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Star Wars: A New Hope (for Radicalization)

December 11, 2015

Important piece from Twitter's Comfortably Smug about the true meaning of the Star Wars trilogy:

A more focused study, however, is needed to truly understand that the Star Wars films are actually the story of the radicalization of Luke Skywalker. From introducing him to us in A New Hope (as a simple farm boy gazing into the Tatooine sunset), to his eventual transformation into the radicalized insurgent of Return of the Jedi (as one who sets his own father’s corpse on fire and celebrates the successful bombing of the Death Star), each film in the original trilogy is another step in Luke’s descent into terrorism. By carefully looking for the same signs governments and scholars use to detect radicalization, we can witness Luke’s dark journey into religious fundamentalism and extremism happen before our very eyes.

Mr. Smug's effort is well worth your time and worthy addition to the pro-Empire canon that includes Jonathan V. Last's "The Case for the Empire" and my own "The Destruction of Alderaan Was Completely Justified." We're turning the tide on this one, people!