Those are some really good and interesting ideas Bingo, I like them a lot. I'm not sure how I'd convey all of that information succinctly in the context of the film, especially the notion of the Neimoidians having been "gods" to the Gungans. I certainly like the idea though. I think though, seeing as I'm turning Naboo into Alderaan that this approach might not gel with the OT. I still might incorporate some of those ideas though, I like the Falklands comparison especially.

as far as the connection between the spice in Star Wars and the Spice in Dune, while I'm sure George stole the name and the idea of it being a narcotic, I expect that's where the similarity ends. I shouldn't imagine it has the same properties as melange. Not that its nature truly matters, it's barely mentioned in the OT either, it's just a little bit of background colour for people's imaginations to launch on to and wonder about.