Indonesia Part III: Was George Lucas inspired by Indonesia?

Indonesia - a source for Star Wars?

If I could ask George Lucas one question, I would ask if Indonesian history influenced the development of the Star Wars saga.

As part of the "Indonesia" series, I'll explore some of the striking similarities between modern Indonesian history and the Star Wars saga. In Part III: Did Indonesia influence Lucas?, I end by asking if it's possible that the similarities I discussed in previous posts are more than just coincidence.

Does Palpatine have to buy the clone troopers off?

Even clone troopers need a little recognition...

If you watched the latest Clone Wars episode, "The Jedi Who Knew Too Much," you can see Ahsoka climbing a statue of a clone trooper. This reminded me of memorials such as the "tomb of the unknown soldier", dedicated to the army at large rather than individuals.

However, one might think that the government wouldn't have to honor its clones, who are effectively property. The presence of the statue is an interesting indication that Palpatine's government feels it has to to at least put on a public display of honoring the clones.

The question is whether the statue is for the clones or for the public. Clones don't have families, so it's not like there are families demanding a public memorial. So, it seems like the statue is part of Palpatine's attempt to solidify the loyalty of the clones.

It's certainly an interesting time in the politics of the Republic!

Indonesia Part II: Order 66 and GESTAPU?

If I could ask George Lucas one question, I would ask if Indonesian history influenced the development of the Star Wars saga.

In part of the "Indonesia" series, I'll explore some of the striking similarities between modern Indonesian history and the Star Wars saga. In Part II: Order 66 and GESTAPU?, I continue by comparing the purge of the Jedi with the purge of Indonesian communists.

Using Google N-grams to evaluate Palpatine's many roles

Throughout the Star Wars saga, Palpatine has been a senator, chancellor, emperor, and Sith lord. So, we were curious - which one of his many political roles has gained him the most notoriety amongst Star Wars fans? Thanks the power of Google N-grams Viewer, we can observe how references to Palpatine have changed over time.

Of course, in the film version of Return of the Jedi, we only knew the character as the Emperor. As such, in books Palpatine was only referred to as "the Emperor" until the late 1980s. After Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire trilogy were published in the early 1990s, fans became more familiar with the Emperor's actual name and started to refer to him as Emperor Palpatine. 

Indonesia Part I: Palpatine or Suharto's New Order?

General Suharto - a model for Palpatine?

If I could ask George Lucas one question, I would ask if Indonesian history influenced the development of the Star Wars saga.

Over the next few weeks, I'll explore some of the striking similarities between modern Indonesian history and the Star Wars saga. In Part I: Palpatine or Suharto's New Order?, I begin by comparing the rise of the Empire with authoritarianism in Indonesia.

Repost: NYT columnist on the politics of Star Wars

In this 2011 New York Times article, columnist Ross Douthat points out the vast difference in political storytelling in the Original Trilogy and Prequel Trilogy. The OT emphasized romantic notions of political power, with the mystical Force users against the technological bureaucracy. By contrast, in the PT government was democratic, the Force given scientific underpinnings, and the Jedi in a more bureaucratic role. It's a fun comparison of politics in the two Star Wars trilogies by a leading political columnist. Enjoy...

Darth Maul as Emperor Commodus?

The last episode of the Clone Wars, "Shades of Reason", ended with a striking image of Darth Maul seated on the throne of Mandalore. Maul's posture was indolent and indulgent, a ruler assured of his position and enjoying it. Yet, like Luke Skywalker on Dagobah, something seemed vaguely "familiar" about the scene. Indeed, there is an eerie resemblance between Maul and Emperor Commodus from the movie Gladiator. While it's not clear if Dave Filoni and the Clone Wars crew intended to pay homage to Gladiator, the imagery reveals much about Maul as a political leader.