Misconceptions
Perhaps some clarifications are needed to cover certain misconceptions about the Star Wars saga.
1. The Rebellion had to be destroyed before there is a rebellion.
This is a point about the Separatist Crisis and the Clone Wars. We've seen how Palpatine got himself elected Chancellor and presumably he could manipulate the senate enough to stay in power. So, why the wars?
Simple, because this way any future enemies would be made to defeat each other rather than the possibility of joining forces in the future. If Palpatine were to remain in power there would be some move against him eventually and without a standing military there would be no way to prevent or deter most systems from leaving the Republic.
By taking advantage of Dooku, the Trade Federation and other parties who then exploited the frustrations of rebellious systems with the corruption in the senate-a senate so corrupt it encouraged an elder Jedi Master to join the Sith-the senate and the general citizenry would demand the creation of a standing military to protect against the potential depredations of the Separatist droid armies, which were commonly believed to number in the quintillions, while both forces would ultimately be under Sidious' control. The Jedi would be distracted, isolated and blamed for the war continuing, allowing their elimination by Sidious and Vader to appear to be in the best interests of the Republic.
Without this plot it is likely that the clone army secretly ordered by Syfo-Dyas would come under the control of Jedi fighting on behalf of secessionist systems protesting Palpatine's continued rule.
2. The Empire is Jar Jar's fault.
It was Binks who suggests that the senate give emergency powers to Palpatine besides his already extended term of office. This decision directly creates the war machine and officer class seen in the first trilogy.
However, in terms of actually fighting the Clone Wars the Republic already had the Judicial Forces and the ten thousand or so members of the Jedi Order plus the two hundred thousand clones discovered by Obi-Wan Kenobi and immediately available.
The droid army issued by the Separatists was vastly overstated by the Republic and only totalled around 100 million plus token numbers of organic officers, soldiers and technicians. Although this number still seemed large, battle droids were easily confused and were only effective in very large numbers against inexperienced local forces. The clones were much better soldiers and eventually numbered around three million. They could have been integrated into the Jedi Order or Judicials and then disbanded at the end of the war without the need for the Republic to commission a standing military. Perhaps the senate ultimately believed that the powers of the Jedi were exaggerated.
3. Anakin had to kill babies to end the war
He was convinced the Jedi were evil so this even justified the murder of infants. Moreover, he would have seen the need to defeat the Jedi to prevent their retaliation against himself, Palpatine and, in his mind, his wife, Padme, and the rest of the senate.
This would be likely to occur after Anakin slays the military leadership of the Separatists. This would end the war and prevent a future rebellion (see above point one) but it would also prove that the Sith were behind the war and that Palpatine was the master manipulator if the location of the renegades were known by the Chancellor. The Jedi would then be forced to not only arrest Palpatine but at least subdue the senate, who still supported Palpatine, in order to stage a coup. The senate would not understand any evidence or statements by the Jedi that Palpatine is a Sith Lord as they would have no understanding of what the term means or any understanding of Jedi theology.
Of course, Anakin himself could have assassinated all the senators instead of Jedi, but he was loyal to the current regime, no matter how corrupt and influenced by the Sith it was. He would have viewed the senate as essential in maintaining order in the galaxy as opposed to the Jedi who were now only potential renegades and separatists. Plus, without the assassination of their military leaders, the droid armies would still function and the war would have continued to either a bloody conclusion or a bloody stalemate and a divided galaxy.
1. The Rebellion had to be destroyed before there is a rebellion.
This is a point about the Separatist Crisis and the Clone Wars. We've seen how Palpatine got himself elected Chancellor and presumably he could manipulate the senate enough to stay in power. So, why the wars?
Simple, because this way any future enemies would be made to defeat each other rather than the possibility of joining forces in the future. If Palpatine were to remain in power there would be some move against him eventually and without a standing military there would be no way to prevent or deter most systems from leaving the Republic.
By taking advantage of Dooku, the Trade Federation and other parties who then exploited the frustrations of rebellious systems with the corruption in the senate-a senate so corrupt it encouraged an elder Jedi Master to join the Sith-the senate and the general citizenry would demand the creation of a standing military to protect against the potential depredations of the Separatist droid armies, which were commonly believed to number in the quintillions, while both forces would ultimately be under Sidious' control. The Jedi would be distracted, isolated and blamed for the war continuing, allowing their elimination by Sidious and Vader to appear to be in the best interests of the Republic.
Without this plot it is likely that the clone army secretly ordered by Syfo-Dyas would come under the control of Jedi fighting on behalf of secessionist systems protesting Palpatine's continued rule.
2. The Empire is Jar Jar's fault.
It was Binks who suggests that the senate give emergency powers to Palpatine besides his already extended term of office. This decision directly creates the war machine and officer class seen in the first trilogy.
However, in terms of actually fighting the Clone Wars the Republic already had the Judicial Forces and the ten thousand or so members of the Jedi Order plus the two hundred thousand clones discovered by Obi-Wan Kenobi and immediately available.
The droid army issued by the Separatists was vastly overstated by the Republic and only totalled around 100 million plus token numbers of organic officers, soldiers and technicians. Although this number still seemed large, battle droids were easily confused and were only effective in very large numbers against inexperienced local forces. The clones were much better soldiers and eventually numbered around three million. They could have been integrated into the Jedi Order or Judicials and then disbanded at the end of the war without the need for the Republic to commission a standing military. Perhaps the senate ultimately believed that the powers of the Jedi were exaggerated.
3. Anakin had to kill babies to end the war
He was convinced the Jedi were evil so this even justified the murder of infants. Moreover, he would have seen the need to defeat the Jedi to prevent their retaliation against himself, Palpatine and, in his mind, his wife, Padme, and the rest of the senate.
This would be likely to occur after Anakin slays the military leadership of the Separatists. This would end the war and prevent a future rebellion (see above point one) but it would also prove that the Sith were behind the war and that Palpatine was the master manipulator if the location of the renegades were known by the Chancellor. The Jedi would then be forced to not only arrest Palpatine but at least subdue the senate, who still supported Palpatine, in order to stage a coup. The senate would not understand any evidence or statements by the Jedi that Palpatine is a Sith Lord as they would have no understanding of what the term means or any understanding of Jedi theology.
Of course, Anakin himself could have assassinated all the senators instead of Jedi, but he was loyal to the current regime, no matter how corrupt and influenced by the Sith it was. He would have viewed the senate as essential in maintaining order in the galaxy as opposed to the Jedi who were now only potential renegades and separatists. Plus, without the assassination of their military leaders, the droid armies would still function and the war would have continued to either a bloody conclusion or a bloody stalemate and a divided galaxy.
Labels: Empire, Jedi, Sith Lords, Star Wars
posted by Legal Smeagol at 7:14 AM
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