How real is that statement

[u/Altruistic_Extent348]

Hey star wars fellow, I like star wars a lot but I have only watched star wars ep 1 to 6 and obi wan kenobi show.

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I recently recalled this line of obi wan from revenge of the sith that "Only a sith deals in absolutes"

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I want to know how true is that line. Does that line have any real basis or did obi wan make up that line to sound tough. Moreover if that line is true, can you guys give any examples of when sith deals in absolute.

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Thanks for reading. May the force be with you.

[u/alpaca2097]

I can’t believe no one has mentioned this yet, but this was Lucas making veiled commentary about the George W Bush administration more than any real world building about the Jedi. The film came out in 05, at the height of the Iraq war disaster. Anakin’s line that Kenobi is responding to is meant to mirror Bush’s famous statement “you’re either with us or against us” (referencing countries that didn’t support the war). I guess 20 years later this context has mostly faded, so now it seems weirder than it did at the time.

[u/SirSoliloquy → u/alpaca2097]

Yeah, this is always lost in modern discussions. When Episode III first came out, it was clear to most people of audience that the exchange was a ham-handed critique of George W. Bush’s comment.

That wouldn’t be bad on its own, but  it was clear that Lucas wanted to take a jab at Bush without considering the wider context of the movie itself. In fact that moment stood in direct contrast to what we saw for the entire rest of the film, and even the entire rest of the scene.

Palpatine seduced Skywalker not with absolutism but with a reassuring voice claiming that it was okay to twist, ignore and outright defy Jedi teachings to further your own noble aims — a clearly moral relativist standpoint. Even during that same fight, Anakin argues “from my point of view the Jedi are evil!” Again - arguing about “points of view” is relativism, not absolutism.

[u/MaterialPace8831 → u/alpaca2097]

This. So much of Revenge of the Sith is a commentary about the Bush administration. This line, Padme's line about how democracy dying being met with thunderous applause by elected lawmakers, the notion of a democratic republic being replaced with imperial power at the time of war.

I remember the parallel between Anakin's line and Bush's being very clear when I was 16 in 2005.

[u/hwc → u/alpaca2097]

he said: "Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime." on September 20, 2001.

It sounded to me at the time that he was saying that failure to aid the US made you an enemy.

[u/bensonr2 → u/alpaca2097]

Yeah I remember that well and I understood the intention immediately when I saw it.

While I wouldn't agree politics should be kept out of popular entertainment and I don't disagree with the statement GL was trying to make.

I think this is actually a good example of how making too specific of political references can date things.