Saga politics and Star Wars

Hi, I'm new to these threads, but thought I'd help kickstart a new line of discussion. I'm interested in the politics of Star Wars. I have a blog where I post analysis of political issues in the saga using political science research. Hopefully this thread can serve as a forum for discussion. Also, feel free to check it out at https://www.facebook.com/poliscijedi

 

There was some book I looked at briefly (forgot which one it was), and it mentioned something about the Core Worlds wielding disproportionate power and influence in the Republic for most of its history...don't remember much else though.

 

Was it fiction or non-fiction?

 

Oh wait, are we talking about real-life politics? I thought this was about fictional in-universe politics.

 

Sorry, it is fiction I was just asking if the book you mentioned was one of the novels or if it was perhaps one of the sourcebooks, such as the Essential Guides

 

Yeah it was one of the Essential Guides, but for the life of me I can't remember which one.

 

Hmm... sounds like the essential Atlas. Definitely makes sense that the Core worlds have most of the power. In the Original Trilogy Lucas didn't really make that distinction, but in the Prequels it played a big role. For some reason, I have a feeling the Sequels will take place more towards the Outer Rim again, with some stops on Coruscant.

 

Yeah, but this Essential Atlas really went into a lot of detail with it...I was pretty impressed.

 

Welcome to the boards.
On one level, you can view these movies (or their politics) within the context of the 1960s. Clearly Lucas is a product of certain aspects of the Counter-Culture that was happening in Northern California at the time and Vietnam had to have made an impression. The theme of nationalism and the challenges of guerrilla warfare is prevalent in the movies--from the Ewoks to the Gungans to the Wookiees. The concept that the technologically inferior natives could repel empires and sophisticated armies can trace a lineage to Vietnam. Of course, Vietnam is only the contemporary example of this. The idea of one man rebelling against an empire or a society (a theme addressed in THX 1138) might tie into the narrative of the counter-culture. Some of these ideas could be seen as part of the Counter-Culture but they also reflect the maverick that is George Lucas. His rebellion against Hollywood and the studios and his own personal/professional journey mirrors that hero's journey that he created for the films. It's fair to say you can analogize almost anything in SW to certain historical incidents and conflicts. The movies cover geo-political struggles, so there are plenty of comparisons to be made.

At the same time, Lucas is this ultimate student of Joseph Campbell, mythology and history. In creating a galactic Hero with a Thousand Faces, Lucas is attempting to (re)tell us a timeless story where all of the archetypes and arcs are firmly rooted and ingrained in our social consciousness. Viewed in this way, he isn't attempting to make much of a political statement. He is merely holding a mirror and showing us the same stories we've been telling ourselves for thousands of years.

 

one of the best thing i loved about star wars are the politics it like c-span with aliens
but i always had a questions regarding the politics in the star wars universe
1. during the old republic era what other non-republic affiliated organizations existed other than corporate sector, hutts, and the CIS
i also found that many of palatine polices during the empire do some para ells to real life strong men

 

The movies only cover an ideological struggle. They barely talk about resources ans precious minerals.