There’s this guy, one of the 40%+ that don’t vote, doesn’t know or care that much about politics, iraq, the Project for a New American Century. But he has grown up with Star Wars. He trundles off to catch the new flick, Episode III Revenge of the Sith. In an instant all changes.
“Star Wars” is strikingly relevant today. A key line that draws parallels to today occurs during a key confrontation between Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), accepting the role of Darth Vader, and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) his betrayed mentor. If you’re not with me, you are my enemy,” threatens the wayward Jedi, with his master responding, “Only a Sith deals in absolutes.” The democratic Republic, led by a poisoned Senate, hands over power to its Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, a Sith Lord known as Darth Sidious who empowers Darth Vader.
“When I wrote ‘Star Wars’, Iraq didn’t exist. We were just funding Saddam Hussein and giving him weapons of mass destruction, we weren’t worried about him,” said George Lucas yesterday at the press conference. And then he added, “The parallels between Vietnam and what we’re doing in Iraq now are unbelievable. I didn’t think it was going to get quite this close — I hope this doesn’t become true in our country. Maybe the film will wake people to see how easily a democracy can be subverted.”
