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...