May the fourth be with you!

I thought I’d do a special Star Wars post for you all, not least because May 4 fell on a Sunday this year but because of how timely and relevant I believe my thoughts are on the series. And I’ll begin by voicing a deeply unpopular opinion: I love the Prequels, better than the original trilogy even! Sue me. Seriously, I’ll die on this hill, and I’ll tell you why: because the prequels are, above all, not a plucky, all-American tale of resistance against a hostile empire but a tragedy. And I love a good tragedy—not because I love sadness, mind you, but because of how enlightening they tend to be.

The Prequels (The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith) are ultimately the story of Anakin Skywalker’s moral fall to the dark side, becoming the Darth Vader we know and love from episodes 4–6. I’m not going to lie, despite the fact that I love the Prequels, it can be kinda painful watching the hormonal temper tantrums that eventually begat Vader. (But, having been a hormonal teenage boy myself, I can’t say I wouldn’t have turned to the dark side either, if the alternative was losing Natalie Portman.) Temper tantrums aside, though, what’s especially interesting about Anakin’s story isn’t the tried-and-true tale of how light and dark lurk within us all. No; rather, it’s how his own moral failing led to the fall of democracy.

Ultimately, it was Anakin’s choice—driven by his own (admittedly) selfish desires—to kill Windu and spare the Sith Lord, Palpatine. And this, in turn, led to Palpatine following through with his plan to reorganise the Galactic Republic into a dictatorial empire. I’m sure you know where I’m going with this….

Anakin was the “useful idiot” of Star Wars. His own valid concerns about the safety and well-being of his wife and future children were exploited by a monomaniacal, evil overlord-in-waiting. And damn, did he ever get a taste of “fuck around and find out.” Things did not end well for him. And this year, more than most years, I’ll bet there’s a lot of people feeling the same kind of buyer’s remorse.

These last three months have been a long year. So far, 2025 has undoubtedly been a rough time for anyone of conscience who has any political awareness whatsoever. Without naming names, in the country of the south of mine, there have been many people who voted for a certain so-and-so who may have regretted their vote. Many regret it for the wrong reasons, I’m sure, but many, too, probably regret it for the right reasons. Some will have learned nothing and have doubled-down. Then there’s people who were never on that train and they are naturally horrified, as they always have been.

Now, I’m not about to suggest that our situation in the world is exactly like Star Wars. But I do bring it up on Star Wars day for a reason: Anakin’s story is a reminder that our choices can affect our political realities. There is a limit to this, of course. There are plenty of ways in which people are disenfranchised or dis-empowered from having an impact. I’m not suggesting we’re omnipotent or that we can/should skewer our Sidious with a lightsabre to end it all for good! But there are things we can do.

First, vote, if you can. Go to protests/rallies. Get involved in cooperatives or volunteer with social services or political initiatives you believe in to better your communities. Speak out, spread the word among your friends. Organise. Write to your representatives. Do something, even something small. I could quote The Lorax, which is perfectly inspirational for this sort of thing, but I’ll instead quote the Queen of Naboo (from Star Wars, Ep. II): “The day we stop believing democracy can work is the day we lose it.” So, don’t stop believing.