STAR WARS HAS always been political, no matter what the MAGA types who cosplay as Imperial agents and scream about Disney shoving diversity into “their Star Wars” say.
The original trilogy showed a band of anti-imperialist fighters going up against a vicious pan-galactic state — based, according to its creator George Lucas, on the Vietnam War, with the Viet Cong “rebels” going up against the United States “Empire.”
The prequels showed the transformation of the Galactic Republic into the Galactic Empire of the original trilogy. In 2018, during Donald Trump’s first administration, James Cameron interviewed Lucas about Star Wars’ anti-authoritarian messaging, highlighting a line spoken by Senator Padmé Amidala as Emperor Palpatine declares that the Republic is now an Empire: “So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause.”
Lucas sold Star Wars to Disney in 2012 and hasn’t been involved in production since then, but Andor, the new series set in the universe, doubles down on its anti-authoritarian roots, focusing on the creation of the revolutionary Rebel Alliance. In the process, it gives us a glimpse into the messiness and conflict that often accompanies building a movement on the left, as activists fight over which political philosophies and strategies work best.
Eh, do we have a left in the US? Technically, yes, but it lacks all rigidity and strength.
The left is caught in a cycle of self canabalization at the moment, and anyone that I’ve seen attempting to pick up the flag and carry it forward is torn apart. People are too concerned with being ethically and morally pure so that when we’re all sitting in the gulag, they can say, “Well, at least I never compromised my values.” And I’m not saying those values aren’t important, but to have the opportunity to address those, we have several prerequisites to tackle first.
Progress is messy, and if you’re not on board, you’re holding it back.
I’m sick to death of the idea that actually wanting the party to be better and quit sliding to the right for no gain is somehow purity testing from unreasonable people.
The people who paint progressives as throwing tantrums when they don’t get 100% of everything they wanted have had 100% of everything they wanted in every single presidential election since 2008, when they hated the idea of a Black president so much that they formed a PAC to support his opponent.
I am wondering if i didn’t convey my point well enough?
Im a progressive and as left as they come. I think we should aim for perfect, but be ok with better or good. What i have a problem with is seeing the front runners of the progressive left(AOC snd Bernie) being called out, by people who claim to be leftist, because they don’t say something out loud or often enough. They’ve been very clear on where they stand. They don’t need to keep reaffirming that, especially when it halts momentum, which we so desperately need yesterday.
And yet I see those leftists(not neo libs) say that AOC isn’t the future or anywhere near it, So if not them, then who? Who checks off all the boxes that’s not a milque toast moderate dem?
I saw a post recently that your comment reminds me of. It said something like “leftists are often more concerned about not doing anything wrong than they are about doing something good”. Along those lines, I agree with both your point and the message of the OP — that it is important now more than ever to actually do something. Mass action is more powerful than individual perfection
Said most succinctly, we need to learn to not let perfect be the enemy of good.