Cruz on Star Wars: Rebels Good, Empire Bad

The Weekly Standard ^ | Nov 3, 2015 | MICHAEL WARREN

[sparklite2]

Texas senator Ted Cruz said the Rebel Alliance in George Lucas's Star Wars films are "unequivocally" the good guys. The Republican presidential candidate told THE WEEKLY STANDARD Tuesday evening the question over which side in the original three movies, the Rebels and the all-powerful Galactic Empire, was good and bad, was "not even close."

Cruz's stance goes against strong evidence that the Empire helped solve a crisis of security and order following the fall of the Old Republic sometime long ago in a galaxy far, far away. The Tea Party favorite also dismissed arguments that the Empire's destruction of Alderaan, as depicted in the 1977 movie A New Hope, was justified given the planet was the home of the terrorist insurgency known as the Rebel Alliance.

"Of course not," Cruz said to the question of whether the planet should have been destroyed by the Death Star. "It was an act of oppressive totalitarianism."

[MediaMole]

Next thing we know, Jar Jar Binks was actually a powerful Sith lord.

https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/comments/3qvj6w/theory_jar_jar_binks_was_a_trained_force_user

[cripplecreek]

The destruction of Alderaan was a display of raw power and nothing more.

[ClearCase_guy]

Greedo shot first.

[MediaMole]

It’s amazing how many characters lied through their teeth in Star Wars movies.

...or there was no plot continuity.

[demshateGod]

I know we shouldn't read much into these things, but “conservatives” making a case for the Empire is a little troubling. Neocons: I'm not with them.

[vbmoneyspender]

Whoever allowed George Lucas to direct Star Wars films I thru III is the real war criminal.

[Fai Mao]

Star Trek

Star Wars is for losers

[proust]

In a 2005 interview, Lucas said that Star Wars "was really about the Vietnam War, and that was the period where Nixon was trying to run for a [second] term, which got me to thinking historically about how do democracies get turned into dictatorships? Because the democracies aren't overthrown; they're given away."

Back in a 1973 note on Star Wars, Lucas made clear which side he was rooting for in the Vietnam War: "A large technological empire going after a small group of freedom fighters."

[IYAS9YAS]

Cruz's stance goes against strong evidence that the Empire helped solve a crisis of security and order following the fall of the Old Republic sometime long ago in a galaxy far, far away.

A crisis the corrupt republic, and Senator Palpatine/Darth Sidious brought about. It truly has the Nazi rise to power theme. Senator Palpatine (the normal, nice-guy face of Darth Sidious) became Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, then Emperor Palpatine.

[a fool in paradise]

It’s a Daily Beast talking point that ‘neocons’ love the Empire.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/10/20/why-conservatives-love-the-galactic-empire.html

[a fool in paradise]

Viet Cong weren’t freedom fighters and they weren’t alone. Communist nations aided them and the ‘anti-war’ (pro-North Vietnamese) movement in America.

[a fool in paradise]

which got me to thinking historically about how do democracies get turned into dictatorships? Because the democracies aren't overthrown; they're given away."

[Dead Dog]

Gene Roddenberry was a communist.

[proust]

Touche.

[roadcat]

It’s amazing how many characters lied through their teeth in Star Wars movies.

Sort of like the Speaker of the House saying he's a Jedi Conservative, only to find out he's a Darth Maul demoncrat working with the Emperor Obama. Hard to trust anyone in who deals in D.C. They all lie.

[JediJones]

Wasn't that started by Bill Kristol defending the Empire?

http://observer.com/2015/10/bill-kristol-tried-to-defend-the-galactic-empire-on-twitter/

Cruz is on the right side of history once again. Wouldn't Vader's summary executions of even his own staff disqualify him as a worthy leader?

Cruz is on the right side of history once again.

[Jeff Chandler]

[Vision Thing]

Why did you post a picture of Cruz with michelle obama’s cousin? :)

[bobby.223]

Fake!!!! The Cruzer would NEVER allow The Big Mooch in the co-pilots seat!!