[Revenge of Sith]

This column by Paul Craig Roberts is obscene and I'm disappointed that NewsMax would include him as one of their pundits.

[DoctorMichael]

.....But....but......George Lucas is one of the foremost Political thinkers in the world today, didn'tchaknow,

[BigBobber]

Yet, there is no shortage of patriotic Republicans who sincerely believe that Bush has made America safer by turning the Muslim world against us and stirring up a hornets nest of terrorists united by their hatred of America.

This guy's a lunatic who actually believes what he reads in the left-wing press. The crowd who thinks we were better off with Saddam, the Tali-ban, a bold Qaddafi, and daily bombings in Israel deserve to live for a while under a true reign of terror. People like Roberts have a right to commit suicide, but not to drag us off the cliff with them.

[MikefromOhio]

stupid attempt at relating a fantasy to current events ping

[MJRitter]

"The fact that Newsweek was absolutely correct in reporting desecration of the Quran by U.S. troops -- and only got wrong the particular way in which the holy book was desecrated -- has been totally ignored by Republicans."

It seems that the left sees it as OK to make outrageous claims as long as they want them to be true.

[COBOL2Java]

As the Jedi master Obi-Wan tells Anakin, who is turning to the dark side and emerging as Darth Vader, "Only a Sith Lord deals in absolutes." Anakin to Obi-Wan: "If you're not with me, you're my enemy."

The first quote could have come out of JF'n Kerry's mouth (sounds like "nuance" to me). The second quote could easily have come out of Hillary.

[Luna]

Why do people like make comparisons between real people and someone who is nothing more than a figment of someone's imagination put on the big screen? Sheesh!

[billbears]

I'm suprised Newsmax would include this article. It's actually pretty good

[steveyp]

Now Rove, on the other hand...

[usapatriot28]

"Only a Sith Lord deals in absolutes."

It's funny how many people seem to think that this movie is really about Bush. Never mind that the basic premise and idea were written 30 years ago. This is not the first article I've read that refers to the above line as condemning "proof" that Bush is evil. You frequently hear similar comments made by liberals about Bush, and conservatives in general. Isn't it ironic that the statement is itself an absolute?

[Dallas59]

No. It's movie. Made by capitalists to make money...lots of money.

[EveningStar]

What drooling paranoia! LOL!

[BadAndy]

I hear Bush has fantastic skill with a light sabre, and Al Franken nedy reminds me of Jar Jar Binks.

[Romish_Papist]

"The top secret British government memo that was leaked to the London Times proves beyond all doubt that Bush invaded Iraq for none of the changing reasons that he has given a too-trusting public."

Anyone have a clue what this is about? What document?

"In the United States, civil liberties are everywhere biting the dust."

Name one. Please. Someone. Just name one.

[Daveinyork]

I believe that anyone who uses violence to achieve his ends can be seduced by the "dark side", but it doesn't mean that he will be. If limited by a firm moral foundation, as the President is, the probability is small. On the other hand, the use of violence by liberals to achieve their ends, as in using the full power of the government to limit people's liberties, is unfettered by morality. I believe that liberals are, metaphorical speaking, having their destinies controlled by the 'dark side."

[exile]

I found one thing hysterically funny during the new Star Wars flick. Everyone in the media said it was a bash against Bush (and it was), but Emperor Palpitaine looks just like old Sheets Byrd.

Now I know that the senile old bigot would have a problem with the DARK side of the force, but he has a problem with DARK people in general.

[burrian]

Star Wars is really about how the Jedi Council (read:United Nations) sat on its hands and refused to do anything to stop the spread of Sithlam until it was too late.

If the Jedi Council had actually raised a peacekeeping force from the start and used it to liberate Tatooine from the violent sand-people, then Anakin's mother would have never been killed.

And if Ani's mother had never been killed, then the seductive teachings of Sithlam would have fallen on deaf ears. But the corruption and appeasement of the Jedi Do-nothings all but insured that Sithlam would spread unchecked.

[Wallace T.]

I have seen the latest Star Wars episode and must say that the libertarians and paleo-conservatives, as well as the liberals and leftists, are way off the mark in drawing parallels between current affairs and the latest George Lucas offering. Mainstream conservatives are also wrong in getting worked up about the movie, considering it as just more left-wing Hollywood drivel. Lucas is first and foremost a student of Joseph Campbell, famed for his vast knowledge of mythology. Campbell in turn was influenced by the Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, whose school of psychology dealt with archetypes and symbology. Jung and Campbell are major influences on the New Age movement.

While, as a Christian, I disagree with the New Age tenets espoused in the Star Wars movies, they are less offensive- and dangerous to Western civilization and Judeo-Christian morality than is the Marxist and nihilist bent of most mainstream entertainment: music, film, art, etc. Lucas is not influenced by a Christian worldview, as are other popular writers who dealt in mythological themes, such as Tolkien or C.S. Lewis. However, there are significant areas of congruence with traditional morality in the Star Wars films, such as the value of heroism, honor, and self-sacrifice. Christians and other supporters of traditional values should not reject the whole package to the extent that is necessary with most of the nihilistic, amoral cesspool of rock, rap, and hip-hop, or the leftist propaganda movies of Oliver Stone or Michael Moore.

There are no reasonable parallels between Chancellor Palpatine and George W. Bush, unless you want to resort to conspiratorialism and equate the Sith with Skull and Bones. Even Paul Craig Roberts does not go that far. Governments expanding their powers during wartime is almost a universal fact. Using wars as an excuse to expand domestic political power was a shopworn technique even in the days of Julius Caesar. If there is any parallel of Star Wars with actual history, it would be in the conversion of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire and the ruthless and corrupt emperors like Nero and Caligula who occupied the throne.

While there may have been a few throwaway lines of dialogue that were intended as attacks on President Bush, the overall theme of the movie is the conversion of a republic into an empire through corruption and merciless killing of enemies. Fallen heroes like Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, the selfless heroine (Padme Amadala), and the thin line between good (Jedi) and evil (Sith) are universal symbols that derive from Joseph Campbell's works.

The bottom line is that it is entertainment with a New Age spin, and not intended to be a political statement.

[fr_freak]

The top secret British government memo that was leaked to the London Times proves beyond all doubt that Bush invaded Iraq for none of the changing reasons that he has given a too-trusting public.

So, this incredible genius thinks that a memo, rather than a formal document, produced by a foreign country is sufficient to prove a US president's intentions on anything "beyond all doubt"? I think this guy's standard of proof is a little low. When he was a child, he probably also saw the existence of a quarter under his pillow as being proof "beyond all doubt" that the tooth fairy exists.

Having said that, maybe Star Wars is a pretty good analogy for politics today. Think of it this way: the whole reason that the galaxy was taken over by an evil emperor was becasue the Jedi were too arrogant and stupid to see the threat that was right under their very noses, both from the emperor and from the whiny Anakin. My favorite example of incredible Jedi stupidity is Windu's quote: "Dooku could never assassinate you - it's not in his character", directly after which Dooku attempts to kill every Jedi around, including Yoda.

So, we can view the Republican Party, specifically our Congress, as (fat, lazy) Jedi knights who are too stupid to recognize the threat from within: the Democratic Sith Party. The Republican Jedi insist on believing that assassination, lies, and the ultimate destruction of the Republic are "not in the character" of the Democrats because they are too stupid to realize that the Democrats have all gone to the dark side and are now Sith lords. As a consequence, the Republican Jedi will all be slaughtered like sheep. Then the oppressed citizenry will be left to clean up the mess in the form of rebellion.

When we get the revolution started, I think I'm going to commandeer an Abrams from the nearest base and name it the Millenium Falcon.

[Billthedrill]

Astonishing. I honestly thought this was a parody. To be charitable I hope that Mr. Roberts reads this five years hence and winces. Painful.

[EveningStar]

This column by Paul Craig Roberts is obscene and I'm disappointed that NewsMax would include him as one of their pundits.

What do you expect from NewsMax, anyway? :)