Clone Wars and Cold Wars

The act of comparing fact and fiction is a complex process. As both elements act as fundamental portions of the overall human premise of understanding, the distinction between these lines for larger meanings becomes interesting. Historically, those who engage in conflict and emerge victorious seem to be able to control the nature of facts, which may even contain some textures of fiction. Through the lens of political comparison in media, perhaps one of the most prominent examples of these sections of fact and fiction interacting must be the Star Wars franchise. George Lucas’ Star Wars envelopes the political dichotomy and structures of politics that have been expressed all throughout history. The continued expansion and breakdown of the history of the Empire and the Republic also helps us understand more about the portions of real history that have interacted to create the modern globalized structure we know so well today. Through the lens of iconic works of fiction, we can learn more about the structures and means of comparative politics in the real world.

To understand how Star Wars acts as an accurate conduit for real world comparison, understanding George Lucas’ original vision is necessary. The political climate during the time the original trilogy was conceived was dark and dreary. In the post WWII era, the emergent superpowers of the world entered the Cold War. Lucas attempted to dissect political commentary in fantasy in order to lighten America’s mood. This discussion is furthered by Nick Desolge, in a collection of research papers surrounding Star Wars stating, “In the 1970s, the Cold War stalemate between democracy and communism had escalated into Vietnam. Richard Nixon resigned from office, and an economic crisis spurred by oil prices raised the unemployment rate to 9 percent in May of 1975. The public was scared of what could happen and needed a leader. George Lucas, director of Star Wars, saw these societal issues as a reason to give the public new hope— a modern-day fairy tale that would provide excitement and the security of the conservative, wholesome 1950s era set in the future. While popularly known to reference several film genres, including science fiction, samurai, Western, and even Arthurian myth, we can actually see Star Wars as a political movie as it reflects several historical aspects of the Cold War and eventually dictates the future direction of the war itself” (Brode and Deyneka 52). Fiction acted as a conduit for continuing to energize an extremely exhausted American public. While the heroic and familial focus of the original trilogy stands tall, it is also important to note that the franchise also acts as a warning to the potential fundamental flaws of our democracy. An analysis of the political implications of Star Wars highlights the focus of the franchise with how, “Lucas noted the tendency for republics to fail: All democracies turn into dictatorships— but not by coup. The people give their democracy to a dictator, whether it’s Julius Caesar or Napoleon or Adolf Hitler. Ultimately, the general population goes along with the idea. What kinds of things push people and institutions in this direction? That’s the issue I’ve been exploring: how did the Republic turn into the Empire? . . . How does a good person go bad, and how does a democracy become a dictatorship?” (Campbell and Gokcek 82). Through the lens of fiction George Lucas sought out to discuss and dissect the aspects of politics that cause democracies to fail. These focuses are tied directly to US historical global involvement, and their own domestic actions. As a movie series based on fantasy ideals, and proxy wars, there is no question as to why the allegories and ties to the Cold War, and criticism of democratic practices exist.

The two most iconic factions that exist throughout the entirety of the franchise to analyze are the Jedi, and the Sith. Both act as archetypal embodiments of good and evil, but heavier analysis of their motives reveals that they are not quite as clear cut. It is important to note that, “The Jedi are the protectors of the republic, as shown in the prequel trilogy. Although a quasi-religious order similar to the Shao-lin monks of China or the Knights Templar of the Crusades, and possessing sword skills and dress similar to the samurai class of Medieval Japan, their primary tasks are to keep the Force in balance and make sure that the republic remains in place. The Jedi Council operates as a collegial body, making decisions by consensus, though senior leaders such as Yoda and Mace Windu appear to have the most sway over their colleagues. Jedi leaders seem to agree with idealists such as Wilson that bad governments lead to war, and repeatedly express concern that the republic is not living up to its democratic values” (Campbell and Gokcek 89). This premise introduces you to the fictional Star Wars environment, and some of the fundamentals of its creation. As the Jedi order is comparable to religious bodies, their relation to the political system expressed by the Galactic Republic is comparable to how any classic civilization relied on religion and respected members’ intellect to complete any menial task. With a democracy, the deterioration of their efficiency can be related to the disillusion felt by common citizens, and members of other voting parties. Even though the Jedi are supposed to be viewed as the heroes, their flaws cause many of the situations they are trying to prevent to arise. Their unwillingness to adapt to the complex and diverse structures of the known galaxy causes the Sith to seize power and implement a total dictatorship.

The prequel trilogy tackles these topics, and so much more. The opening title crawl describes an ongoing taxation dispute causing a blockade on the planet Naboo. Naboo’s senator who is secretly an evil Sith, utilizes this political folly to get himself elected as the Galactic Republic Supreme Chancellor. This whole process throttles a situation in which, “The prequel trilogy unfolds as a parable of the destruction of a democracy. Lucas stated that ‘the democracies aren’t overthrown; they’re given away’ (Beckwith, 2017: 1– 5). The Galactic Republican leaders, like modern western democratic leaders, are obsessed with process, deal making, and maintenance of stability. They seem more interested in their own political careers and future political viability than in the public weal. Endless, seemingly pointless debates consume the Senate, as the government is incapable of imposing its will on the Trade Federation or locating the republic’s real foes” (Campbell and Gokcek 91). The Galactic Republic’s political body became so obsessed with solving things instantaneously, they never thought about the repercussions, or the potential consequences of making the wrong decision. Their past success caused them to become less thorough when it came to their focus of power. This caused them to be weak, or they just did not really care about the citizens they were elected to represent. This situation is quite similar to how, “The Soviet government came to power in the October Revolution of 1917, essentially a coup d’etat, because the ostensibly democratic provisional government was so weak. By 1928, Josef Stalin (1878– 1953) created a totalitarian state, based on widespread terror, a pervasive secret police, extensive use of propaganda, and control of most aspects of ordinary life, that is, job and housing assignments, education, and even approval of marriages” (Campbell and Gokcek 95). While the differences in time of operation are incredibly apparent, the dissolving of democracy is a primary element of both situations. Neither government stopped to ask about the longevity of their decisions, or the true value of the power they had. While the consequences of Palpatine achieving the highest seat are not fully seen until the end of Revenge of the Sith, the Galactic Republic’s democracy was given away before the proxy war they fought to sustain democracy even began.

During this war, the role of the Jedi became much more convoluted. Given the official role of peacekeepers, the roles they served as generals for the Clone Wars seems very counterintuitive, and that is because it is. This hypocrisy is reinforced by how, “Ahsoka Tano reminds her master, Anakin Skywalker, that the Jedi Knights are as much about peaceful, political negotiations as they are about leading clone troopers into battle” (McFarland 108). Their true results, however, are summarized by the statement, “Although The Clone Wars series revolves around the unfolding story of a galactic civil war, viewers encounter reminders that the Jedi Order favors peaceful resolution over armed conflict” (McFarland 107). The Jedi’s constant willingness to compromise in favor of promoting its ideals causes the republic’s sovereignty to continue to diminish. Bounty hunters, and pirates became constant players on either side, playing the Jedi’s appeasement to their advantage. The more and more the Galactic Republic’s power diminishes, the increasingly clear it became to the citizens that the government was failing. This situation is similar to the appeasement that European countries took prior to the start of WWII. Neville Chamberlain continually encouraged this, “unmitigated disaster” (“How Britain Hoped To Avoid War With Germany In The 1930s”). The allies' desperate attempts to avoid conflict resulted in one of the worst possible conflicts imaginable. This is exactly like what happened to the Galactic Republic because the Jedi’s blindness to the situation in the galaxy around them ultimately led to their demise. Where the allies were able to recover and reemerge, the Jedi, and the rest of the galaxy, were not so lucky. 

The whole concept of the Galactic Republic is akin to that of the United Nations. Imagine instead of having discussions and dissections of political necessities between countries, you are having them between entire planets. The sheer scale, and the vastness of populations and diverse needs and wants is just unfathomable. If the United Nations has issues where the “Security Council is all too often deadlocked when clear decisions are called for'' (Lederer), how can a Galactic Republic made up of the union of planets truly help everyone? These are just part of the many issues that the Jedi, and the rest of the Galactic Senate begin to encounter and slack on. Many senators vote in favor of maintaining individual political power, and not in favor of their own planet’s wants and needs. Conflict for resources and sustainability comes for everyone, and the Galactic Republic’s failure to plan ahead and address these concerns causes the Clone Wars, and their own demise. The republic was a system structured around idealistic approaches, much like the United Nations, but years of corruption and turning a blind eye caused it to fail. This perhaps acts as a realistic global warning through the guise of fiction.

The result of the Clone Wars was in fact failure. When the end of one civil war results in the direct start of another, it is safe to say that there is a clear issue. This time, those fighting for democracy realized what they had lost due to negligence. Rebellions discussing the consequences of the genocide of the Jedi discuss how, “With the Jedi decimated and the clone army under his command, Palpatine will have control over the entire galaxy” (Filoni). When one individual rules everything without any form of checks and balances, the premise of fascism is clear. This version of the galaxy removed all forms of a system where citizens participate and can contribute to their freedoms. Although the transition from the republic to the empire has not been completely depicted, the start of this has been shown in the Bad Batch. Mandatory registration for all citizens, and clearance to travel between planets became normative practice enforced by Palpatine’s empire. The original trilogy expands on these concepts of fascism, and overtly terrible situations for citizens akin to Nazi Germany, and Imperial Japan. It is easy to see it through a lens of good and evil in hindsight, but with most comparative structures the elements that are in play for the day-to-day citizen are complicated.

This is the environment that the second generation of Skywalkers inherit. Luke as a character draws many forms of comparison to a definitive hero. His process of learning how Obi Wan’s failures have been passed onto him bears a lot of weight. Politics have moved on, and now those who oppose the great Galactic Empire will undoubtedly perish. Entire planets lie as rubble to the Empire’s new weapon of mass destruction -- the Death Star. The relation this weapon has to the real world is expanded upon by how with its first use, “The destruction of Alderaan, then, is more analogous to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki” (Tharoor). In both cases, the creation of a weapon like this changes the entire political playing field. No longer are wars focused on soldiers, and defenses, but now entire cities and planets can essentially be deleted in a matter of seconds. This causes the entire premise of responsible war and justifiable defiance to come into question. Fear becomes a prominent emotion. Luke’s character and the rest of the galaxy grows from this and this is shown by how, “We might read in Luke’s process of maturation an allegory of the United States growing up as a nation. Like Luke, the United States’ early development was defined by playing enemies and allies off each other, even as George Washington sounded the warning about entangling alliances. The post-World War 2 period was defined by the creation of progressively stricter alliances, and the development of increasingly sophisticated weaponry. Its purported cold war victory, like Luke’s triumph over the emperor, took place not because the East bloc was overwhelmed by force, but because the citizens of East bloc nations were moved to undermine their own governments” (Meyer 113). Citizens increasingly began to join the rebellion out of fear of being destroyed, and eventually ended up being successful in removing these weapons from the field. As a collective, members of the galaxy agreed that weapons of that nature morally had no place in the playing field. This purposefully contrasts the real-world decision to stockpile these types of weapons in order to seem more powerful. It is interesting to think about how we will just never know what a world without these types of modern warfare could be like.

However, the US can also be seen as a primary example of a political powerhouse, much like the Empire. America is a country that seeks to exert its influence through fear to push its agenda of democracy and capitalism, with also conflicting results. It is also important to note that these concepts have led to wars to prevent other wars that many people now consider convoluted and stupid. As of right now, it seems like the US has taken a step back from this approach, but the fact that we created and carry a majority of the real-world equivalent of Death Stars cannot be understated. The complex nature of how the rest of the world settles its disputes due to modern weaponry is also increasingly relevant in our conflicted environment today, look at the annexation of Crimea, or the situation between Israel, and Palestine. If we can blow up the earth thousands of times over, should we?

The dissection of the morality of warfare on the individual is also expanded upon through much of the commentary surrounding each of the major conflicts in the franchise. While the clones were created to fight in the Clone Wars, discussing how, “the watching and listening individual has a responsibility to consider the allegorical implications of a cloned soldier who fights in war that may or may not make sense to him and connect those implications to the broader cultural dialogue” (Sweet 64), is important. The political nature of war almost always clashes with the individual’s perspective, and morality. This was seen throughout the shifts in American politics and overall culture in the 70s displayed by anti-war movements. The modern use of drones to settle conflicts nulls much of the human mental repercussions of war. Tara McKelvey talks about how American drone strikes were, “overly secretive and hid the fact that civilians were sometimes killed in the strikes” (“Trump Revokes Obama Rule on Reporting Drone Strike Deaths”). One principle to take from both reality, and Star Wars seems to be to just stay informed, and to be critical of those in power. Unjustified death should never be silent.

Any version of conflict stems from the political status and nature of their environments. What should be apparent to anyone is that there needs to be more of a concise thought process in the ways we situate ourselves to engage in these situations. The basis for a comparative political discussion surrounding the realm of Star Wars may be somewhat ridiculous when compared to the sheer scope of real-world events, but the social commentary surrounding a franchise that started off with a farm boy with a dream will always be relevant. The factors of the world that interact and dissect with one another are difficult to understand. Sometimes breaking down the facets of a story helps us make more of our own reality. On a fictional plain dreams may remain just that, fiction, but it is part of the objective duty of the interpreter to make what they can from the premise.

Works Cited

Altman, J. (2019), Star Wars in the Public Square: The Clone Wars as Political Dialogue Sweet, Derek R.. McFarland & Co., 2016. . J Am Cult, 42: 183-184. https://doi-org.proxy.library.nyu.edu/10.1111/jacc.13065

Campbell, Joel R., and Gigi Gokcek. The Final Frontier : International Relations and Politics through Star Trek and Star Wars, Lexington Books, 2019. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.proxy.library.nyu.edu/lib/nyulibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=5845005.

Filoni, Dave, et al. “The Bad Batch Aftermath.” Season 1, episode 1, Disney, 4 May 2021.

Lederer, Edith M. “UN Failures on Coronavirus Underscore the Need for Reforms.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 28 Sept. 2020, apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-antonio-guterres-archive-united-nations-united-nations-general-assembly-0848c358291362abfdce330b7b5e6420.

“How Britain Hoped To Avoid War With Germany In The 1930s.” Imperial War Museums, www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-britain-hoped-to-avoid-war-with-germany-in-the-1930s#:~:text=Instituted%20in%20the%20hope%20of,as%20a%20policy%20of%20weakness.

Meyer, David S. "Star Wars, Star Wars, and American Political Culture." Journal of Popular Culture, vol. 26, no. 2, 1992, pp. 99. ProQuest, http://proxy.library.nyu.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.proxy.library.nyu.edu/scholarly-journals/star-wars-american-political-culture/docview/195356048/se-2?accountid=12768.

Pifer, Steven. “Crimea: Six Years after Illegal Annexation.” Brookings, Brookings, 17 Mar. 2020, www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2020/03/17/crimea-six-years-after-illegal-annexation/.

Sex, Politics, and Religion in Star Wars : An Anthology, edited by Douglas Brode, and Leah Deyneka, Scarecrow Press, 2012. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.proxy.library.nyu.edu/lib/nyulibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=967437.

“Trump Revokes Obama Rule on Reporting Drone Strike Deaths.” BBC News, BBC, 7 Mar. 2019, www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47480207.