Red State 5: The Deleted Economic Libertarianism of Star Wars

Thanks to someone.

A deleted scene -- I've seen stills from it, and it was in the novelization "by George Lucas" (actually by Alan Dean Foster) -- showed Luke going into a local town, Anchorhead, and hanging out with his gearhead buddies. He also spoke with Biggs Darklighter, who would briefly appear in the Battle of Yavin as Red Three.

Biggs told Luke he was deserting the Imperial army to hook up with the rebels.

This is where Biggs warns that the galaxy is on the road to serfdom:

What good's all your uncle's work if the Empire takes it over? You know they've already started to nationalize commerce in the central systems? It won't be long before your uncle is just a tenant, slaving for the greater glory of the Empire.

In his characterization of Imperial economic policy, George Lucas was most likely thinking of National Socialism; few viewers miss the resemblance between Imperial and Nazi uniforms. But the flat assertion of the fundamental injustice of nationalization is striking when one considers the state of global politics in 1977. Not only was half the world under the yoke of Communism, nationalization was a perfectly respectable policy even in the West. U.S. railroads were nationalized in 1970. Between 1975 and 1977, Britain nationalized much of its automobile, aircraft, and shipbuilding industries; British Steel had been nationalized in 1967. One wonders if a different cut of Star Wars would have become a rallying cry for Thostaerites.

Ever wonder why Marxists so frequently spew venom on the bourgeoisie? Attitudes like this.

Of course as one moves far enough away from ever having to really earn money again the attitudes of the bourgeoisie often fade. The extraordinarily rich, like the 2007 George Lucas, has essentially forgotten the basic rules of wealth creation that the 1977 knew so well.

posted by Ace at 10:29 AM

| Access Comments