Originally Posted by
Ascended
Propaganda definitely played a large role in things. I mean, in less than two decades Palpatine was able to convince the galaxy that the Jedi were not only terrorists and betrayers, but never had real power and tricked everybody with smoke and mirrors. He convinced the galaxy that the Force didn't exist and reduced its followers to "cult" status. Given that the Jedi were around for thousands of years and well known, well documented, and well respected, that says quite a lot about the Empire's power of propaganda. Didn't Palpatine have a head of media propaganda who made sure the galaxy saw the Empire in the best light? I swear that was an actual office/job in....something.....that was canon, at least once upon a time?
I don't think people give enough credit to this side of things. You gotta figure, the Republic was at war with the Separatists for what, at least a decade? And during that time they were forced to ignore a number of planets, forced to occupy others, crime lords ran rampant, especially in the Outer Rim... Then the Jedi, who've become soldiers and generals instead of diplomats and peacekeepers, "betray" the Republic (as far as anyone watching the now-state-sponsored-news is concerned). It's not surprising that a lot of people would accept a fascist government if that government is able to stabilize the economy, put people back to work, and bring peace to worlds that spent years wracked by conflict.
I think the shows have touched, very lightly, upon this. You've got the pilot in Mando who claims that destroying Alderaan is a small price to pay to get rid of terrorists, as well as the former Imperial played by Bill Burr (I forget the character's name), and he's made some quality points. You've got that mole person in Kenobi who's pro-Empire because he supports law and order.
Agreed, but I think we're very slowly getting to see that nuance. At least hints of it. I too hope Andor continues the trend. But I question how deep this exploration should go. Star Wars has always had a really fun dynamic where good and evil aren't relative, but the people who end up on one side or another are more complex and are often at the mercy of small decisions and circumstances, which end up dictating whether they're a "hero" or "villain." Han became a hero because he took a random taxi job. Boba Fett became a villain because he accepted a job from the government. A minor change in choices, and their positions could have easily been reversed. More nuance is good...but if the Empire becomes too sympathetic, then it might endanger the thematic foundations of the whole franchise. Or not, I dunno how it would affect things if the people within the Empire were treated as real, normal people and not (mostly) crazy space nazis. I mean, I get it. The guy who just answered phones for the trump White House probably wasn't a fascist monster despite working for an administration that was objectively corrupt, and adding that kind of character to Star Wars is, at least generally, a good thing. But does too much of that make us question the Rebellion and the things the heroes do? Do we start looking at Luke as a mass murderer who killed millions of average, working smucks on the Death Star rather than as a hero who destroyed one of the greatest threats and weapons the galaxy ever knew?