Darth Vader, the great, the wonderful, the benevolent...

[deird_lj]

This Darth & Droids post made me think.



Specifically, the commentary at the bottom, which I have thoughtfully copied for anyone who is too lazy to find it themselves:

There obviously is a substantial underclass of shady characters populating the levels of society in the Republic below... well, Senators and Jedi knights. What with all the death stick sellers, and smugglers, and bounty hunters, and people who other people must presumably be taking out bounties on, and gamblers, and slave traders, and so on and so forth. It makes you wonder if the days of the Republic were really that great for anyone other than the ruling classes...

And really, why do we like the rebels in the original movies?

I mean, we know the Empire is evil (because they flat-out call it the "Evil Galactic Empire" in the scrolly text), but do they actually... um... do anything bad? Anything that isn't specifically aimed at hurting the rebels, that is?

(For the record: I'm talking specifically the movies, here. IV, V, and VI.)

Comments

[mabus101.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Well, technically the destruction of Alderaan is an atttack on the rebels, but it seems like overkill to blow up a whole planet, wouldn't you say? (Preceded by torturing Leia, but I guess, again, that's aimed at the rebels.)

I think the biggest thing that immediately comes to mind is in the first movie, where we get the announcement that the Senate has been dissolved, and that from now on "fear will keep the planetary governments in line". In other words, the system is based entirely on military force, enforcing the personal will of the Emperor.

I hear a lot of people these days decrying "electocracy" as inadequate, and to some extent I understand what they're saying. And, sure, the Senate was a bit dysfunctional when we saw it in the prequels. But really, in the absence of a direct connection to the will of the people, just what is it that gets a government to care about respecting their rights? Just do whatever it takes to keep order.

[deird1]

Good points, all...

From Laney

[(Anonymous)]

REG:...And what have they ever given us in return?!
XERXES: The aqueduct?
REG: What?
XERXES: The aqueduct.
REG: Oh. Yeah, yeah. They did give us that. Uh, that's true. Yeah.
COMMANDO #3: And the sanitation.
LORETTA: Oh, yeah, the sanitation, Reg. Remember what the city used to be like?
REG: Yeah. All right. I'll grant you the aqueduct and the sanitation are two things that the Romans have done.
MATTHIAS: And the roads.
REG: Well, yeah. Obviously the roads. I mean, the roads go without saying, don't they? But apart from the sanitation, the aqueduct, and the roads--
COMMANDO: Irrigation.
XERXES: Medicine.
COMMANDOS: Huh? Heh? Huh...
COMMANDO #2: Education.
COMMANDOS: Ohh...
REG: Yeah, yeah. All right. Fair enough.
COMMANDO #1: And the wine.
COMMANDOS: Oh, yes. Yeah...
FRANCIS: Yeah. Yeah, that's something we'd really miss, Reg, if the Romans left. Huh.
COMMANDO: Public baths.
LORETTA: And it's safe to walk in the streets at night now, Reg.
FRANCIS: Yeah, they certainly know how to keep order. Let's face it. They're the only ones who could in a place like this.
COMMANDOS: Hehh, heh. Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh.
REG: All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?
XERXES: Brought peace.
REG: Oh. Peace? Shut up!

[deird1]

:D

[stormwreath.livejournal.com]

We know the Empire is evil because they have British accents, while the Rebels have American accents. Duh.

Plus what Mabus said. They're a military dictatorship suppressing representative institutions and ruling by fear. They're also racist, suppressing non-humans - that's explicit in the books, but only implied in the films by the fact that lots of aliens are in the Rebel ranks, but the Imperial forces are all humans.

[deird1]

We know the Empire is evil because they have British accents, while the Rebels have American accents. Duh.

Of course. *facepalm* I should have remembered.

So, with an Australian accent, does that make me an evilish Rebel, or a kinda nice Stormtrooper?

[stormwreath.livejournal.com]

a kinda nice Stormtrooper?

Depends on how tall you are...


According to 'House', Americans can't tell the difference between British people and Australians, so that would make you evil as well.

According to the British stereotype of Australia, meanwhile, you'd probably end up as a bartender in a wretched hive of scum and villainy like the Mos Eisley cantina...