I wonder how many heads you wanted to explode with this :p
I don't know if it really deserves much of a response, but I will. This Tim guy makes a lot of assertions about what the movie really was about and why that makes it ever so clever.
[Warning: Includes politics and more of a response than this guy deserves]
Tim writes:
The difference is that the original trilogy appealed directly to the simplistic moral perspective of an America above reproach and always on the side of right in global geopolitics, whereas the much more subversive prequel trilogy stands in defiant counterpoint to the much more dangerously simplistic moral absolutism of the Age of Bush.
This makes me think of:
There are heroes on both sides. Evil is everywhere.
And then I think about how this wasn't at all shown on screen and what mushy nonsense the crawl was.
And unless you buy into his left wing politics, it's even harder to follow his argument.
Time writes:
The difference is that the original trilogy appealed directly to the simplistic moral perspective of an America above reproach and always on the side of right in global geopolitics, whereas the much more subversive prequel trilogy stands in defiant counterpoint to the much more dangerously simplistic moral absolutism of the Age of Bush.
...
The problem is that the post-9/11 world meant Americans also were forced to identify themselves with the Jedi in the prequel trilogy as well, and we don't like the face we see in the mirror. Let's face it, the Jedi don't exactly come off too swell in the prequel. This time around they are the guys in charge, and it is painful to watch them screw it up, especially when the way they hand over the keys to the Empire is so eerily familiar to a historical era defined by words like "signing statements" and "Patriot Act."
Actually, I thought most people thought the Jedi were pretty awesome. They had lightsabers. There was Kit Fisto. Yoda was confused. And members of the Council were just plain dumb. But as a whole, people who liked the prequels liked the Jedi. They were never 'bad. And they certainly never handed over any keys. They weren't a part of the political process and even confronted Palpatine when Anakin pointed out he was evil.
As for signing statements and the Patriot Act as the greatest evils of our day, Bush's successor has issued signing statements (granted a low number), relied upon one of Bush's signing statements to ignore a law, and has signed the Patriot Act into law again. That's not contradictory to what Tim's saying, but those who buy into Tim's argument are those who will conveniently accept what is done now by Obama. So it begs the question whether what Bush did was offensive to most people or whether people were riled up to believe it was?
I'm not taking a position on that question, just pointing out that he's singing to the (possibly very small) choir and not really making a case to anyone else. The movie did not depict a riled up public with strident voices in the Senate (*sigh* this is how democracy dies, etc hardly qualifies).
Is the evil empire now simmering while the complacent public accepts that a leader can circumvent congress to bomb a foreign nation (Libya, perhaps Syria in the future)? When nobody even thinks about Guantanamo and few complain about targeted killings of Americans abroad for very long? When drone attacks are prevalent. When the government hands over dangerous weapons to drug cartels in Mexico with no intention of tracking them?
You wanna know who handed the keys over in the PT?
It's-a clear desa seperatists made a pact wesa desa Federation du Trade. Senators, dellow felagates. In response to this direct threat to the Republic, mesa propose that the senate give immediatly emergancy powers to the Supreme Chancellor.
So, this guy's argument really isn't resonating with me on any level. The movie doesn't show what he claims it shows. And his depiction of Bush era politics is over-simplistic.
No more alarming scene exists in the entire "Star Wars" canon than the political conversation that takes place in "Attack of the Clones" between Anakin and Amidala when the boy-who-would-be Vader suggests the system is broken and needs to be replaced with something where one person in charge has the power to enforce laws he feels are for the good of the people. Amidala replies, rightfully, that what Anakin is talking about sounds like a dictatorship. And then these all-too-familiar words from Anakin: "Well, if it works."
Realllly??? How about when Anakin slaughters women and children and Amidala shrugs it off as normal? I found that far more alarming that Anakin's glib comment.
Yoda's observations about anger, hate, fear, and suffering are not said lightly; they may be the most prescient words spoken by a movie character in recent memory.
This guy really needs to watch RLM's take on that quote.
Chances are you don't even remember these words of Darth Maul: "Fear is my ally." One can well imagine that slogan scrawled across the office walls of men like Scooter Libby and tattooed across the back of Dick Cheney.
-_- what a compelling observation! If we just imagine these things, it must be true.
I suggest not dividing along political lines for the PT.