The Politics of Star Wars: Episode II
Star Wars is more than just a spectacle of lightsabers and CGI battles—it is a chilling dissection of real-world politics and the impacts of such leading to conflict and war. Attack of the Clones delves deeper and shows just how democracies crumble under the weight of their arrogance, apathy, and manipulation. While critics at the time dismissed its political elements as a footnote to the action, they were blind to the film’s most insidious truth: it lays bare the systematic dismantling of democracy through orchestrated war, corporate influence, and manufactured crises.
The Phantom Menace set the stage with a trade war—mocked by audiences who failed to grasp how economic disputes spiral into catastrophe. Attack of the Clones, set a decade later, wastes no time plunging into the next phase of decline: the Galactic Republic, already fractured, votes on the Military Creation Act, inching toward outright war. Whether George Lucas course-corrected in response to criticism or meticulously planned to jump into the action all along is irrelevant—the result is a brutally effective depiction of how empires rise from the ashes of complacency.
“We have to keep our faith in the Republic. The day we stop believing democracy can work is the day we lose it.” - Queen Jamillia, Attack of the Clones
Attack of the Clones begins with a fascinating fake-out. The assassination attempt on Senator Amidala is no mere subplot; it is the first domino in a grander scheme of manufactured war. The fake-out isn’t that Amidala uses a decoy to avoid the bombing, it is the parallel of what she represented in contrast to history: Archduke Franz Ferdinand. As an unwavering advocate for diplomacy, Amidala stands in direct opposition to militarization, making her a prime target. The expanded Star Wars universe reinforces this, detailing how Separatists exploited propaganda to fuel unrest—an eerily familiar tactic used by real-world war architects. The true brilliance of this sequence lies in its historical parallel: had Amidala been killed like Ferdinand, her death would have served as the perfect pretext for war. The Republic’s response would have been immediate, justifiable, and devastating. Yet instead, she survives and serves as a beacon of hope in her diplomatic efforts to avert war at all costs. Ferdinand was a perceived threat to Serbian independence, Amidala was a perceived threat to the Separatists.
It may be a stretch to draw comparisons to Amidala and Ferdinand, but given major conflicts arise from assassination plots cannot be fully ignored.
History does not hinge on single events—it festers through systemic decay. The Republic and Separatists mirror the Central and Allied Powers during World War I, locked in an inevitable collision driven by alliances, militarism, and unchecked nationalism. The eerie familiarity of this manufactured crisis is not lost when we examine the modern world. Recently, alliances with foreign partners are teetering on collapse. The U.S. boasts the size of its military and touts patriotism every chance it gets. Nationalism has reared its ugly head, whether it be American nationalism or Christian nationalism—both heavily used in the propaganda of “America First.”
Furthermore, whether it’s the current Israel-Palestine genocide, or the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we are not watching history repeat, we are watching it accelerate. As of this moment, U.S. President Trump’s reckless threats and actions demand scrutiny.
“It is with great reluctance that I have agreed to this calling. I love democracy. I love the Republic. The power you give me I will lay down once this crisis has abated. And as my first act with this new authority, I will create a Grand Army of the Republic to counter the increasing threats of the Separatists.” - Chancellor Palpatine, Attack of the Clones
Critics of both Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith often gloss over the film’s most terrifying message: how effortlessly the Republic submits to authoritarian rule. The Clone War is a fabrication, a galactic Reichstag Fire orchestrated by Palpatine to consolidate power. When he is granted emergency control, democracy gasps its last breath. Hitler’s exploitation of crises to pass the Enabling Act is an undeniable parallel, and while this portion of the film draws from World War II, Lucas embeds further warnings drawn from the War on Terror. This is not to equate Bush with Hitler in anyway, but the mechanisms of control—the Patriot Act, the justification of war through fear, and the erosion of civil liberties—are alarmingly similar. Now, on the precipice of World War III, we would be fools to ignore these lessons.
The death of the Roman Republic was not a singular event but a slow, calculated descent fueled by corruption and power-hungry leaders. Palpatine’s rise is textbook history—crisis exploited for control. And while Julius Caesar’s assassination paved the way for Augustus to seize absolute power, Star Wars skips this step. Palpatine does not need to be removed; he is already a master manipulator, ensuring both sides of the war play into his hands. History has no shortage of such figures. The Gulf of Tonkin Incident, Bush’s fabrications about WMDs, and Operation Northwoods all exemplify how governments manufacture pretexts for war. And yet, in 2025, many still refuse to ask the obvious question: What unseen forces stand to gain from perpetual conflict? Who benefits from Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and his covert influence over U.S. leadership? Secondly, but no less as important, why?
The Jedi’s tragic arc in Attack of the Clones is perhaps the film’s most sobering commentary. Once revered peacekeepers, they are manipulated into becoming generals, pawns of a war machine they were never meant to serve. All too often critics of the prequels seem to completely miss the point of the Jedi taking up arms in the conflict, undermining their original purpose. This reflects real-world institutions warped beyond recognition—the United Nations, created as a diplomatic body, now embroiled in military conflicts; the CIA, operating under false pretenses to orchestrate coups and interventions. The moment the Jedi march to war, their doom is sealed, just as every democratic institution that embraces militarization signs its own death warrant. An entire thesis can be written about holy wars and crusades in relation to the Jedi and Sith, however a parallel must be drawn to the Israeli genocide of the Palestinian peoples, just for starters. A crucial point highlighted in Attack of the Clones is the Jedi’s willingness to withhold and possibly deceive the Senate about the return of the feared Sith as the reason behind their participation in the conflict. This is followed beautifully in Revenge of the Sith when Anakin and Palpatine discuss the Jedi’s attempts to maintain their power, even going as far as to commit treason.
“We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.” - Dwight D. Eisenhower, Farewell Address
The original Star Wars trilogy was a critique of the Vietnam War, but Attack of the Clones reaches further. President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s warning of the military-industrial complex was not just an abstract caution—it was a prophecy. The film’s final moments, as Palpatine proudly surveys the Grand Army’s formation, echo history’s darkest turning points. The Republic is no longer a Republic; it is an empire in all but name.
In examining the antagonists of the film, the Separatists—taking on the designation of the Confederacy of Independent Systems—is symbolic to the American Civil War, with both the Confederates and Grand Army of the Republic tracing its origins there. While slavery was a significant factor in instigating the Civil War, the film parallels the conflict with the concerns of states’ rights versus federal powers. In the film, powerful corporations (with voting rights) have grown weary of the restrictions and enforcement of laws within the Republic government. The entities and individuals comprising the Confederacy are also non-human aliens, excluding Dooku himself. This furthers, albeit minimally, a sense of us-versus-them regarding issues of race, ethnicity, creed, and religion.
The Confederacy in the film is not merely a rebellious faction—it is a corporate-backed movement, a chilling reflection of how capitalism fuels conflict. The Trade Federation, the InterGalactic Banking Clan, the Techno Union—each one represents a real-world analog: defense contractors, corporate lobbyists, war profiteers. These entities do not seek peace; they thrive on instability, funneling money into Super PACs, dismantling regulations, and ensuring that war remains a lucrative industry.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because it is happening right now.
“You look at the situation now where America is so proud of being the biggest economy, the most powerful military force on the planet. It’s become the Empire from the perspective of a lot of people around the world.” - James Cameron on Star Wars
We are currently witnessing a repeat of history, as George Lucas had hoped we would learn from as an educated society. The right-wing GOP claims to champion “the people,” yet it advances policies that benefit the privileged few, marginalize the vulnerable, undermine labor workers and the environment, and exploits its detrimental effects on our democracy. American politics (on both sides) have divided society into two opposing groups: the “pure” and the “corrupt,” with the GOP being the ones who use these terms. Their ideology, which combines nationalism, anti-immigration, economic protectionism, and cultural grievances, is rooted in a nationalist agenda that has been a subject of warnings for centuries—even in fictional works like Star Wars.
In discussing war manufacturing, it was Paul Manafort who refined strategies in Ukraine where he advised pro-Russian leader Viktor Yanukovych, relying on nationalism, cultural division, and anti-elite rhetoric to consolidate power. In 2004, Manafort entered Ukranian politics when widespread protests erupted over electoral fraud, leading to the eventual election of Yanukovych’s opponent. Manafort’s use of propaganda and political rhetoric like the “threat of NATO” have deepened cultural divisions within Ukraine. Manafort also orchestrated sophisticated disinformation campaigns to undermine then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. This included creating a fake think tank to spread negative narratives through media outlets and manipulating online platforms to disseminate false information.
Manafort then became a pivotal figure as a political consultant for Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign. While Manafort’s role in shaping Trump’s campaign was significant, his strategies exploited cultural divisions to capitalize on “anti-globalist” conspiracy theories. Trump frequently employed anti-Muslim rhetoric, portraying Muslim communities as security threats and proposing a “total and complete shutdown” of Muslims entering the United States, which ultimately led to the Muslim Ban. Trump justified these policies as necessary for national security, capitalizing on fear and xenophobia to energize his base. Trump positioned himself as the voice of disenfranchised Americans fighting against entrenched elites. And yet, Trump’s base traces its roots to the Tea Party with significant backing from the Koch brothers—the very elite manufacturing the divisions in the first place.
Palpatine shielded his involvement in the conflicts through use of his apprentice, Dooku, acting as his puppet to usher in the war. With just the events of Ukraine and Russia over the past two decades—let alone global crises over generations—one can’t help but wonder who is actually pulling the strings.
In examining Palpatine, we find him to be a composite of various political figures and archetypes, serving as a cautionary tale of what we should be wary of. Therefore, we must be vigilant about the unfolding events before us in real time. He exploits political insecurities, which he manipulates through deception to undermine the institutions he aims to control.
The death of Amidala in the film’s opening act would have triggered the inevitable war, no doubt, but Palpatine played the long game. He used her beacon of hope and diplomatic efforts to prey on the disenfranchised, who in turn willingly gave him emergency powers to usher in his regime.
Attack of the Clones is not just a film; it is a blistering indictment of how power is seized, how war is manufactured, and how democracy is betrayed. George Lucas did not simply craft a science-fiction epic—he constructed a mirror reflecting the past, the horrific present, and likely future. If we continue to ignore the warnings within Star Wars, we may soon find ourselves living in its darkest chapters.