Is it worth it?

July 26, 2004 9:41 PM

"You know, Luke Skywalker was able to kill the Death Star with his beleaguered band of warriors, but I'm not sure that that's the model we should shoot for -- shoot the thing down the middle of the tube and hope it blows up the Death Star. We need to build our own answer to the Death Star.'' The beginning of the end for the Democratic Party, at least in name? (And what will take its place? Is the Republic turning into the Empire?)
posted by Tlogmer (24 comments total)

I'd just like to point out that I saw John McCain pioneer the use of Galactic Empire metaphors back in 1999, when he said he was like Luke Skywalker trying to fight his way out of the Death Star (an under-referenced part of the Battle of Yavin)
posted by inksyndicate at 9:48 PM on July 26, 2004

Just to put a comment in, that article was for me simultaneously exciting (revitilizing the left, etc.) and depressing -- still more efficient control of the democratic process by small, private interests, if ones I agree with.
posted by Tlogmer at 10:08 PM on July 26, 2004

It is an interesting article. I'd like to comment that the Democratic Party has NEVER been particularly interesting to me in my lifespan as a voter, this year will be my 5th Prez election, but has usually been the lesser of two evils party.

and, no, I am not talking about quibbling over campaign issues but rather structure and use of power issues.

So I am all for revisioning the way these things work. I am unsure if this would be the best way, but things are stagnated right now...
posted by edgeways at 10:13 PM on July 26, 2004

Frankly, I think the closest resemblance in recet world events to a rag-tag bunch of rebels blowing up the Death Star was 9/11.
posted by scarabic at 10:21 PM on July 26, 2004

Is the Republic turning into the Empire?

Yes.
posted by majcher at 11:59 PM on July 26, 2004

OBL = Jedi Master?

You're blowing my mind here.
posted by Pseudoephedrine at 12:15 AM on July 27, 2004

What this article seems to say to me, as an outsider, is the shocking degree to which American politics are in thrall to corporate interests. Republican, Democrat, one's slightly more palatable than the other, but basically, you never feel that either party has the interests of the common man and woman at heart. It's all about the moolah.
posted by salmacis at 12:57 AM on July 27, 2004

salmacis, I got the same feeling. I felt as Tlogmer did, as well - this article was simultaneously kind of encouraging and depressing. The venture capitalist model they're talking about could and probably will revitalize the Democratic party, if not eliminate it altogether, and I'm all for that - Kerry has always been the "at least he's not Bush" candidate for me, and mainstream Democrats seem to care more about appeasement than progress. But I'm left wondering if fighting money with money will ultimately hurt democracy in America rather than help it.
posted by RylandDotNet at 1:11 AM on July 27, 2004

Bah, democracy is just a bloated carcass floating on a sea of blood and money, right next to bloated corpses of fascism and communism.

The Democrats sure can't resuscitate it.
posted by cmonkey at 1:15 AM on July 27, 2004

OBL = Jedi Master?

If there's any way for me to extend the similie without approving of OBL or the attacks, then let me draw a couple of comparisons:

1) religiously driven, believes first and foremost in invisible forces that underlie the universe
2) believes a totalitarian, genocidal bureaucracy is tightening its grip on the world/universe
3) inspires a guerilla underground that seeks to destroy its power center, using only small, light weaponry
4) almost all of the pilots die in the attack

I don't like the implications any more than anyone else, not least because they border on giving Star Wars a bad taste.
posted by scarabic at 1:15 AM on July 27, 2004

This article

..essentially makes the case that a handful of [Republican] families -- Scaife, Bradley, Olin, Coors and others -- laid the foundation for a $300 million network of policy centers, advocacy groups and media outlets that now wield great influence over the national agenda. The network, as Stein diagrams it, includes scores of powerful organizations -- most of them with bland names like the State Policy Network and the Leadership Institute -- that he says train young leaders and lawmakers and promote policy ideas on the national and local level. These groups are, in turn, linked to a massive message apparatus, into which Stein lumps everything from Fox News and the Wall Street Journal op-ed page to Pat Robertson's ''700 Club.'' And all of this, he contends, is underwritten by some 200 ''anchor donors.'' ''This is perhaps the most potent, independent institutionalized apparatus ever assembled in a democracy to promote one belief system,''

..and then goes on to say how the Democrats need to do the same thing and how they are doing it through Soros and others, although diffrently in a way that could lead to the emergence of a viable 3rd party and the collapse of the Democratic party.

''When you go out and talk to them, people are much more interested in something like MoveOn.org than in the Democratic Party,'' Ickes said. ''It has cachet. There is no cachet in the Democratic Party.

posted by stbalbach at 1:54 AM on July 27, 2004

But Luke Skywalker was brave! And Mohamed Atta was a coward! A coward, I tell you! A coward!

And George VaderBush killing people from a safe distance with the power of his mind (Cheney) is a hero! A hero, I tell you! A hero!
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 4:45 AM on July 27, 2004

I love it! Although there's nothing worse in principal than multi-millionaires who, out of guilt or mommy issues, want to raise my taxes and go soft on savages who can't get through their private security, but, in practice, I'd much prefer that the left faction of American politics be led by venture capitalists and hedge fund managers than by the current set of bosses who either don't know, or don't care, about anything having to do with private sector enterprise.
posted by MattD at 5:39 AM on July 27, 2004

I don't like the implications any more than anyone else, not least because they border on giving Star Wars a bad taste.

The subsequent market action figures to kids series that Star Wars has become has already soured it.
posted by juiceCake at 8:03 AM on July 27, 2004

Sooo..... is Iraq the Forest Moon of Endor? Are Iraqis cute teddy bear Ewoks? I'm so confused with this comparison!
posted by Stan Chin at 8:05 AM on July 27, 2004

Nice piece. I'd love to see that PowerPoint presentation.

However, I don't see Republican hegemony being overcome by liberals/progressives. It will only come about by the moderates joining a charismatic and optimistic leader with a vision that coopts the "America is great" mantra of the Right with the fiscal responsibility of the middle and the guarantee of civil rights of the left.

So where is this candidate? According to the article s/he isn't coming soon.
posted by infowar at 8:39 AM on July 27, 2004

with a vision that coopts the "America is great" mantra of the Right

Because self-congratulatory back-patting, even (especially?) when it isn't warranted, always sells. Flattery, doubly so.
posted by rushmc at 8:52 AM on July 27, 2004

Exactly. People like to feel good about themselves and their neighbors/community.

I was speaking to a Continental last night that has living in the US for the past 20 years. Although not a Repub follower he said he liked Reagan because he was an optimist and brought out a hope in people that is not usually seen in politics.

And despite what some people think, America is great. It is far from perfect, can always be improved, but running down something and failing to see the positive side is self defeating. I'm not talking about a particular event or incident like Abu Ghraib, what I am talking about is presenting the positive aspects of an idea like democracy or liberty.

I'm certainly no right winger, but if your group constantly disparages something withoutu offering a better option then you aren't going anywhere.
posted by infowar at 9:44 AM on July 27, 2004

Majcher, those pics are really horrifying. What's happened to my country, land of the free, home of the brave ?? I guess the terrorists did win after all. Shouldn't your link be a front page post ??
posted by marsha56 at 10:14 AM on July 27, 2004

The Ewoks are rather "swarthy".
posted by Pseudoephedrine at 10:32 AM on July 27, 2004

Majcher, those pics are really horrifying. What's happened to my country, land of the free, home of the brave ??

WTO Seattle happened.
posted by goethean at 12:15 PM on July 27, 2004

I guess the terrorists did win after all. Shouldn't your link be a front page post ??

It should be, but I try to avoid posting political stuff to the front page, myself. If someone else wants to, though, there's plenty of material there. It just saddens me that now, right before we have the chance to kick the current batch of treacherous thugs out of office, the "good guys" have to go and exhibit the same fascist-state type of behavior that we've been complaining about for the last three years.
posted by majcher at 12:21 PM on July 27, 2004

See also: (self link, translastion map - this was a lot funnier a year ago, before new folks came in, and they changed the images all around)
posted by majcher at 12:28 PM on July 27, 2004

Yeah, I posted this link in another thread. I think the article is fascinating-- and I'd like to see if it's possible. The Republican machine in action is pretty depressing to someone like me.
posted by nath at 3:01 PM on July 27, 2004