Jonathan V. Last, online editor of the Weekly Standard argues that Darth Vader and the empire are the true heroes of the Star Wars saga because the empire brings order to the galaxy. Last also condemns the Jedi Knights as "arrogant royalists," while criticizing the old republic as bloated and unworkable. Last ignores how the republic has strayed away from republican ideals with the expansion of democracy and the accompanying growth of the state ( in fact, Star Wars shows how republics turn into democratic welfare-warfare states and then dissolve into empires).
What's fascinating about this piece is that Last confirms that, for all their talk about democracy, the neocons really believe that, without authoritarian rule, society will slide into chaos. Neocons also support unrelenting militarism and imperialism to impose order on the world. In other words, everything we ever thought about the neocons is right. Last even praises Senator Palpatine (the Emperor) as an "esoteric Straussian."
