The week surrounding the United States midterm elections brought with it much discourse, by and large tantamount to the same 'most important election' until the next presidential one in two years which will supersede it in the claim but with the same hysterical hogwash and hubris. Nonetheless in this political season, the Star Wars franchise was front in center of discussion due to younger people, specifically males, on the right coming into identification with the character of Anakin Skywalker as portrayed in his fall to the Dark Side of the Force in the prequel movies; and a sense of alignment with the gritty insurgency presented in the newer Andor series from those of a left of center disposition. This trend largely started on the right, with quick backlash from those on the left, who came to their own association shortly thereafter as a metaphorical counter as the opposition initially was nothing more than that same sort of finger wagging moralism rather than any real attempted understanding of the veneration of Anakin. Of course, both ignore the nuances that exist within the Star Wars lore, both canon and formerly so, as well as the reality of the comparisons. That's not to deny the political bend George Lucas imbued the sagas with either, as, it was from the beginning, just the infatuations and over-embellishments taken from there themselves.
1. Anakin's Archetype
Anakin Skywalker was a slave born on Tattooine, a planet in the Outer Rim without any Republic oversight, hosting the scum of the galaxy as inhabitants; raised by his mother in servitude until becoming free through the gambling of Qi-Gon Gin, who brought him to the Jedi Temple believing and openly stating in front of the young boy that he believed him to be a prophesized chosen one. Despite initial hesitance due to his age, he was trained and raised up with that in mind. As obvious, this goes sideways and results in the destruction of the ancient Jedi Order overnight as the chosen one slaughters them in becoming Darth Vader; having felt betrayed himself by the order for many felt transgressions in spite of his apparent specialty to their creed. Essentially, Anakin was raised like many Americans with this idealism: the American Dream, and as time has shown such is increasingly a falsehood in spite of being the proclaimed Land Of Opportunity where if you pull up your bootstraps and work hard enough all of your longings and lusts will come into fruition. Well, with that rug pulled out from everyone's feet as the cost of living skyrockets and turbulence shows hollow, ailing institutions all working as forces which supposedly should act as stepping stones in the pursuit of life, liberty and entitled happiness, the viewing of the fallen Jedi as an avatar of alignment makes more sense; in the same way as the past with other "literally me" characters being the expression of frustrations inculcated into them as the reality of such a dream being just that: a fantastical montage in the sleeping imagination.
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| Count Dooku on the issue of the Jedi |
The descent of the esteemed Jedi General into Darth Vader plays out as consequence of fear and self-contradictory negation based on dogmatism long overstaying its practicality. In Attack Of The Clones the now young adult padawan is plagued by visions of his mother dying in agony, and an incredible urge to aid her to which the Jedi around him are by and large unsympathetic in spite of being supposed keepers of the peace, aiding those in need; as by their standards such attachment to living beings is something to disavow. Coming to, Anakin travels to his planet of origin anyway and finds her taken by the Tusken Raiders, where they tortured his mother in a manner that resulted in her death in his arms; to which he proceeded to slaughter their entire village. George Lucas did write this as a scene which showed the future of his turn to the Dark Side, however, it wouldn't have occurred if the Jedi had not been so rigid on the aspect of attachment and done their proclaimed job as protectors and peacekeepers; and even in the act being done in blind rage, there is a cold calculation to having killed them all: had he spared any of the Sand People, they very well could have done the math noting the absence of the captive from that moisture farm they raided a bit back, and came for their own recourse in killing Owen and Beru; essentially putting a cap on the later movies of the saga.
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| Revenge Of The Sith novelization |
Revenge Of The Sith plays out in a manner that resembles John Milton's epic Paradise Lost, with the portrayed angel having his rage until turning into a shrivelled, charred husk of itself in the end in a way not dissimilar to Vader in his loss on Mustafar. Plagued again with visions, this time of his wife dying of childbirth and a war seemingly coming to a head, yet no end of madness in sight; he seeks order, if it works. As noted by Maul in the Clone Wars series during this time, on a galactic scale the fall of the Republic he fought for wasn't sudden, by that point it already had become the Empire in all but name as Palpatine puppeteered the conflict at both sides; inching it ever more to that thunderous applause in his announcement of the Imperial inception. Nonetheless this mirrors a sentiment expressed in the real world by those of a more right leaning politic after half a decade of lived-in madness that only serves to, well, fuck them over more and force them to watch as the slogans espoused at them ring nothing more than empty. Political commentator and America First propeller Nick Fuentes has characterised this sentiment in that, their issue with a leader like Donald Trump and his administration is not that they are like Hitler, but that they are not like Hitler enough; much like Anakin's attitude of if it works more efficiently. In this comparison, Anakin is not some space Hitler as that would be Palpatine; however it should be noted that in his manipulation of the Skywalker, he doesn't exactly lie to him beyond over-exaggerating his knowledge which would imply a way to save those who he loves from certain death. Essentially, where the alignment of the right with Anakin is in the longing for a firm hand to come take the reigns of power, implement a lasting peace and establishment of order; even if it means the murder of the younglings at the Jedi Temple.
Of course, in the end Vader returns to the light side in order to save his own son on the second Death Star above the forrest moon of Endor. He kills Palpatine and thus ending the lineage of the Sith just as he did with the Jedi decades before; fulfilling the prophecy by culling the bipolar philosophies in application of the force, levelling the playing field and creating an equilibrium.
2. Andor & Rebellion
Order as enforced by the Empire is a ruthless bureaucracy. Quick to go on the offensive and willing to maintain its establishment by any means necessary. Dissent begins as soon as it is officially implemented; although split into factions with conflicting ideas on how to go about action taken against its authoritarian existence. Andor traces Cassian Andor, who would later in Rogue One be instrumental in obtaining information that allowed the first Death Star to be destroyed; and that despite being and seeing themselves as a movement for the good of things, has to resort to gritty guerrilla tactics in a way that mirrors the Viet Cong or Weather Underground; the former who fought the United States in its encroachment on Vietnam in an ideological conflict, and latter who smuggled a bomb into the Pentagon. The stakes are real, but is the comparison? No. It is not. Andor, as does Rogue One, shows intentional and violent disruption as a necessity to the battles against the Empire. The senate still exists, sure, but only in the capacity that it maintains an illusion of a more democratic method, and as Mon Mothma and later Leia learn harshly, only reinforces the regime.
As predicted by many, the United States midterm election this year was a 'blue wave' that crashed on the beaches— even the Groypers voted Democrat. However in tandem to the right bolstering Anakin, the left began upholding Andor as akin to what they did and were doing. What exactly was that then? They voted? Sure, in the sense that everyone likes to feel as if they're the true underdog it could be called being this rebellion, a resistant force against an evil dictatorial regime... To that it must be asked, how is that any of what is claimed? People protest, sure: in the manner of doing so with allowance from the system at a scheduled time and place, subject nonetheless to it. The message being you can't claim rebellion then solely act in accordance with the system being criticized and aid in perpetuating it, and call the one's who did the insurrection on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 terrorists who should be imprisoned forever as, they have more in common with the actions portrayed in Andor than them and those viewing themselves as akin are purely doing so as means of consolidation rather than genuinely rebellious activity. It makes them feel special.
3. Conclusion
Neither side completely gets the gist of that which is cinematically expressed by Star Wars, they catch hints and present them as polished with a gilded gleam. Anakin's insecurities were that which lead to his burning, just as the participation in a system does nothing but perpetuate its existence.
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