#jedi politics

[duck-in-distress]

The only thint that felt really out of character to me was anakin's reaction (or lack thereof) to Slick's speech in "the Hidden enemy".

Isn’t it weird and by weird I mean hypocritical that the Jedi found value in saving Clones, who were made to be disposable, but they couldn’t be bothered to save Shmi, Anakin’s actual mother?

It depends on what you meant by jedi putting value in saving clones. though it’s true most Jedi would do everything they could to save their men during battles, the ugly truth remains that, as an order, they did very little for the clones. 

The was no attempt to given them citizen status;

“I don’t feel like a Republic citizen, because none of us are, in case you hadn’t noticed. We don’t exist. No vote, no identification docs, no rights.” — Fi (Clone Trooper) in Star Wars - Republic Commando: True Colors by Karen Traviss

“He’s not a citizen. He’s a clone soldier.” “I know. And?” “We have no agreement for long-term care with the Grand Army. In fact, as far as the Republic is concerned this patient doesn’t exist, and as he’s been declared brain-dead by the duty neurosurgical team, we would normally terminate life support, except he’s still breathing, which is highly abnormal.” The droid paused as if to check if Besany was following its train of logic with her inadequate organic brain. “Withdrawal of life support in his case means withdrawal of hydration or feeding, or both.” “Starving him to death, for us lay-beings.” “Indeed. This is clearly ethically undesirable, so euthanasia will be administered.” Besany thought she’d misheard, but she hadn’t. “No,” she said, hearing her voice as if she were standing outside herself. “No, it will not be administered. I’ll get his care authorized. In fact, I’ll get him moved to private care.”Did I hear that right? Do they really put patients down like that? Like sick pets? “He’s Grand Army property, so unless you have a Defense requisition, you can’t take possession of him.” “He’s a human being.” [Star Wars - Republic Commando: True Colors by Karen Traviss]

There was no plans for their future post-war.

“[Darman]’d once asked Etain what would happen to the clone troops when the war was over—when they won. He couldn’t think about losing. Where would they go? How would they be rewarded? She didn’t know. The fact that he didn’t know, either, fed a growing uneasiness.” — Darman (Clone Trooper) and Etain Tur-Mukan (Jedi Knight) in Star Wars - Republic Commando: True Colors by Karen Traviss

There was no freedom (clones weren’t allowed to leave the GAR).

While Vau slept and Ordo piloted the ship, Skirata admired the haul for a while, imagining all the safehouses, escape routes, and new beginnings it could buy for clones who decided they’d completed their service to the Republic. He wasn’t encouraging desertion. He was liberating slaves.”— Kal Skirata in Star Wars - Republic Commando: True Colors by Karen Traviss

There was no respect for dead or injuried clones:

That careful comment meant a great deal in political code if the listener wanted to interpret it. Skeenah seemed to. “Yes, I’ve asked repeatedly about casualties—the medical field units are woefully inadequate, and I can’t find out what happens to those killed in action. To the best of my knowledge, the bodies aren’t recovered. There’s no heroes’ return for these poor men. So if you see large sums allocated to clone welfare, I can assure you there’s no sign of it being used to that end.” Star Wars - Republic Commando: True Colors by Karen Traviss

“You might know, then, what happens to them.” “In what sense?” “When they’re wounded but can’t return to active duty. You see, I can find out what happens on the Rimsoo medical stations—or at least I get some limited answers from the Defense staff—but I’m getting no answers about the men who can’t be patched up and sent back.” […] “I would imagine they die,” Besany said. “The army seems to go to a lot of trouble to send them back.” “Ah, but life isn’t that tidy,” Skeenah said. He lowered his voice, even though the doors were shut. “There’ll be injuries that a man can survive, but that means he’ll never be fit for service again. I can’t seriously believe something like that hasn’t happened in more than a year of this war. And yet there are no homes for these men, who must surely exist, and we know they don’t end up being cared for by family—because they have none. So where do they go?” Besany didn’t even want to think about it, but she had to. The only answer she could think of right then was that the most badly injured who might otherwise have been saved were left to die. But some mobile surgical units had Jedi advisers. No Jedi would let such a thing happen … would they? 

They were property, bought like livestock and no jedi ever questioned it.

“He wanted to ask her why only a handful of Jedi objected to a slave army, and why they could claim to believe in the sanctity of all life and yet treat some life as being exempt from that respect.” — Star Wars - Republic Commando: True Colors by Karen Traviss

“‘Explain something to me, littl’un,’ Rex said. Maybe he could have asked Skywalker this same question, but something told him it was a bad idea. ‘What’s the difference between Jedi who fall to the dark side, and do whatever it is that dark siders do, and Jedi who just let bad things happen on their watch?’ He really wanted to know.” — Rex and Ahsoka | The Clone Wars: No Prisoners by Karen Traviss

Considering how clones were treated it makes sense there was no attempt to free the slaves on Tatooine. And it’s not just about Shmi. There were numerous CHILD SLAVES on the planet and the only child they ever tried to rescue was the son of the guy enslaving them.

The Jedi Order was focused on the bigger picture, they can look away if it might work in favor of the greater good. and that’s the exact mentality Palpatine used against them.

[stealingpotatoes]

Did cal ever realize anakin is vader? Cause I can just imagine him excitedly talking about the hero with no fear from his childhood and then the other 3 just looking at each other deciding who’s gonna tell him

i think you're forgetting one important fact about cal...

(commission info // tip jar!)

[khryptid]

Missing the days where the Jedi Order used moxie, the power of Friendship™, a good deal of wit, and a lack of common sense to get shit done in the galaxy

[newgrean]

A companion piece to this post

Image description below the cut!

ID: A digital comic of Shaak Ti leaning on a library desk, arms crossed, with a cup of boba tea in her right hand. She has a relaxed, slightly amused look on her face and is speaking to Jocasta Nu who is on the other side of the desk. Master Nu has one arm resting on the desk and the other hand on her hip. She is smiling and has one eyebrow raised at Shaak Ti. Shaak Ti asks, "Hey girl. Got anything on sentience qualifications or cloning ethics?" Master Nu replies, "Do you even have to ask?"

[raleighrador]

I actually thought this was, given her options, a politically savvy move by Rwoh.

It allows her to characterise the event as a freak outlier that no one could predict and won’t happen again. It also allows her to demonstrate that the Jedi are capable of resolving any such problems.

In effect it allows her to say “Rayencourt’s concerns have already been dealt with - he was worried about a Jedi snapping and who would stop them. Turns out, the Jedi can already do that.”

It shifts the burning platform from “some poorly defined future harm AND an undefined solution” to “I think we can all agree this is working sufficiently”.

The alternative is: there’s 2 half trained force sensitises who are capable of killing Jedi masters and then evading them. That by definition is a problem the Jedi haven’t solved (at least not yet) and opens the door for further oversight, shared task forces etc. it’s not longer solely “Jedi business”.

It also means they don’t have to tell the truth - which is that a very standard Jedi mission (of which there are dozens or hundreds of at anyone time) had an unplanned interaction with a local population (again, presumably very common), they found force sensitive children (also standard) and this resulted in a conflict that killed 50 people and resulted in a cover up.

The idea that Jedi “business as usual” can go so badly wrong is a far stronger argument for some kind of systemic review and overhaul than a rogue actor who never harmed anyone except other corrupt Jedi.

One more thing I'll say regarding The Acolyte is how stupid Rwoh's cover up story is.

She knows that Rayencourt holds some pretty hardcore anti Jedi views, so why frame Sol for the murders? Doesn't that give Rayencourt more ammo to level at The Order? Wouldn't it have made more sense to pin the murders on Osha and Mae? Seeing as Osha's failed Jedi background could be used as the perfect motive?

Did she really think that pinning the murders on Sol would ease Rayencourt's anti Jedi worldviews? Because if anything, he's going to work even harder to take The Order down now that he believes that a Jedi master is responsible for the murders of various Jedi.

The more I try to make sense of this show's writing the more my head hurts.

[mearchy]

You think THIS site and THIS generation have no media literacy? Guys I read a twitter conversation yesterday between middle aged men where among other things they said the fascist allegory in the Star Wars prequels is the Jedi. That the Jedi having a strict code makes them “arguably fascist.” My god. Award for the least media comprehension on God’s green earth goes to cishet boomer sci-fi fans.

[aaeeart]

this scene in Rebel Resolve 🤭 let's ignore what happens next <3

[short-wooloo]

Another way I realized the opinion that "the Jedi got too involved in Republic politics" is stupid:

How in the fuck are they supposed to be effective at their job of peacekeeper-diplomats if they aren't involved in politics?

You can't eat your cake and have it too! No one listens to people who have no political authority!

Politics involves you, whether or not you're involved in politics!

[shapelytimber]

not sure if you've answered this before but for the sapphic au... how did leia and luke get made if their parents are both cis ? are they force babies, created by anakin meddling with the force just as sidious did and thereby killing padme? or maybe they just went to star wars sperm bank idk. desperately curious to see if you have an explanation in mind or if they just kind of popped into existence (sorry I just get wrapped up in silly details with everything)

Oh am I glad you asked !

Only hole in my flawless explanation..... There is no way in hell Anakin in topping regularly in this relationship. So gotta assume the moment they tried to switch it up a bit they got magic stap babies.

[obiwanwhat]

Obsessed with the fact that the Ahsoka show is setting up both Jedi and Sith parallels for Baylan and Shin. Their first scene is an inverted version of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's first scene in TPM. The scene where Shin sends out a probe droid mirrors Maul's probe droid scene on Tatooine. Shin has a padawan braid, one of the most visible physical symbols of a Jedi. Their blades are a odd red-orange that don't quite look like traditional Sith blades but certainly don't look like Jedi blades. Baylan used to be a Jedi, and still remembers old Jedi codes. It's such a fascinating mix of signals, and I'm so excited to see where they go with it.

[stealingpotatoes]

luke who do you think you're hiding this from

(donation doodles! // tip jar)

[this-acuteneurosis]

Up for Debate

In spite of all the machinations and plots, Leia feels like she's getting somewhere.

[helbrides]

political thriller where padme and dooku are besties/toxic mentor-mentee/weird grandpa-adopted kid in a leo mcgarry + josh lyman style. padme accepts dooku’s offer in a sudden move because she’s sick of the chancellor and finds anakin fascinating but unnerving. dooku is all like “oh my evil plan is working” but they both slowly realize that they’re fucked once dooku and padme realize the scale of palpatine’s ambitions. dooku as a way for padme to express rebellion against the chancellor and the failing republic by sneaking secrets and helping the CIS. padme as a way for dooku to have a second chance and the hopefulness of the youth. leftist infighting. kotor influences and the understanding of the failures of the jedi in being tied so intimately w the senate. “we will watch your career with great interest.” is this anything???

[autistic-ben-tennyson]

A rant about Jedi Stans from an ex-Jedi fangirl

After some time I've had to reflect on my own behavior as well as my time in the pro Jedi fandom, I decided it's time to call this shit out. Some people take it really personal if someone criticized your favorite characters or their beliefs. Ironically, you all act more like the Sith than the Jedi with how obsessive you can be and insisting any criticism is equal to wanting genocide.

I'm going to start by saying I was in the pro jedi fandom for a few months. Truth be told, I was using it as an outlet for some of my anger issues with my hate towards Anakin, seeing him as similar to a lot of people I've had to deal with. Some of it was wanting more followers and fear of being disliked by the majority. I would pick fights with Anakin fans and was a bit of an asshole and I apologize for that. I still don't like him but no longer HATE him. Seeing how fandoms treat abuse victims who aren't perfect angels like Shinji Ikari or Lapis Lazuli has caused me to loosen up a bit. Many Jedi stans would probably hate those characters for not being “perfect” victims. In retrospect, this wasn't a good community for me. It was very puritanical and I often felt like I was wrong for enjoying media that went against the beliefs Jedi Stans put on a pedestal. Three of my favorite ships (Madohomu, Reishin and Hodaka x Hina) involve "burning the world for one person" and I felt like I couldn't talk about them without being a hypocrite. That and me agreeing less and less with Luca's beliefs pushed me to leave.

It's fine to enjoy a fictional character and defend them if you feel that they're being unfairly criticized. I've done it myself and have written essays defending my faves. The problem is that Jedi stans don't know when to stop. So many are quick to compare the Jedi to minority religions or marginalized groups as a shield against criticism, not recognizing how insulting that can be. Jewish, asian and aroace people are the ones normally used due to the Jedi beliefs being based off Eastern religions as well as Judaism as well as some aroace people identifying with the Jedi.

One thing I noticed about Jedi stans is their similarities to Jumblr which is full of religious chauvinism reworded to sound progressive. Many of them talk about how the Jedi shouldn't have to change their traditions with the times or to accommodate a few individuals like Anakin or Ahsoka. This can be similar to how a lot of people are quick to defend minority religions from outside criticism based on how they were treated by Christian colonists or missionaries. The problem is that this can veer right into ableist or queerphobic territory. You know who else believe that their religion shouldn't have to change with the times to accommodate people? Conservative Christians who hate being told to be affirming of LGBTQ people. Also, schools and parents/guardians do have a responsibility to accommodate kids with disabilities, mental health issues or trauma, even if it may be inconvenient or force you to bend the rules. Claiming they need to just suck it up is honestly disgusting.

This was all a big reason for why I left this garbage pit of a fandom. While there are some who hate the Jedi because they stan the empire or think people need 50s nuclear families to live fulfilling lives, not everyone does that. Believe it or not, some people have faced abuse and bigotry under Judaism and Buddhism. People can also criticize how Lucas presented their beliefs as some Buddhists think he didn't do a good job. Libsoftiktok is a vile transphobe, an Orthodox Jew and her beliefs are said to be fairly common in her community. Many people of color identify with the clones and dislike how even the nicer Jedi treated them. When Obi Wan told Anakin, "It's okay to have romantic feelings, but you must let them pass," that hits different for queer people who have been told similar things from "polite" homophobes. Some queer people do choose celibacy like Side B christians which is fine as long as they don't treat it as a moral failure to want a relationship. There are many neurodivergent people who don't like the Jedi beliefs as they hit close to home. Lucas may have not intended to come off as ableist but the Jedi did with their beliefs about negative emotions. To some people, platitudes like "just let go" aren't helpful and treating it as bad for not living up to those principles is gross.

I deleted the post, but a while back I made a post asking a popular pro jedi blogger their views on adoption since they claimed Anakin not viewing the Jedi as his "found family" was a moral failure. I found their response to be tone deaf and insulting. I responded in a decent way of course, but felt a bit judged and unhappy for wanting to know my birth mother. Adoptees are another set of people this fandom is insensitive and gross to. The Kenobi series I find insulting for that reason too, having Leia be a foil for Anakin and Obi Wan romanticize his recruitment as a child.

Jedi fans are also shitty to those with religious trauma and who faced abuse. Accusing anyone who criticizes the Jedi of projecting their issues with Christianity while simultaneously talking like conservatives as shown above. Tumblr in general has a weird habit of treating religion as if it’s either conservative evangelicalism, liberal reform Judaism and some vague pagan or eastern spirituality with little nuance. Some Jedi stans really come from a place of privilege. Claiming "they can just leave" is insulting to real religious abuse survivors who were raised with harmful beliefs like creationism or homophobia. I'm no antitheist but treating non christian religion as inherently progressive dismisses a lot of people's experiences.

Let's be real, the writing in this franchise was always a bit sloppy. Lucas's issue was wanting to simultaneously create both a black-and-white morality tale for kids based on the fairy tales and serials he grew up and a deep socio-political commentary about the Vietnam and Iraq wars which required some morally grey themes. Thus, along with his terrible dialogue that made the characters seem unlikable, is why the fandom is so divided over whether he intended people to agree with the prequel Jedi.

To wrap this up, I found the pro jedi fandom to be a terrible experience. It was a mix of faux progressivism mixed with fear of judgement for disagreeing. I ended up editing a post I made, and eventually deleted, comparing Yoda with Garnet from SU because I included a tiny bit of criticism and didn't want to get backlash. As long as it’s not gross or bigoted criticism of your favorite characters isn't the end of the world. People don't have to like George Lucas or his beliefs and put them on a pedestal. I feel like the fandom's worship of George comes in response to OT purists who claimed he "raped their childhoods" but there's fair criticism to be made. Just like how not everyone who criticizes Disney SW or any Disney media in general is an "anti woke" grifter. To the pro jedi fans reading this, here's a suggestion. Just block and ignore people, write an essay if you feel it's important, but don't act like an entitled bully if a blog or even a SW writer disagrees with the Jedi, interprets the story differently or criticizes your favorite characters.

[podsn]

Thrawn was annoyed with Ahsoka. Wait till he finds out he just went back to the galaxy where Anakin’s SON is the grandmaster jedi 💀

[short-wooloo]

Y'know, one of the reasons I really find the whole "Jedi being a part of the Republic bad because they playing politics" to be stupid is there's this unstated (well, not really) assumption that if the Jedi weren't part of the Republic then there would be no politics....

That's not how politics work bro

If anything the politicking would probably be worse