Thirty years ago this week, the first of the Star Wars movies was released. The series tells the myth of good versus evil, light versus darkness, of fathers begin redeemed by sons, of the value of loyalty and friendship, and of doing what you feel in your heart and not following the logic of others.
Star Wars has become the film version of George Bush's foreign policy. In Star Wars and Bush's world, the world is divided into heroes and villains, with few neutrals.
As in Star Wars, Bush divides men between good and evil; those who agree with him have made their moral choices and created their own democratic destinies.
This higher power, which affects all actions, can be defined as both the certainty of theology, as well as the quasi-religious faith responsible for the spread of democratic belief. The strong religious fundamentalists at the base of Bush's support reinforce this view.
The force of the Jedi Knights and the Bush camp derives from their channeling of faith. Only those who agree with you have taken what Soren Kierkegaard has called, "the leap to faith," or, in the words of Joseph Campbell: "the perfect eye to see with."
Democrats and others who oppose your political philosophies are those without the imagination to understand this role of channeling personal power, to shape history.
The White House appears to sincerely believe, as do the Jedi, that all men face temptation, but you have to overcome your demons.
Bush, a recovering alcoholic, has been taught that he faces temptation every day, but only with positive action will he overcome his past demons. The same philosophy becomes the basis of his political actions. He has certainty, as long as he conquers the temptations of self-doubt and criticism.
Others cannot comprehend the use of this power. Only those with the power and the faith can truly comprehend the flow and potential of what history should be.
Those who support your decisions have the power. Your opponents lack this intuitive ability and faith and that is why you must lead the fight against al-Qaeda and the forces of terrorism.
As Bush has demonstrated, ignore any facts that do not fit with your innate intuition.
Evil is not to be personally feared as the Dark Side, but overcome by the certainty of your position and actions. This belief is that all men have the potential for evil within them, but those who agree with you have recognized the difference between good and evil.
Evil has been overcome with clarity and personal conviction. Iraq and other challenges will be successful because of your personal conviction and victory over this challenge.
You are certain in your decision making, and never blame your decisions. The greatest danger of the Bush administration is their immunity to listen to challenging concepts. In listening, your beliefs might be shown to be incorrect and error is only allowed in others. You cannot admit mistakes, because in your mind, mistakes were never factored in to the equation. America was perceived as being beyond error.
The myth of Star Wars is now thirty years old. The myth becomes dangerous when it is more than a movie, and actually becomes the policy of a major government.
By Todd Lefko
