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The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Death Stars and Taxes: The politics of Star Wars

The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Podmasters

News, Government, Politics, Society & Culture

4.61K Ratings

🗓️ 11 December 2022

⏱️ 31 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We’ve got a Star Wars fan in No.10 – Sunak collects lightsabers – but is there real political meaning to the tale of empires and rebels? Chris Kempshall, historian and author of The History and Politics of Star Wars: Death Stars and Democracy, talks to Andrew Harrison about Star Wars’ roots as a Vietnam allegory; what the Empire can tell us about fascism; why the Republic is a bad advert for democracy; and why Andor is the best political drama on TV right now.  For 25% off the book, use the code HPSW25 here: https://www.routledge.com/The-History-and-Politics-of-Star-Wars-Death-Stars-and-Democracy/Kempshall/p/book/9781032318875 “Sunak’s story of a multimillionaire who moves sideways isn’t in the Star Wars universe.” “Sadly for Lucas the audience didn’t get that it’s about the Vietnam War.” “No one would watch a film about the government leaping to work.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. Music: Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

My name is Stan. I'm at. Nice to meet you. So you took up photography where? I've always loved

0:05.5

photography but I turn it into earning a living at 60. I enrolled on a day course.

0:11.8

Well college. I loved going to college. It's good you can retry. I'm enrolled on the day course. But college?

0:13.0

I loved going to college.

0:14.0

It's good you can retrain and do something.

0:16.0

Yeah, yeah.

0:17.0

Let's talk about working, learning, saving and making the most of living longer.

0:22.0

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0:28.0

Search Phoenix Group living longer.

0:30.0

Pets brings so much joy.

0:32.0

From those happy greetings at the door to the warm cuddles on the sofa

0:36.7

so give a little love back with dental life from Purina a range of delicious chues made for dogs and tasty snacks for cats that help clean and support your pets, teeth and gums, essential for their overall well-being and a happy, healthy life. They give you plenty of smiles so look after

0:55.9

theirs with dental life. Pick up dental life in the pet food aisle. The The bunker daily this is, this is. My name is Andrew Harrison and I have two things in common with

1:24.2

Rishi Sunac. We both have to stand on tiptoes to reach the top shelf in the

1:27.7

kitchen and we're both pretty into Star Wars or rather Sunac is a lot more into

1:32.1

George Lucas's universe of warring

1:34.3

rebels, emperors and droids and the endless battle between the light and the dark

1:38.2

side than I am. The Prime Minister collects light sabers, once referred to

1:42.1

said he Javid as his Jedi master, surely Sith Lord, but we'll get to that later.

1:46.5

And reputedly, he has read many of the countless spin-off books expanding the Star Wars universe, even I don't go that far.

1:53.0

One Sniffy Tory MP told Tatler magazine

1:56.0

most of his political philosophy comes out of the Star Wars trade wars

...

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