruption can flourish. It's an idealistic speech but rarely works in practice.

It is a classic story for humanity; most of our ancient conflicts and power grabs were over trade and controlling the trade routes.

The risk is that those that have power (move the money,) increasingly take positions of political power instead of staying in their lane as part of the economy.

Amazing video. Thank you so much brother. 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

That’s Israel

since the Jedi order are nearly wiped out,
shoulda hadda side arc of Mace being
alive w/ amnesia. 18Sept'24

18Sept'24,Fives' plot armor is spectacular.
whining Anakin doesn't get the chip,while
gaining loathing of the Jedi. jeezsh!

It was not the political story it was the horrible writing and acting. People will love it if it’s well written. Andor and Rogue one prove this

Awesome vid! Really enjoyed how comprehensive it was - I'm sure that must have been quite difficult to pull off.

To put the corruption of the Republic into context imagine if Amazon in act of protest against having to pay higher taxes deploys a fleet of milatry vessels to blockade Puerto Rico and when the leader of Puerto Rico goes to the senate a comity is appointed to solve this.

What a masterful analysis. When I was a kid and introduced to Star Wars through seeing The Phantom Menace on TV, all I knew was that lightsabers were awesome. The original trilogy is a simple tale of good vs. evil and redemption of family. The prequels make it so much more complex. I originally found the politics boring. However if you pay attention it is the reason for the whole story. When George Lucas created Star Wars, nobody could have realized how large it would become. The prequels all for input into the overall story that was greatly needed.

I'm about to rewatch this for the 3rd time

In the prequels it showed how the seeds of deception was shown little by little until there was not point of return. The republic elected a person who should of never been trusted. It’s really something that the mistakes of the past where left up to Anakin’s children to bring the republic, democracy, and order to the galaxy.

A lot of people in this comment section are making very apt comparisons between the fall of the Star Wars Republic and that of the Roman Republic. The only bone I would have to pick with the comparison is the end result. While yes, both systems end up with power concentrated in the hands of a single person, I think it is very clear that Palpatine is pretty straight evil where Augustus doesn’t strike me as such.

Personally, I think that Rome was better served by an imperial system (at least in the aftermath of the republic) even if just to maintain the stability of the system rather than devolve into rival political/military leaders.

The fall of the Star Wars Republic feels far more tragic because a democratic system could work in a time and place with comparable features (morals, level of education, speed of communication etc.) to our own.

All in all, I don’t think the fall of the Roman Republic was all that tragic - life for the average person probably didn’t change all that much pre/post Augustus . But in Star Wars, the fall of the Republic causes massive loss, at the very least in terms of political power for the average citizen of the galaxy.

Dope

Phenomenal

I love how foreigners of other countries try to relate everything with America Bad so screw all Americans. This crap is leftist trash.

wow such a awesome Video i disagree on one singualr point tho
when Padme talked about the People:
Sacrifises have to be made in war times you cant end a war bc familys starve
we talk about a enemy that doesnt care

The problem with the republic is that it didn't evolve to fit the reality of its size. The government of a republic of ten planets can't look the same if it is a republic of 1000 planets. It is going to be inefficient and will not serve the needs of the citizens. Aniken saw this when he said the republic doesn't work. The Jedi, on the other hand, didn't care if it didn't work as long as their position wasn't threatened. They were just as much to blame.

Hey look, it's what happened in México today

Anakin sounds like John Cena

Star wars went from a critique of the Vietnam War to a staple in sci-fi cinema. It's honestly amazing.

Yes! Thank you... for bringing more credibility to Canon. Not this Headland BS! WTF were you thinking Disney!

I think the brilliance of the prequels is that for as much joy as the end of the OT brings, this trilogy brongs just as much dread. I think youre right that its closeness to our real-world politics, especially now, is what causes that dread. I really think the politics of these movies were done brilliantly and will never understand the initial pushback on that aspect (granted I am a Social Studies teacher that nerds out about that stuff though).

Terrific video!! Well thought out and researched!! Kudos!!🎉 may the force be ever with you..

The very reason he started with episodes 4,5, &6 is because he thought the politics of episode 1 would be too much of a barrier to mass audience entry into the franchise.
That said I don't know how anyone could miss the fact in A New Hope( 4) theyre in a rebellion against an empire.

What if Darth Vader traveled back in time? It would be just before the Battle of Reingo Veda and after Fives' death wrote on How Liberty Dies, pointing out how the Republic Senate and Jedi Order were faulty leaving out personal information. While he would remember what happened and what he did, and not wanting to repeat them, he left the Jedi Order with his writing. On Jehda, he would fashion armor based on the Sith Warrior of the Old Republic but wears a helmet similar to Revan's. Quinlin Vos would shadow him while reporting to the Council. Soon as Anakin found Ventress and proposed to assassinate Dooku, the Council sends Vos to help them but also spy on Anakin. Obi-Wan reads the book, and the lines he read "...the Jedi were conspiraters in their own downfall. For all their preaching against reckless forming attachments, they ban usage of the Dark side out of fear of loosing their power. Lost in the past, failing to adapt to the changing times, they deserve to fall and are destined to do so, regardless of Sidious' machinations." This caused a divide among the Council but Yoda entertains the possibilty that Anakin is right and leaves Windu and Plo Koon in charge of the Council and the Order while he goes to look for answers on Dagobah, much earlier than he originally did