- Sep 22, 2013
- 4,956
- 250
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George Lucas's Star Wars empire/franchise has become canonical and synonymous with the American ideal/aesthetic. Many historians and movie history critics believe Star Wars can be considered America's version of The Illiad or The Mahabharata or Le Morte d'Arthur.
Lucas gave the world a space-opera vision of great kingdoms defended by a legion of valiant/symbolic galactic knights known as the 'Jedi' who contend with a terrorist/fascist evil (or 'dark side') dominion of rogue 'sentinels' and 'demons' known as the 'Sith.'
The Sith is what this thread is about, since it's the Sith that captures our American fascination with using storytelling/folklore to characterize the contours of darkness and enigma. We're interested in the Sith in America, since we want to understand the 'dark forces' that undermine the democracy-promoting ideas about teamwork, altruism, and fair-play.
The Sith were an 'off-shoot' of the Jedi in some ways, as some 'rebellious Jedi' betrayed the Jedi Order and started their own 'philosophy' which espoused individual glory over the benefit of entire galactic kingdoms. The Sith obviously have much to tell us about American complications regarding capitalism (which promotes individual success) and democracy (which promotes teamwork-oriented negotiations).
When we try to negotiate capitalism with democracy, we have to appreciate why teamwork is more valuable than individual glory, and individual gratification is a 'principle' espoused by the villainous Sith.
So, let's imagine that two media 'diplomats' --- a movie star (Leo DiCaprio) and a hypothetical/fictional Internet-blogging 'idealist' (named 'Ajay Satan') --- are evaluating the symbolic impact and social value of the Sith and Sith folklore in the American landscape and what we can learn about democracy/capitalism from Sith concepts and storyboards.
{Ajay & Leo}
====
"Ajay and Leo wanted to evaluate the contradictions between capitalism and democracy in America and what such contradictions meant for the American landscape. Ajay and Leo were intrigued by Sith folklore and Lucas's treatment of this offbeat philosophical conceptualization of the 'dark side' of governance. Star Wars had become a canon for American ideals, and the Sith represented all the fears regarding the disintegration of governance-values in the American rhetoric. Ajay and Leo wanted to understand/appreciate why/how the Sith Order represented a fragmentation between politics and philosophy.
AJAY: I found two silly fan-doodles on the Internet about two Sith lords.
LEO: You're an Internet-blogger/surfer, right?
AJAY: Right! I found you on an Internet chat-room talking about Star Wars!
LEO: You had no idea I was a movie-star intrigued by Lucas fanfare...
AJAY: It's a great pleasure meeting you, Leo!
LEO: Well, likewise, I'm interested in your civilian interests in American ideals.
AJAY: As an Internet-blogging democracy-analyst, I'm fascinated by the Sith.
LEO: Yes, the Sith Order is intriguing indeed...and quite symbolic!
AJAY: To appreciate how capitalism deviates from democracy is to 'delve' into the Sith.
LEO: The Sith believe in apprenticeship (just like the Jedi), but they espouse deception.
AJAY: Right; Sith principles about 'pragmatism' symbolize American fears about piracy.
LEO: We might want to look at those Sith lord doodles you found on the Internet, Ajay!
AJAY: Yes, the doodles (of Darth Vader and Darth Maul) symbolize 'social imagination.'
LEO: Sith fanfare and Star Wars folklore has become widespread among the 'people.'
AJAY: It's the 'people's imagination' where we can study capitalism/democracy complexity.
Ajay and Leo wanted to appreciate why the Sith Order, with its peculiar focus on the contours of betrayal, deception, fascism, terrorism, anarchy, violence, slavery, colonialism, and absolute martial law, reflected an American 'angst' towards the maddening hypocrisies that arise when capitalism comes 'at odds' with democracy. Ajay and Leo compared Sith dogma and Sith lords to the sociocultural history and economics of Bill Gates' Microsoft (software company giant in America). Microsoft was a big-time capitalism-driven company which exercised an arguably overbearing domination over the software market that compelled sociologists to ask, "Should free-market companies in a democracy be allowed grand powers?"
AJAY: Is Bill Gates like a Sith lord?
LEO: Well, maybe Gates is like Anakin Skywalker.
AJAY: Right, a Jedi with great power who is 'tempted' to become a fascist...
LEO: We can contrast Bill Gates from, say, a media-artist like Pee-Wee Herman!
AJAY: Right; Pee-Wee Herman might be tempted to become like Darth Maul.
LEO: That's because Darth Maul uses 'toys' to create anarchy and mischief.
AJAY: American intellectual freedoms create space for great 'liberal liberties.'
{Vader & Maul}
AJAY: The Internet-hacker is the new terrorist...
LEO: In that case, maybe the CIA has ties to Microsoft!
AJAY: Anything is possible; perhaps Bill Gates advises the NSA.
LEO: The NSA now has a cyber-securities division.
AJAY: Yes, Homeland Security now involves Internet-activities.
LEO: That's because communications/networking represents modernism!
AJAY: Well, Microsoft just might be the new Chrysler.
LEO: In that case, Bill Gates is like Darth Vader (arguably).
AJAY: Imagine if Gates works with the CIA about software securities.
LEO: Capitalism can make 'captains' who defy the 'boundaries' of democratic power.
AJAY: That's why we can use Sith folklore to appreciate American 'ethos.'
Ajay and Leo reasoned that the contradictions between capitalism (which promoted profiteerism) and democracy (which promoted complete teamwork) could be configured for sociological analysis of Microsoft's history in American economics and capitalism. Bill Gates would be a 'Sith avatar' for analysis of American ideals in the landscape where democracy was often 'negotiated' with capitalism interest (and ambitions!). Ajay and Leo decided to start writing a novel together about why Bill Gates was an analogous 'Sith diplomat' highlighting the lines between democracy and capitalism, since his company, Microsoft, was a 'modern tower' of the American Dream. Was this a 'Sith notebook' for Ajay and Leo to canonize?"
====
{Sith Dominion}
Lucas gave the world a space-opera vision of great kingdoms defended by a legion of valiant/symbolic galactic knights known as the 'Jedi' who contend with a terrorist/fascist evil (or 'dark side') dominion of rogue 'sentinels' and 'demons' known as the 'Sith.'
The Sith is what this thread is about, since it's the Sith that captures our American fascination with using storytelling/folklore to characterize the contours of darkness and enigma. We're interested in the Sith in America, since we want to understand the 'dark forces' that undermine the democracy-promoting ideas about teamwork, altruism, and fair-play.
The Sith were an 'off-shoot' of the Jedi in some ways, as some 'rebellious Jedi' betrayed the Jedi Order and started their own 'philosophy' which espoused individual glory over the benefit of entire galactic kingdoms. The Sith obviously have much to tell us about American complications regarding capitalism (which promotes individual success) and democracy (which promotes teamwork-oriented negotiations).
When we try to negotiate capitalism with democracy, we have to appreciate why teamwork is more valuable than individual glory, and individual gratification is a 'principle' espoused by the villainous Sith.
So, let's imagine that two media 'diplomats' --- a movie star (Leo DiCaprio) and a hypothetical/fictional Internet-blogging 'idealist' (named 'Ajay Satan') --- are evaluating the symbolic impact and social value of the Sith and Sith folklore in the American landscape and what we can learn about democracy/capitalism from Sith concepts and storyboards.
{Ajay & Leo}
====
"Ajay and Leo wanted to evaluate the contradictions between capitalism and democracy in America and what such contradictions meant for the American landscape. Ajay and Leo were intrigued by Sith folklore and Lucas's treatment of this offbeat philosophical conceptualization of the 'dark side' of governance. Star Wars had become a canon for American ideals, and the Sith represented all the fears regarding the disintegration of governance-values in the American rhetoric. Ajay and Leo wanted to understand/appreciate why/how the Sith Order represented a fragmentation between politics and philosophy.
AJAY: I found two silly fan-doodles on the Internet about two Sith lords.
LEO: You're an Internet-blogger/surfer, right?
AJAY: Right! I found you on an Internet chat-room talking about Star Wars!
LEO: You had no idea I was a movie-star intrigued by Lucas fanfare...
AJAY: It's a great pleasure meeting you, Leo!
LEO: Well, likewise, I'm interested in your civilian interests in American ideals.
AJAY: As an Internet-blogging democracy-analyst, I'm fascinated by the Sith.
LEO: Yes, the Sith Order is intriguing indeed...and quite symbolic!
AJAY: To appreciate how capitalism deviates from democracy is to 'delve' into the Sith.
LEO: The Sith believe in apprenticeship (just like the Jedi), but they espouse deception.
AJAY: Right; Sith principles about 'pragmatism' symbolize American fears about piracy.
LEO: We might want to look at those Sith lord doodles you found on the Internet, Ajay!
AJAY: Yes, the doodles (of Darth Vader and Darth Maul) symbolize 'social imagination.'
LEO: Sith fanfare and Star Wars folklore has become widespread among the 'people.'
AJAY: It's the 'people's imagination' where we can study capitalism/democracy complexity.
Ajay and Leo wanted to appreciate why the Sith Order, with its peculiar focus on the contours of betrayal, deception, fascism, terrorism, anarchy, violence, slavery, colonialism, and absolute martial law, reflected an American 'angst' towards the maddening hypocrisies that arise when capitalism comes 'at odds' with democracy. Ajay and Leo compared Sith dogma and Sith lords to the sociocultural history and economics of Bill Gates' Microsoft (software company giant in America). Microsoft was a big-time capitalism-driven company which exercised an arguably overbearing domination over the software market that compelled sociologists to ask, "Should free-market companies in a democracy be allowed grand powers?"
AJAY: Is Bill Gates like a Sith lord?
LEO: Well, maybe Gates is like Anakin Skywalker.
AJAY: Right, a Jedi with great power who is 'tempted' to become a fascist...
LEO: We can contrast Bill Gates from, say, a media-artist like Pee-Wee Herman!
AJAY: Right; Pee-Wee Herman might be tempted to become like Darth Maul.
LEO: That's because Darth Maul uses 'toys' to create anarchy and mischief.
AJAY: American intellectual freedoms create space for great 'liberal liberties.'
{Vader & Maul}
AJAY: The Internet-hacker is the new terrorist...
LEO: In that case, maybe the CIA has ties to Microsoft!
AJAY: Anything is possible; perhaps Bill Gates advises the NSA.
LEO: The NSA now has a cyber-securities division.
AJAY: Yes, Homeland Security now involves Internet-activities.
LEO: That's because communications/networking represents modernism!
AJAY: Well, Microsoft just might be the new Chrysler.
LEO: In that case, Bill Gates is like Darth Vader (arguably).
AJAY: Imagine if Gates works with the CIA about software securities.
LEO: Capitalism can make 'captains' who defy the 'boundaries' of democratic power.
AJAY: That's why we can use Sith folklore to appreciate American 'ethos.'
Ajay and Leo reasoned that the contradictions between capitalism (which promoted profiteerism) and democracy (which promoted complete teamwork) could be configured for sociological analysis of Microsoft's history in American economics and capitalism. Bill Gates would be a 'Sith avatar' for analysis of American ideals in the landscape where democracy was often 'negotiated' with capitalism interest (and ambitions!). Ajay and Leo decided to start writing a novel together about why Bill Gates was an analogous 'Sith diplomat' highlighting the lines between democracy and capitalism, since his company, Microsoft, was a 'modern tower' of the American Dream. Was this a 'Sith notebook' for Ajay and Leo to canonize?"
====
{Sith Dominion}
