your village voice

Revenge of the Bush

Yesterday George Lucas dropped some bombshells on his conservative Star Wars fans at the Cannes Film Festival:

"In terms of evil, one of the original concepts was how does a democracy turn itself into a dictatorship,'' Lucas told a news conference at Cannes, where his final episode had its world premiere.

"The parallels between what we did in Vietnam and what we're doing in Iraq now are unbelievable.

"On the personal level it was how does a good person turn into a bad person, and part of the observation of that is that most bad people think they are good people, they are doing it for the right reasons,'' he added.

So much for the conservative notion that the Empire represented the Soviet Union. Here Lucas readily admits the presumed leftwing slant that most of Hollywood is accused. He acknowledged an uncomfortable feeling that the United States was in danger of losing its democratic ideals, like in the movie. "I didn't think it was going to get this close. I hope this doesn't come true in our country."

Lucas goes on to compare Bush to Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, supposedly having Anakin echo the Bush Doctrine, "You are either with me — or you are my enemy."

Personally, I always thought the Empire represented the Weimar Republic before World War II and the chancellor turned emperor represented Adolph Hitler, but I stand corrected. Regardless, I can't help but take a guilty pleasure in watching devoted Bush/Star Wars fans squirm at the obvious implications.

I just might have to see Episode III in the theaters. That might make the whole cramped theater scene worth enduring...

UPDATE 5/19/2005:
MoveOn.org has now jumped into the act, handing out flyers at theaters comparing the nuclear option and Senator Frist to the Dark Side. It's definitely over the top, but maybe this kind of sensationalism is what is needed to wake up the lethargic masses.

What do you think?

posted by the prisoner @ 4:30:00 PM