This just in: Rebel terrorists just blew up the Death Star..

[Pretender]

Fortunately, Lord Vader has escaped without harm. More at 11.



Seriously, how can the destruction of the Death Star be conveyed as heroic, when terrorists in 3rd world countries who try to blow up american cities or military installations are conveyed as evil and misguided? Am I analyzing this too much, am I a communist, or is it just an example of American hypocracy? Is there a difference between modern 'terorrism' and terrorism in the time of Star Wars?

 

[pulse8]

<< Fortunately, Lord Vader has escaped without harm. More at 11.



Seriously, how can the destruction of the Death Star be conveyed as heroic, when terrorists in 3rd world countries who try to blow up american cities or military installations are conveyed as evil and misguided? Am I analyzing this too much, am I a communist, or is it just an example of American hypocracy? Is there a difference between modern 'terorrism' and terrorism in the time of Star Wars? >>



It all depends on what side you're on. Anyway, watch Clerks for an interesting point on when they blew up the Death Star.

 

[RGN]

Blowin up the death star is like crushing Hitler's Third Reich. It was evil and not the will of the people (galaxy).

 

[yllus]

That was more of a civil war than an act of terrorism; the Emperor no longer spoke for a hell of a lot of member planets. So by definition, not terrorism.

And anyway, it's probably not in the best interest of member planets to let the Imperial forces create a weapon capable of blowing your planet to smithereens in one shot...its destruction was necessary.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Actually, Tim McVeigh used the Death Star as a metaphor for why it was OK to blow up the Murrah building. In his words, most of the people working on the Death Star were innocent employees, but since they were working to further an evil cause, it was OK to blow up the Death Star for the greater good.

 

[OS]

The Empire was a totalitarian dictatorship. The US is a democracy, or so they tell me.

 

[Pretender]

alright, good answers. I honestly didn't know the difference betw. the empire and the US since I didn't watch all the episodes (watched 1, 4, half of 5, and none of 6). I stand corrected

 

[JohnnyKnoxville]

You need to step away from the TV and get some air.Somehow Star Wars has warped your brain.

 

[Balt]

You don't have to understand the differences between the Empire and the United States to see the difference in the situation you propose.

Just ask yourself what the purpose of the Death Star was.
Answer: Destroy planets.

Purpose of US cities:
Answer: A habitat for people.

(Ultimate) Purpose of US military installations:
Provide for the defense of the United States.

They seem pretty dissimilar to me.

 

[Pretender]

<< You don't have to understand the differences between the Empire and the United States to see the difference in the situation you propose.

Just ask yourself what the purpose of the Death Star was.
Answer: Destroy planets.

Purpose of US cities:
Answer: A habitat for people.

(Ultimate) Purpose of US military installations:
Provide for the defense of the United States.

They seem pretty dissimilar to me. >>

Ah, but if you look at it from the Empire's POV:
Death Star - to eliminate any threats to their empire

US:
Remotely deployed ships - to retalliate against any threats quickly
Remote military installations - to retalliate or defend neighbors against any threats


The only difference is, when you watch the movie, you're in the rebel's point of view, you are destroying the 'evil empire'. When we live in real life, we're in the Death Star's point of view, and we have to defend ourselves.

The question is, who's right?

 

[GasX]

History is written by the winners

Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were political insurgents in their time.

The Boston Tea Party was a terrorist act.

 

[Aihyah]

yup, in clerks the guy talks about all the workers that died as collateral damage These workers were just civies.. musta been tens of thousands considering the size of those deathstars.

 

[ShotgunSteven]

<< yup, in clerks the guy talks about all the workers that died as collateral damage These workers were just civies.. musta been tens of thousands considering the size of those deathstars. >>



&quot;You think your average StormTrooper knows how to install a toilet main? All they know is killing and white uniforms!&quot;

-Randall

 

[GasX]

Storm Troopers know killing?

How come they always miss? They couldn't kill the side of a barn.

 

[goshdarnindie]

Tell that to the Jawas Mwilding

 

[Angrymarshmello]

<< Ah, but if you look at it from the Empire's POV:
Death Star - to eliminate any threats to their empire

US:
Remotely deployed ships - to retalliate against any threats quickly
Remote military installations - to retalliate or defend neighbors against any threats


The only difference is, when you watch the movie, you're in the rebel's point of view, you are destroying the 'evil empire'. When we live in real life, we're in the Death Star's point of view, and we have to defend ourselves. >>



That's the wrong analogy to make. The US having nukes is equivalent to the Death Star. (The Death Star is a weapon of mass destruction - ships blow up buildings with cruiser missles - not even close to the same thing) And correct me if I'm wrong, but almost every civilized country in the world has nukes. And the Emperor and the Death Star was like a school yard bully - he just takes what he wants and destroys anything that stands in his way. The US only defends itself against terrorists and such.

 

[kbm5]

<< Storm Troopers know killing?

How come they always miss? They couldn't kill the side of a barn. >>



They just couldn't hit the lead actors or the ewoks.

 

[GasX]

I'll reiterate my above post:

History is written by the winners

Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were political insurgents in their time.

The Boston Tea Party was a terrorist act.

 

[Doboji]

Lets examine the definition of Terrorism... I think we're confusing a rebel military action with terrorism.

Terrorism is an act of force deployed against non-combatants specifically. The death star was a military installation, and therefor the attack on the deathstar was a military action. Furthermore the rebels were an organized military battling against another military which furthers that it was not a terrorist activity.

Take israel as an example... the bombing attack on the Disco in Tel Aviv was clearly a terrorist activety, while shooting and throwing hand grenades at IDF military posts is not.

-Max

 

[Amused]

<< Storm Troopers know killing?

How come they always miss? They couldn't kill the side of a barn. >>



That's the one thing that always bugged me about Star Wars. You'd think with all that technology, they'd at LEAST be able to invent a decent targeting system and longer range weapons for their star fighters. I mean, look at us with today's technology, the dog fight is dead. Fighter planes most often don't even have visual contact with the enemy when they engage them.

 

[Amused]

<< Lets examine the definition of Terrorism... I think we're confusing a rebel military action with terrorism.

Terrorism is an act of force deployed against non-combatants specifically. The death star was a military installation, and therefor the attack on the deathstar was a military action. Furthermore the rebels were an organized military battling against another military which furthers that it was not a terrorist activity.

Take israel as an example... the bombing attack on the Disco in Tel Aviv was clearly a terrorist activety, while shooting and throwing hand grenades at IDF military posts is not.

-Max >>



So the bombing of the Marine Barracks in the middle east was war, not terrorism?

And the fire bombing of German cities in WWII was terrorism, not war?

 

[Tauren]

Anytime oppressors are defeated, it's a GOOD thing. When someone is trying to help and a small group of extremists prevents that from happening, it is a BAD thing.

 

[Doboji]

<< So the bombing of the Marine Barracks in the middle east was war, not terrorism? >>



Yes as much as I loathe to admit it... that was a leitimate military action.



<< And the fire bombing of German cities in WWII was terrorism, not war? >>



Well yes it was terrorism really... the objective here was to terrify the German civillian population in order to end the war... so yes it was terrorism.

Killing people is always a difficult moral issue when it's facing you directly... simply labeling it as terrorism-bad or military action-good... doesnt encompass the full feeling of the situation.

-Max

 

[Tauren]

Doboji - what color is the sky in YOUR world?????!!!!!

 

[Optimus]

Well, it was a rebellion much like the one the Americans had against the oppressive British all those years ago. It was also self defense, remember - the Death Star was mere seconds away from destroying the entire Rebel base in ANH, and the fleet in RotJ.


BTW, the funniest line in all of Star Wars:

&quot;...only Imperial Storm Troopers are so precise...&quot;
-Ben Kenobi