How Empires are Born: Lessons to be learned from ‘Rebels’

As critics have stated recently that I “hate education, because I had a bad experience as a kid,” essentially, they are right, I do hate education as I experienced it—but they’re wrong about the whole education experience.  Quite the contrary, I am a huge education guy—I love learning, I find adventure in education, and for me it is an everyday experience.  I hate the current education system sponsored by governments because it is limiting—and is not advancing our society, but regressing it.  However, when I see major shifts of potential that are pent-up realizations of human desire that will lead to education revolutions—I make a note of it, and that is what I’m about to reiterate.  Socially, we are on a collision course with reality, our personal debts are too high, we have a militarization of our local police that is making us all very weary, we have broken families, propaganda driven education toward left-leaning politics, and a new generation that will have a lower standard of living than the generation before them for the first time in American history.  The culmination of all those events are about to explode under the Disney handling of the Star Wars franchise.  The company Disney undoubtedly does not have political desires to change the world—they just want to make money for their shareholders and tell stories that families enjoy.  However, the property of Star Wars has always had a very subtle message of education and an understanding of history.  George Lucas wanted explicitly to show how republics die and give way to empires and he used the influences of Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, and Castro to shape the fictional empire of the Star Wars universe.  The new animated feature coming up on Disney XD will explore deeply this conversion from freedom to tyranny through the promise of social “safety” in a way that was previously unmatched.  These are the concerns of the 21^st Century world in a tremendous way especially with the evidence of police brutality that is emerging, and the rise of the TSA in America.  The new Star Wars: Rebels will explore those very influences filling an educational void that will combine artistic fiction with an actual grim history in a way that will be greatly beneficial. 

 

This past week Lucasfilm, the makers of the Star Wars properties put out promotional material announcing their plans for the 2014 releases of their upcoming Star Wars: Rebels television show.  The art they chose to use could have been taken from any point in history in virtually any country that found themselves losing freedom to tyranny.  The new television show will explore in a way that is very specific to Star Wars how freedom dies and how empires are created so that education can take place far surpassing the static learning of history from a complacent classroom teacher who has lost touch with the magic and adventure of study.  Have a look at some of the art released by Lucasfilm and read the press release which accompanied them:

 

 

The Empire’s propaganda machine is in full effect.

Six pieces of Star Wars Rebels “patriotic art” were sent to 2,500 people around the globe and select media outlets, promoting the noble intentions and work of the Empire. These bold, graphic-style cards, urging galactic citizens to accept and even join the Empire, reflect the political landscape of the upcoming animated series.

When Supreme Chancellor Palpatine first declared himself Emperor, many people in the former Republic welcomed the change after the chaos of Clone Wars. As this campaign shows, the Empire continues to build upon that goodwill with glorified images of the stability and security that were ushered in by its might. It’s easy for worlds newly welcomed into the expanding Empire to be swept up with such ideas, though those citizens who have witnessed the ruthlessness of the Empire firsthand know the real story.

Thus far, the cards have appeared online at IGN.com, ETonline.com, Empire.com, Mashable.com, TheForce.net, and UOL.com. They were designed by Amy Beth Christenson, a member of the Lucasfilm Animation art department working on the series, and can be viewed in the accompanying slideshow. (But don’t be too swayed by their message.)

Star Wars Rebels is scheduled to premiere in fall 2014 as a one-hour special telecast on Disney Channel and will be followed by a series on Disney XD channels around the world.

StarWars.com. All Star Wars, all the time.

 

 

http://starwars.com/news/star-wars-rebels-imperial-propaganda-posters-hit-online.html

 

I have said it many times; Star Wars is not just for kids.  Adults can learn a lot from it—as well as all of our current politicians anywhere in the world.  The wars fueled by the science fiction fantasy epic are generated exclusively by the corruption of human spirit in service of “systems” over individual initiative.  Star Wars: Rebels will explore this concept from many different angles in a way that is visually entertaining, but intellectually stimulating.  There is power here that will have a major impact on virtually everything we have come to understand about the world we all live in. 

 

Education is not about a teacher standing in front of a class teaching about global warming, union solidarity rights, or progressive philosophy framed by Immanuel Kant.  Education is about asking questions, and seeking answers.  In the case of Star Wars the sights, sounds, and story are designed to provoke questions and encourage viewers to seek the answers thus engaging in education.  I can speak first-hand how well it has worked for me, and I am absolutely delighted that a whole new generation will experience it on a much grander scale. 

 

Just a few years from now we will all be talking the same language—as indicated by the art above.  And when that happens—changes for the better will occur. 

Rich Hoffman

 www.OVERMANWARRIOR.com