Beltway Banthas

Hello Banthas! I hope you had a great holiday weekend. The episode for this month tackles the political intrigue of The Mandalorian, whose recent episode offered some new insights on the troubles of governing a galaxy. There's a lot to chew on and it's important, not just for understanding Star Wars lore but for grappling with our own world's political disorder. 

We start off with a talk on government in a galaxy far, far away. After that, Brian Silliman (SYFY WIRE + Jabba The Pod) joins the show.

Election Day is upon us. ALL WINGS REPORT IN! On this months edition of the Beltway Banthas Roundtable, Stephen Kent is joined by Joe Tavano and Gabby Martin to ready for the 2020 election and break down our most recent episode. David French recently joined the podcast to explain why "Federalism" might be America's only salvation as polarization rips the union the asunder, and Stephen likened the stakes of our politics to a Death Star level threat. The panel will discuss this idea in-depth.

Did you hear? The U.S. presidential election next week is the most important election of our lifetime. Maybe that's true. But it's been said of every election since Reagan and beyond. Why does politics feel this way? Are the stakes supposed to always feel existential, or like life and death? Beltway Banthas explores this through the Star Wars lens with special guest DAVID FRENCH (The Dispatch) author of a new book, Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation.

In this special broadcast of Beltway Banthas, host Stephen Kent and producer Riley Blanton react to Republican Senator Mike Lee's mention of Star Wars' Galactic Senate to describe Court-Packing. Why did he say this? Slate seems to suggest it's a lowkey expression of Lee's disdain for diversity and pluralistic government, but does that sort of miss the point? 

We break it down in this short episode of the podcast!

On this roundtable follow up to our most recent episode, "Does liberty always die in thunderous applause?" politicos Nick Dicolandrea and Danielle Adams rejoin Beltway Banthas to discuss the show. The panel grapples with the idea that democracy could die in the United States with barely a whimper, and why the political lessons of Star Wars still remain so poignant. 

Panel:

Stephen Kent @Stephen_kent89

Danielle Adams @DanielleAdamsNC

Nick Dicolandrea @NickDico

 

"So this how liberty dies...with thunderous applause." There is so much of that line by Padme in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, that is timeless and true. But what if America's democratic crisis is more complicated and harder to even see? Featuring expert guest insights from Ilya Somin (George Mason University) and Prof. Seth Masket (University of Denver), this episode breaks down what Star Wars teaches us, and what it doesn't.

Hello Banthas! We have some important updates about the podcast to share with you. Exciting news to be sure. In this broadcast, you'll get a quick primer on what we're working on and why! The podcast is about to undergo a major transformation and we hope you'll be part of it. 

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**NEWSLETTER SIGNUP: Star Wars, politics and more

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YOUTUBE VIDEO:

https://youtu.be/cXSsxgB88Us

Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is a movie about control, and what happens when someone with a great deal of power cannot bear the idea of living with unpredictability. It's relatable. We all want a certain degree of control over our lives and destinies. 15 years after Revenge of the Sith and its message about control and safety vs security...what can we take from it that applies to the world today?

Star Wars author E.K. Johnston just put out her latest book on Padme, "Queens Peril". This new canon novel takes a look at Padme's rise the political power on Naboo and the days leading up to the Droid Invasion of Star Wars: Episode I. E.K and Stephen talk Naboo politics, how real-world principles over trade and immigration impact a galaxy, far, far away and what Padme teaches us about the virtue humility.

Kat Rosenfield wrote for Reason Magazine a feature piece on how Star Wars' three trilogies aligns almost perfectly with the politics of the time they were made in. What makes the sequel trilogy so unique, Episodes VII-IX, is that their chaotic nature almost mirrors the era we live in today.