Beltway Banthas

Latest Episodes:

How do we dismantle the Death Star level threat of politics? Oct 29, 2020

Show notes

Did you hear? The U.S. presidential election next week is the most important election of our lifetime. Maybe that's true. But it's been said of every election since Reagan and beyond. Why does politics feel this way? Are the stakes supposed to always feel existential, or like life and death? Beltway Banthas explores this through the Star Wars lens with special guest DAVID FRENCH (The Dispatch) author of a new book, Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation.

Star Wars, Court-Packing and Mike Lee vs the Galactic Senate Oct 18, 2020

Show notes

In this special broadcast of Beltway Banthas, host Stephen Kent and producer Riley Blanton react to Republican Senator Mike Lee's mention of Star Wars' Galactic Senate to describe Court-Packing. Why did he say this? Slate seems to suggest it's a lowkey expression of Lee's disdain for diversity and pluralistic government, but does that sort of miss the point? We break it down in this short episode of the podcast!

Roundtable: Star Wars and the fight to save democracy Sep 28, 2020

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On this roundtable follow up to our most recent episode, "Does liberty always die in thunderous applause?" politicos Nick Dicolandrea and Danielle Adams rejoin Beltway Banthas to discuss the show. The panel grapples with the idea that democracy could die in the United States with barely a whimper, and why the political lessons of Star Wars still remain so poignant.

Panel:

Stephen Kent @Stephen_kent89

Danielle Adams @DanielleAdamsNC

Nick Dicolandrea @NickDico

Does liberty always die with thunderous applause? Sep 21, 2020

Show notes

"So this how liberty dies...with thunderous applause." There is so much of that line by Padme in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, that is timeless and true. But what if America's democratic crisis is more complicated and harder to even see? Featuring expert guest insights from Ilya Somin (George Mason University) and Prof. Seth Masket (University of Denver), this episode breaks down what Star Wars teaches us, and what it doesn't.

Important podcast update, exciting news and Rogue One in real life Jul 24, 2020

Show notes

Hello Banthas! We have some important updates about the podcast to share with you. Exciting news to be sure. In this broadcast, you'll get a quick primer on what we're working on and why! The podcast is about to undergo a major transformation and we hope you'll be part of it. **LISTENER SURVEY https://forms.gle/x2mkMgL1sWkTVZkW8 **NEWSLETTER SIGNUP: Star Wars, politics and more https://mailchi.mp/01c4273308e7/starwarspolitics YOUTUBE VIDEO: https://youtu.be/cXSsxgB88Us

Reflections on the politics of Revenge of the Sith at fifteen years Jun 18, 2020

Show notes

Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is a movie about control, and what happens when someone with a great deal of power cannot bear the idea of living with unpredictability. It's relatable. We all want a certain degree of control over our lives and destinies. 15 years after Revenge of the Sith and its message about control and safety vs security...what can we take from it that applies to the world today?

E.K. Johnston on Padme, Trade Wars and the politics of Naboo Jun 04, 2020

Show notes

Star Wars author E.K. Johnston just put out her latest book on Padme, "Queens Peril". This new canon novel takes a look at Padme's rise the political power on Naboo and the days leading up to the Droid Invasion of Star Wars: Episode I. E.K and Stephen talk Naboo politics, how real-world principles over trade and immigration impact a galaxy, far, far away and what Padme teaches us about the virtue humility.

Star Wars' Identity Crisis Mirrors Our Own May 28, 2020

Show notes

Kat Rosenfield wrote for Reason Magazine a feature piece on how Star Wars' three trilogies aligns almost perfectly with the politics of the time they were made in. What makes the sequel trilogy so unique, Episodes VII-IX, is that their chaotic nature almost mirrors the era we live in today.

Michael Steel on the DC cantina, Han Solo and Star Wars' case for democracy May 08, 2020

Show notes

Michael Steel is a Republican strategist and partner for Hamilton Place Strategies. He served as a communications officer for the likes the Jeb Bush, Paul Ryan and John Boehner. He caught the eye of Beltway Banthas when on Kasie DC (MSNBC) he knocked the Trump administration for approaching staffing like it was the Mos Eisley Cantina. We get into how Jeb Bush & Marco Rubio's 2016 feud sparked this podcast into being and also how Star Wars makes the case for democracy...but perhaps not with total devotion.

The Tibetan struggle and the Force's threat to tyrants Apr 30, 2020

Show notes

No tyrant can fully control a people if they believe in something higher than their worldly ruler. This is reason all memory of the Jedi must be wiped out by the Empire. The Force is a threat. Ashwin Verghese of the Internation Campaign for Tibet sees this struggle playing out between the Tibetan people and the Chinese government. He joined Beltway Banthas to share his fandom, talk about Tibet, China, Yoda, Naboo and the future of Star Wars.

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