The Alderaan thing is kinda unforgiveable.

I've seen this question raised before, and it's a very interesting one. The Empire really isn't quite as bad as it seems. And then someone brings up Alderaan and there's nothing more to be said.

Okay, here's my suggestion: pretend the whole "Alderaan incident" didn't happen. Now, without that example, what made the Empire so evil?

Well, start with the taxation of trade routes, and...

...whoops, wrong movie. ;-)

It is a rather interesting idea, actually.

Also, you wouldn't believe the size of the carbon footprint that Death Star gives off...

Dunno about the Empire itself, but I've never really thought of Vader being that 'evil'...

He was just errr...confused!!

Additionally, I hear Darth Vader once blew up an entire Prius factory with his Super Star Destroyer.

TheBoost said:

They did kill an entire planet and dismantle galactic democracy.

True, but the Rebellion was already formed prior to this, right?

Bryan Ferry really digs their style...no that was those other guys...and he said sorry.

This is an interesting question. In the 1970s, people could easily see the evil in the Empire. Today, it doesn't register so much. Sad, really.

I think the Empire was inspired by the early days of Hitler's reign. Nobody wants to get involved (e.g.- Luke) until the stormtroopers come marching through their cities.

Stormtroopers slaughtering innocent Jawas, and framing innocent Tuskens for the crime ring any bells?

Not to mention the BBQ over at the Lars' moisture farm...

I'm actually kind of surprised they were not kicking down doors in Mos Eisely while searching for the droids. Troopers must not be good with locked doors. ;)

Always wondered about that. "Oh no, it's locked. We can't go in! Code #235667.5561138 says you cannot go in a locked house, but you can blow up a planet."

They probably assumed that droids wouldn't have the initiative or foresight to lock a door on them in the first place, or be able to get through one in their way.  I get the impression independent thought among droids was heavily discouraged, hence memory erasures and so forth.

In addition to the stormtroopers being somewhat reminiscent of Nazis, I've heard that the Emperor was at the time of the first film conceived as being like Nixon, flouting the law with impunity and drawing greater power unto himself.  Which as was said would have resonated more with 70's audiences, what with Watergate and Vietnam still weighing heavily on the public consciousness.  Nowadays the shock of that sort of thing has worn off, with mindless patriotism making a big comeback.  I always thought the rebels would have had a fairly tough time of it trying to establish a new government, since the 'silent majority' probably supported the Empire and didn't pay too much attention to whispers of the horrors being perpetrated.  Things like Alderaan would certainly have been kept secret or written off as rebel terrorism by the official news sources.

(Of course the announced intention of the Death Star was for rule by terror to prevent the growth of the Rebel Alliance, but with its subsequent destruction a few days after its first use, the official announcement of such a policy would have had to be drastically altered.)

xhonzi said:

We all know it was evil... but why was that again?

All answers are welcome, but something deeper than "The Emperor was evil, therefore the Empire was evil" would be awesome.

All Gov't's first task is self preservation.  What was it about the Empire that made it so evil?

George Lucas.

This is what makes the Empire evil. 

And lots of other things.  Like fear.  Fear will keep the local star systems in line.

Fear of this battle station.

-Peter Cushing.

-Fear will keep the systems in line.

-Death Star, and might of the Navy.

-Vader.

-Jawa killers.

-British accents.