26 years afterStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace,Star Warsfans are beginning to figure they may well owe George Lucas an apology. George Lucas always insistedStar Warsis for kids, but let’s face it; that makes some of his decisions absolutely weird. I’ll never forget doing a double-take when I first watched the opening scroll ofThe Phantom Menace, which starts by talking about tariffs and trade wars - hardly the most exciting thing kids want to watch.
Star Warsfans are beginning to admit the whole thing feels a little different now.
Tariffs and trade wars are about money, and money is power. Lucas - who always knewStar Warsis as politicalas real-world conflict - understood that. Now, 26 years later,Star Warsfans are beginning to get it.
Tariffs Were Political Back In 1999 Too
Here’s the really odd thing;tariffs were actually political all the way back in 1999 as well. On March 3 of that year, President Bill Clinton risked a transatlantic trade war with the EU when he imposed duties of 100% on $520 million worth of European products, including Waterford crystal and Italian pecorino cheese. This was Clinton’s response to an EU decision over banana exports. Yes, you read that right. Of course, what’s going on today is quite a bit bigger in scale.
I admit, back in 1999, all the talk of tariffs went over my head. All I knew was that theTrade Federationwere bad guys who threatened to overthrow the Republic, and they’d allied with a Sith Lord.
OK, We Get It Now George
The timing of all thisisrather amusing, though. Over in the MCU, Marvel celebrated Trump’s inauguration with a TV show about a crime boss becoming Mayor of New York and a movie in which the President turned into a rage monster with brightly-colored skin.Star Warswill continue this throughAndorseason 2, which is basically an exploration of the battle against fascism. I can’t help wondering whether Disney would have greenlit all this if they’d known Trump was going to win the election.
Still, one thing’s for sure;Star Warsfans really do owe George Lucas an apology.
