Beltway Banthas: Star Wars, Politics & More: Recent Episodes

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Every now and then, I get motivated to write about a story I loved, which is niche and rather unknown to our subscribers. The Pagemaster (1994) is one such story. This VHS-era classic, starring Macaulay Culkin and Christopher Lloyd, is, to this day, one of my favorite animated movies. It’s about a young boy afraid to go outside or do anything that invol…

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We are witnessing the decline of Star Wars’ cultural dominance.

In this week’s podcast, we’ll explore the current state of Star Wars, from its cultural impact to the storytelling challenges, and speculate about how the franchise might revive itself.

We have a book coming this year!!! The Great Escape: 30 Reflections on Stoicism, Faith, and the Wisdom of Great Stories. Be the first to get early access, bonus content, and updates:

The Rise and Fall of Star Wars

Star Wars was more than movies; it was a shared cultural language. But since the end of the prequel era, its position in the cultural mainstream burst forth with the hype of The Force Awakens, then waned slowly but significantly.

I’d argue that Star Wars has faded back into the niche. Not unlike the “Dark Times” of the late 80s and 90s, or even the post-Revenge of the Sith Clone Wars era. The explosion of Star Wars back into the zeitgeist after the Disney purchase showed its potential for a return to mass appeal. (Baby Yoda’s popularity is Exhibit A) Yet, the declining box office performance reveals a stark reality: audiences are less engaged, and the franchise struggles to resonate as it once did. (The decline in interest in the Baby Yoda movie is Exhibit B)

The decline isn’t a death knell but an inflection point. The sheer mismanagement and lack of strategic storytelling have pushed Star Wars below the cultural radar.

But I might be ok with that.

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Can Star Wars Rise Again?

While the franchise faces cultural fatigue and spaghetti-on-wall mismanagement, I still have hope.

IF.

And it’s a big if…

There’s a willingness to learn from the mistakes of the Disney era and start over fresh. Star Wars’ comeback depends on returning to its storytelling roots rather than propping up a failed era of postmodern, nihilistic storytelling.

00:00 Introduction04:07 Mandalorian and Grogu11:41 Star Wars Heresy vs. Bad Films15:10 Cultural Impact of Star Wars22:40 Optimism for the Future of Star Wars27:56 Crisis of Credibility in Star Wars30:56 Star Wars as an Underdog33:57 The Impact of Marketing on Star Wars35:47 C.S. Lewis and Star Wars40:56 Upcoming Star Wars Projects46:03 Stoicism and Christian Philosophy

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In this week’s live stream and podcast, Geeky Stoics is exploring the concept of toxic empathy, its implications, and how it influences society, politics, and relationships. Riley and Stephen delve into the nature of empathy, moral virtue, and the importance of balancing compassion with discernment.

Chapters:

• 01:08 What Is Toxic Empathy?

• 04:33 Empathy in Literature and Media: Star Wars and Narnia

• 08:04 Moral and Cultural Relativism in Empathy

• 15:13 Empathy in Justice and Punishment

• 20:23 Evil and Moral Clarity

• 27:27 The Limits and Risks of Empathy

• 30:15 Advice for Self-Discovery

• 37:17 Balancing Career, Family, and Personal Purpose

• 43:30 Watchtower Intel

• 48:02 Community and Future Retreats

• 54:18 The Power of Storytelling and Shared Values

Resources:

• Gad Saad’s book ‘Suicidal Empathy’

• Paul Bloom’s book ‘Against Empathy’

• C.S. Lewis’s ‘The Four Loves’

• Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton

• Watchtower Intel on Substack

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Today’s reading of The Screwtape Letters focuses on Chapter 3, a letter about personal/family relations and the importance of managing your impressions regarding facial expressions, tone of voice and other mannerisms. Things can break down rapidly when a relationship drifts toward enmity and assumed bad faith, and Lewis’s warning here is to reflect on how you let yourself off the hook for grating mannerisms—while scrutinizing those of everyone else.

When two humans have lived together for many years it usually happens that each has tones of voice and expressions of face which are almost unendurably irritating to the other. Work on that. Bring fully into the consciousness of your patient that particular lift of his mother's eyebrows which he learned to dislike in the nursery, and let him think how much he dislikes it. Let him assume that she knows how annoying it is and does it to annoy — if you know your job he will not notice the immense improbability of the assumption. And, of course, never let him suspect that he has tones and looks which similarly annoy her. As he cannot see or hear himself, this is easily managed.

It’s a distinctly Stoic letter, almost like Lewis drew directly from Epictetus. It is not the only time Screwtape Letters offers blocks of wisdom that parallel the Stoics.

In this video, I also draw on a book called Jesus & Stoicism by Brittany Polat, which compares Bible verses with lines from the Stoic philosophers, to show where these “virtuous pagans” were on the right track when it came to ethics that Christianity made mainstream in the West.

I highly recommend it for your bookshelf. You can buy it at the link above.

This video is free for everyone to enjoy as a thank-you for being on the newsletter. We’re glad you’re here, and every subscription helps us keep Geeky Stoics going.

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Good morning! At our recent retreat, I came across a wardrobe with a semi-magical tea room inside… so naturally, I decided to crawl in and record a video podcast (typical). This was filmed by Jon of First Time Readers, a truly great channel for Tolkien analysis, and it focuses on a passage from C.S. Lewis’ Narnia books that I enjoy and return to often.

By the way, we are now signing people up for the waitlist to pre-order our new book: GREAT ESCAPE: 30 Reflections on Stoicism, Faith and the Wisdom of Great Stories. Coming December 1st from Post Hill Press.

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Behind the scenes of the first Geeky Stoics retreat

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I don’t like to turn my brain off when enjoying a movie, show, or book. For me, the point has never been to “escape” the real world or be off in La-La Land; it’s to think more deeply. If a story isn’t engaging me on the level of morality, ethics, political thought….I get kind of bored.

So, I’ve always criticized fellow fans of, say, Star Wars, who argue in the comments that they expect a story to offer “escapism.”

It’s possible that, according to Tolkien, I’m wrong about this. Today I sat down to read a few pages of On Fairy-stories, an essay by JRR Tolkien about the question of “escape” and how good stories are anything but…..

This is early exclusive for subscribers on Substack and the Discord community, and then it will be posted on YouTube next week.

Thanks for being part of our mythically minded community. Riley and I are hard at work on our new book, which should be wrapped up by March. Then we’ll be penning more regular posts again here for all of you.

Happy New Year, y’all! 2025 was incredible. You played a part in that for us at Geeky Stoics. Thank you.

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There’s a scene in The Empire Strikes Back that never gets old. It’s kept its grip on me to this day.

Luke in the Dagobah swamp, staring down the task he’s already decided is impossible. “It’s too big,” he says. And Yoda’s quiet reply exposes the lie most of us carry: that truth is limited to what we can see, touch, and control.

Luminous beings are we.

This week’s video is a reflection on that moment and why it matters, especially during the Christmas season.

The Stoics spoke of the Logos, the rational order holding the universe together. The beloved disciple John took that same word and made a shocking claim: the Logos is not an idea or a general “force,” but a person. The light did not stay distant. He stepped into the darkness of this world to save us.

For some of you, Christmas doesn’t feel like “good news.” I get that. It can be a tough time of year. But the story didn’t begin in guilt or judgment. Jesus’ story began in wonder. As an answer to an ache. As the radical claim that you are more than “this crude matter.”

At Geeky Stoics, we call that Wonder. And without it, even the best of Stoic philosophy collapses into hollow self-help.

The video explores all of this: Yoda, the Stoics, Saint Augustine, and why “luminous beings are we” is a truth we must remember, especially this time of year.

Merry Christmas,

—Riley

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Uncle Ben from Spider-Man serves as an introduction to wisdom and “maxims” for many kids around the world. It all starts with the movies we watch and the books we read. Here’s Uncle Ben in the 2002 movie….

“This guy, Flash Thompson, he probably deserved what happened. But just because you can beat him up doesn’t give you the right to. Remember, with grea…

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This one feels different.

It’s the first time I’ve ever made something this personal for Geeky Stoics, pulling back the curtain on my struggle as I lost myself in my Air Force career, and how I found my way back, training for a Half Iron Man. It’s a story about identity, ambition, and the moment you realize you’ve been chasing someone else’s version of success.And the only way I knew how to tell it…was through the lens of Star Wars.

Luke Skywalker has always been my guide for understanding who I want to be. While he struggles and loses his way, he still finds his way back… A hero, like his father before him. Somewhere along the way, I forgot that.

This video chronicles my obsession to remember again.

It’s called “The Dream That Refused to Die.”And before it goes live to the rest of the world on YouTube, I wanted you, the Geeky Stoics community, to see it first. So here it is.

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News reports this October showed a surge in Bible sales across the United States and the UK, confirming what so many people can feel and polls have supported…which is that a religious revival is happening in the West.

Generation Z, which Pew Research defines as being born between 1997 and 2012. Members of the generation — also known as Zoomers — have been increasingly drawn toward religion, particularly Christianity, with data showing the number of Americans who don’t identify with one particular church is stabilizing thanks to them.

Fact: Overall, younger generations are more spiritually curious. Barna research group reports that most Gen Z teens are interested in learning more about Jesus, with younger cohorts leading the way in the growth of new commitments.

This was what George Lucas wished for with Star Wars. He sought to awaken spirituality in young people back in the 1970s….which didn’t take right away. One has to wonder if there a delayed effect of stories like Star Wars

By in large, I believe the youth spiritual revival is a byproduct of “divorce culture” driven by Baby Boomers throughout the 1980s-2010s. Young people rebel against what older folks are doing, and it is not true to say that our elders are somehow rigid traditionalists and papist scolds. Most Boomers are in their second or third marriage, leaving the church as a result (feeling of shame) and experiencing a rapid decrease in their religiosity.

There does come a point at which kids will notice the decisions they made, and do the opposite. And funny enough, that is now church and marriage.

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What do you think? Is something happening in the West when it comes to spirituality and a return to faith? Or is it something else?

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Hobbits are curious creatures. Simple taste, a love of “good tilled earth” and yet surprisingly courageous. And according to Dr. Christopher Snyder, they might hold the key to living the good life.

This week, I had a delightful conversation with Dr. Snyder, medieval historian, Tolkien scholar, and author of Hobbit Virtues: Rediscovering Virtue Ethics Through J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Chris’s work as an academic intersects history, philosophy, and storytelling and even has taken him to the hallowed halls of Oxford University - Tolkien’s alma mater.

A few highlights from our conversation:

Why Hobbit Virtues?

Chris began writing this book in the aftermath of the 2016 election, during a time of cultural division. His thesis: virtue ethics can cut through polarization.

By focusing on virtues like courage, humility, sacrifice, and friendship, we can find common ground. Chris argues Tolkien’s writings are full of timeless virtues embodied in hobbits, elves, and men.

Fellowship as a Virtue

Friendship is something of a hot topic right now at Geeky Stoics. Chris didn’t shy away from the controversy, arguing:

• Tolkien modeled his Fellowship of the Ring partly on the Arthurian Round Table and partly on his own experiences at Oxford, where “fellowship” literally meant scholars eating, drinking, and learning together.

• Unlike utilitarian philosophy (the greatest good for the greatest number), Tolkien’s heroes make personal, sometimes costly, choices rooted in courage. Aragorn choosing to save Merry and Pippin instead of chasing Frodo isn’t “efficient,” but it’s the right thing to do.

• Chris ties this back to our modern loneliness crisis. Where Aristotle emphasized the polis (the city), Tolkien and Lewis remind us that the quality of our friendships and fellowships challenge us to be our best selves.

Heroism: The Anglo-Pagan and Christian Ethic

Another fascinating insight: Tolkien blended ancient pagan heroic traditions with Christian ethics.

• The “barbarian ethos” of the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons valued courage even when hope was lost.

• Christianity introduced something radical: hope not reserved for emperors or warriors, but for the meek, the humble, and the forgotten.

• Tolkien fused these in his hobbits: ordinary folk who, precisely because of their humility, are capable of great virtue.

As Chris put it, when Aragorn bows before the hobbits at his coronation, that’s Peter Jackson's interpretation of Tolkien’s ideal of kingship - ensuring Frodo and company “bow to no one.”

So What?

At Geeky Stoics, we’ve often said that pop culture stories are modern myths, our entry point for Western philosophy. Chris reminds us that this wasn’t accidental. Tolkien (like Lewis, like Lucas) used storytelling as a vessel for telling a greater truth.

We remember Qui-Gon’s line, “Your focus determines your reality” more than reading a philosophy textbook; we remember Sam carrying Frodo, or Obi-Wan telling Anakin, “You were my brother.”

Stories shape our moral imagination.

I’ll end this where Chris began our conversation:

“The elucidation of truth, and the encouragement of good morals in this real world, by the ancient device of exemplifying them in unfamiliar embodiments, that may tend to ‘bring them home.”

-J.R.R. Tolkien

MTFBWY,

-Riley

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Updating your perspective on the world can, for some, be like seeing for the first time. Many of us have seen videos of colorblind people getting access to new tech that helps them see the full spectrum. When they tap in for the first time, it’s overwhelming and emotional. Something true shines through a veil that they’ve been burdened with forever.

I remember when I started to reconnect with my faith several years ago, and things were becoming clearer to me about who I am and why I am here. I would get distracted while driving by trees and landscapes. Particularly Japanese Maples and other crimson trees mixed into mostly green gardens. Something was more striking about everything.

Refined Jedi Sight

Consider this poem out of the Star Wars universe about the role of the Jedi Order in bringing balance to the galaxy.

"First comes the day

Then comes the night.

After the darkness

Shines through the light.

The difference, they say,

Is only made right

By the resolving of gray

Through refined Jedi sight."

― Journal of the Whills, 7:477

It’s a beautiful stanza. Light is reality. Darkness is equally valid and inevitably enters the world, complicating whatever light came before it. What confounds so many of us is when the canvas then turns gray. Complex experiences and feelings stop us in our tracks.

Am I loved?

What is the right thing to do here?

Somebody gets hurt, no matter what I choose.

We overthink. We ache.

You need a worldview, something that reconciles or can be used to interpret what you’re experiencing.

Glasses. Philosophy. Story. Philosophy is in many ways a kind of story.

The danger is, of course, that not all glasses reveal tru th equally. The Jedi, this poem suggests, have refined sight or an ability to interpret what’s happening.

You might call that wisdom.

How We Label Things

J.R.R. Tolkien wrote in his celebrated essay, On Fairy Stories, about the role of a good story in illuminating the world for its audience. He called it “recovery” in the sense that our vision and health have been compromised. A good story heals.

Separating himself almost directly from the Stoics, Tolkien quipped, “I do not say ‘seeing things as they are’ and involve myself with the philosophers,” which is what Marcus Aurelius or Epictetus would call for.

“I might venture to say,” Tolkien continues, “seeing things as we are (or were) meant to see them.”

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The Stoics had a dogmatic commitment to blunt reality and practiced it by doing things like calling wine “the mere juice of crushed grapes,” so as not to romanticize what it’s called for commercial purposes.

Steak is a piece of dead cow, scorched and salted. That’s the “truth”. Dead Scorched Cow is a little less appealing for 12oz at $45 than calling it Premium Aged Ribeye Steak.

“We need, in any case, to clean our windows; so that the things seen clearly may be freed from the drab blur of triteness or familiarity—from possessiveness,” Tolkien adds.

Whether it’s eyeglasses, windows, or stained glass, the idea that unites so many great thinkers is that something exists outside of the room we’re living in. There is something we’re missing, and either smudges, a faulty prescription, or the absence of light is preventing us from seeing what we’re supposed to see on the other side.

Truth. Beauty.

Purpose. Design.

Overexposure and familiarity dull the senses to what would otherwise take our breath away.

The Stoic mindset, though it has a lot to offer, has some pitfalls, including this one. Aurelius refers to sex as just “friction between bodies — followed by a convulsion”. Okay…..

He’s trying to deter himself from lust by demystifying sex and pointing out some of its peculiar and unattractive realities. That may have some utility, but it’s cold, and sex, like Tolkien might suggest, is meant to be something far more powerful, warm, and beautiful than this. The triteness and overfamiliarity Tolkien describes is also a good way to think about pornography and what it does to the viewer over time.

Clean your windows from the “drab blur”.

Have you ever seen Mount Rainier just beyond Seattle, Washington? It’s a wonder. The mountain stands so tall and grand that on a clear day, it’s like an alien spaceship landing on the horizon. The first few times you lay eyes on it, particularly if you’re not from that mountainous region, you’ll do a double-take.

How is that real?

Let's return to the issue of the steak.

What if the answer is neither the Stoic insight, that it’s merely a charred strip of animal flesh, nor is it this thing we excitedly call steak?

What if it's just sustenance, nourishment, and a gift deserving of gratitude?

That is the perspective most of us are missing every single day. It’s not “Thank you Lord, for this ham, eggs, and sourdough,” it’s actually, “Thank you Lord, for this bounty.”

Call the food whatever you want to call it, but what matters most at the end of the day is the value you attach to it. It’s a pretty good value to consider your meal a blessing and to be grateful for it. Has gratitude ever steered a person wrong?

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It’s time for another long-form podcast! In this episode, we welcome Parker Settecase of ParkNotes Parker's Ponderings for a deep dive into the limits of Stoicism, the role of the God/Logos in this philosophy, and how these same ideas filter through Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and more.

TOPICS WE’LL GET INTO

• The overlap between Stoicism and Christianity: How Stoic principles align and diverge from Christian theology, and the importance of the Logos as a personal being.

• Wrestling, discipline, and practical philosophy: How Parker’s wrestling background shaped his appreciation for Stoic ideas about self-control and focusing on what you can control.

• Pop culture and philosophy: Using characters like Gandalf, Batman, and Star Wars’ Jedi and Sith to make philosophical concepts accessible and relatable.

• Lust, self-control, and pop culture analogies: How Marcus Aurelius’ writings on physical desire relate to modern struggles, and parallels with the Star Wars narrative of Anakin Skywalker and the dark side.

• The Sith vs. Jedi worldview: Technology, transhumanism, and the dangers of trying to “challenge forth” and reshape nature, with references to Heidegger, Nietzsche, and Foucault.

• AI, humanity, and the risks of technological mimicry: Reflections on the use of AI to recreate lost loved ones, the philosophical implications of large language models, and the importance of preserving human uniqueness.

• CS Lewis and the Inklings: The relevance of “That Hideous Strength,” “Till We Have Faces,” and the distinction between “major” and “goetia” magic as analogs for Jedi and Sith philosophies.

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Andrew Heaton is a comedian, political commentator, author, and political orphan best known for his skits on ReasonTV. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Andrew for many years and traveling in similar media circles. We both love to chat and interview people, and so when I saw he’d joined Substack, I knew we’d have to do something together.

Both Heaton and I love to talk about fantasy and sci-fi, so we cover great fiction that has inspired Andrew’s worldview, and we get into the weeds of Andrew’s atheism and roots in Eastern Orthodoxy.

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What to expect (Pretty decent AI summary)

• Good, evil, and C.S. Lewis. Kent and Heaton, with Lewis’s idea that evil is merely “a corruption of good,” and use A Clockwork Orange to probe whether pure malice can really exist.

• Demonic dread in a secular mind. Despite skepticism, Kent and Heaton admit demonic possession (and even Ouija boards) still terrifies them—evidence that ancient spiritual anxieties survive modern disbelief.

• Wealth and the eye of the needle. Heaton asks whether our unprecedented creature comforts, more than raw income, blunt any sense that we need transcendence, and discusses Jesus’ warning about riches.

• Eco-Calvinism. Heaton argues parts of today’s environmentalism act like a new religion—humanity as fallen, Earth as sacred, redemption through self-denial—echoing Joseph Campbell’s predicted “eco-myth”.

• Stories that shape a worldview. Heaton shares how Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide taught him the power of shifting perspective; Star Trek and Madeline Miller’s Circe reveal why being mortal trumps immortality

• Love beyond belief. Leaving the church didn’t sever bonds for Andrew Heaton—his old church still checks on him and offers help, showing religion’s unmatched knack for forging lasting “kinship networks”.

If you want to join up with the Political Orphanage and Andrew Heaton….

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Somehow…Monday returned. Welcome back! This morning I am headed into Washington, DC to speak to a group of young professionals about communication and breaking through both the noise and polarization. These are tough times for getting your message across. Ears are closed. Eyes are covered. Impressions are set. How do we break through?

I’ll share a few brief thoughts. It’ll be brief mainly because I want you to check out the video today, my interview about the new Superman movie on Fox Radio with Ben Domenech of The Transom. Part of it can be watched here for Free Subscribers to Geeky Stoics, and if you want more, it’s posted here. I know Ben appreciates the views. To watch the whole thing here, like with other videos, you can upgrade to a Paid subscription to support the work we’re doing here. The community is growing! On YouTube, we hit 15,000 subscribers yesterday and notched our one millionth view, thanks in part to this video about Friendship vs Eros (Erotic, Romantic love).

Getting Your Message Across

So, as I was saying….how do we break through? It’s all about moral foundations. Once you understand the moral framework your audience is operating under, you can make an effort to appeal to their code and move the needle. In his book, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, Jonathan Haidt breaks down the moral universes of conservatives and liberals (a simple left-to-right framing) into six pillars.

• Care/harm – concern for the suffering of others

• Fairness/cheating – emphasis on justice, rights, and equality

• Loyalty/betrayal – allegiance to one’s group, family, or nation

• Authority/subversion – respect for tradition and legitimate authority

• Sanctity/degradation – valuing purity & avoiding the disgusting or profane

• Liberty/oppression – a desire to resist domination and tyranny (added later in his framework)

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Haidt’s widely acclaimed social science research showed that liberals place an outsized value on 1 and 2, Care and Fairness. Their first principles involve displaying concern for others’ suffering and caring about matters of fairness. Of course, these streams meet on matters of social justice and civil rights. Conservatives are more balanced in how they see the world. Each pillar gets pretty equal attention, with slightly more attention paid to Loyalty and Authority.

They care about Fairness and the factor of equality, but in terms of proportionality to one’s contributions. It’s funny because conservatives think about this with the collective in mind, which is a framework usually used by liberals.

Some outside thoughts on these values from familiar names

C.S. Lewis on his skepticism of Equality: “Do not misunderstand me. I am not in the least belittling the value of this egalitarian fiction, which is our only defence against one another’s cruelty—the function of equality is purely protective. It is medicine, not food. By treating the human person as if they were all the same kind of thing, we avoid innumerable evils. But it is not on this that we were made to live. It is idle to say that men are of equal value. If value is taken in a worldly sense—if we mean that all men are equally useful or beautiful or good or entertaining—then it is nonsense. If it means that all are of equal value as immortal souls, then I think it conceals a dangerous error.”

• In summary, Lewis believed that Equality was a social necessity, but nothing more than that. He held that hierarchies are in keeping with nature (Authority) and that people become vessels for ideas and values, and ideas and values are ranked. “Equality is medicine, not food”. It treats a kind of ailment, but it’s not our reason for being.

J.R.R. Tolkien on Freedom: “-the word has been so abused by propaganda that it has ceased to have any value for reason, and become a mere emotional dose for generating heat.”

• A short quote and simple. Freedom is nice, but there are higher goods than freedom, such as Sanctity. You’ll find liberals and conservatives switch places quickly on Freedom when it suits their competing moral pillars.

Once you have this understanding of moral foundations, you can decide whether or not you want to attempt appealing to them for the purpose of making a connection.

Last thing, and for this we’ll return to Narnia’s founder, C.S. Lewis, once more. You have to keep your heart open to the possibility that you’re only being served the worst possible impression of your opponents. We know this. TV news and social media algorithms are designed not to spread truth, but to maintain the audience. If Fox News or MSNBC starts going too easy on the other side, people change the channel. They tuned in for a worldview, so subverting that is not in the business model.

Know this. You can watch and enjoy the “news” but know it’s a form of entertainment, first and foremost.

Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity that with news, we become disappointed when our opponents are anything less than devils. Once we go down that road, we will start to see ourselves, the world, and God...as devils also.

Turns out, believing the best in people is something that extends to how you treat yourself in the mirror. So be gracious.

“Suppose one reads a story of filthy atrocities in the paper. Then suppose that something turns up suggesting that the story might not be quite true, or not quite so bad as it was made out. Is one's first feeling, 'Thank God, even they aren't quite so bad as that,' or is it a feeling of disappointment, and even a determination to cling to the first story for the sheer pleasure of thinking your enemies are as bad as possible? If it is the second, then it is, I am afraid, the first step in a process which, if followed to the end, will make us into devils. You see, one is beginning to wish that black was a little blacker. If we give that wish its head, later on we shall wish to see grey as black, and then to see white itself as black. Finally, we shall insist on seeing everything -- God and our friends and ourselves included -- as bad, and not be able to stop doing it: we shall be fixed for ever in a universe of pure hatred.”

-C.S. Lewis in ‘Mere Christianity’

Have a great week, everyone, and thank you for reading Geeky Stoics.

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Once you go down the Stoicism rabbit hole, you can’t escape the ubiquitous appeal and words of Marcus Aurelius in Meditations. It’s everyone’s favorite, and for mostly good reason. But Seneca's Letters From A Stoic are even better.

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On a flight layover in the UK, Geeky Stoics visits the home, grave and world of famed author, philosopher and academic: C.S. Lewis

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We’re experimenting here at Geeky Stoics.

Both Stephen and I have really missed the long-form podcast and discussion format, going back to my original podcasting days at the Star Wars Report and Stephen’s at Beltway Banthas. I’m so glad we get to introduce this format here on Substack, featuring a very special guest: Master Samwise.

Samwise has a YouTube channel not dissimiliar from our own, where he’s built a community of people passionate about going a layer deeper on stories like Star Wars, LOTR and even Red Dead Redemption. He takes this as seriously as we do.

This episode is really about why modern storytelling needs more heart and less ulterior motives.

Sam drops some truth bombs including why great stories aren't about the catharsis of the creator; they're about characters who choose service over themselves. Being a hero starts at home.

Sam’s take on heroism 101

• Know when to say "yes" when you want to say "no"

• Virtues are universal

We also nerd out on:

• Obi-Wan

• Avatar: The Last Airbender

• Band of Brothers

• Pixar’s Turning Red

• Clare: Obscure Expedition 33

MTFBWY!

-Riley

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If you want to understand the intellectual fault lines of the 20th century, you don’t need to go to a fancy college. You can just sit down with some old movies. We don’t touch on horror movies often on Geeky Stoics, in fact, this is a first.

I just finished KINGDOM OF CAIN, a fascinating book about how horror and murder point toward evidence of God. It’s a fresh approach to Christian apologetics and on brand for Klavan, a prolific crime and mystery novelist.

The book traces the line between real world murders that inspired art (film and stage plays) which inspire more real world violence, which inspire more art. Man destroys, man creates, round and round we go.

At issue for most of the book is how the Ed Gein murders spurred on Alfred Hitchcock’s PSYCHO (1960), which later warranted a response in the form of HALLOWEEN (1978). What Klavan leaves out is a movie near and dear to me, which builds on both of these films, SCREAM (1996).

A question is posed by these works of art based on real world violence:

Is evil a psychiatric malfunction or a metaphysical reality? Are murderers patients, or vessels……

In the video above, you’ll get some answers to that question and see how philosophy and psychology clash when it comes to the question of evil and violence.

“Darwin told us where we came from. Marx told us where we’re going. Freud told us who we are.”

• Andrew Klavan

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Hopefully, you’re caught up on Geeky Stoics and enjoyed the panel conversation we hosted with Ryan Holiday of the Daily Stoic. The conversation covered Stoicism and Objectivism, two distinct philosophies with a lot in common and even more in conflict.

Now you can move on to the next piece of programming we cooked up for you: a one-on-one interview with Holiday.

This came together at the last minute during our trip to Palm Springs. Ryan’s team was not being very accommodating with doing interviews at this event. They vet every outlet asking for time with him.

We flew out to CA without any guarantees of getting an interview.

As I was on stage doing the panel conversation, my phone started buzzing on the podium. It was the conference event coordinator saying, “You’ve been approved. In fact, you’re the only person who got approved.”

I had asked Ryan’s handlers for 15 minutes with him.

“Can you do 60 minutes?” they asked.

Oh boy…since no one else got approved, I was now being offered the entirety of his media time.

And since I didn’t ever get any advance notice, I opted not to toil over preparing an interview. I had no questions prepared.

Needless to say, I accepted the time and improvised.

In the end, I ended up splitting my 60 minutes with another outlet in exchange for their cameraman taking some footage of our interview. That’s what you’ll see in this video above when someone enters the room with a camera right behind Ryan and myself.

Hard work and mild preparation do pay off. Believe!

This is a snippet of the conversation. The rest is on YouTube.

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It’s a good day to be a Geeky Stoics subscriber here on Substack! You all get first access to this week’s video conversations with Ryan Holiday of the Daily Stoic. I told you about the trip to Palm Springs, and it was to moderate this panel tackling the differences and overlaps of Stoicism and Objectivism.

To recap: Stoicism is ancient Greek and Roman philosophy rooted in self-mastery, emotional regulation, and letting go of things beyond your control.

Objectivism took form post-World War II through the philosopher and writer Ayn Rand. It is about self-focus, individual fulfillment, and “rational egoism” or putting yourself first as a matter of rational thought.

Ryan Holiday is famed for his books, "The Obstacle Is the Way," "Ego Is the Enemy," "The Daily Stoic," "Stillness Is the Key", “Courage Is Calling” and his new book “Wisdom Takes Work” comes out this fall. Millions of people receive his daily emails and podcasts, and most of what Geeky Stoics does would not exist without his work.

It was cool to meet him and ask him some questions about the life well-lived.

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Some takeaways

Holiday framed freedom as the opportunity for self-discipline. Drawing on figures like Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and even Eisenhower, he emphasized that inner liberty (freedom from passion, chaos, and internal compulsion) is central to Stoic ethics. Stoicism holds that true freedom is achieved through mastery of the self, rather than simple absence of constraint.

In Ryan’s books, he has called this “the empire between your ears”. Even a person living in chains cannot be truly forced to vacate their freedom of thought and action.

For Stoics, unchecked liberty is a quick road to being enslaved by desire, and so self-restraint is not seen as a limitation but as a form of empowerment.

This is an area I tend to strongly agree on.

Richards, representing Ayn Rand’s Objectivism, defined freedom as freedom from coercion (force or fraud) that threatens one’s ability to think, act, and pursue personal happiness. Objectivism prioritizes the individual’s rational mind as the highest tool for flourishing, arguing that the pursuit of joy and personal achievement is the purpose of freedom. It’s not dismissive of self-discipline, and so Richards emphasized how a person can harm oneself with the pursuit of constant vice.

Enjoying the panel discussion? Now check out our 1-on-1 interview with Ryan Holiday about parenting, Hamilton, and philosophy

Overlap and Contrast on the panel

Both philosophies value rationality, personal responsibility, and civic virtue. However, Stoicism is inward-facing, concerned with moral resilience and inner peace, while Objectivism is outward-facing, focused on creative achievement and individual flourishing.

Holiday illustrated Stoic freedom with the example of Epictetus—a slave who, despite literal bondage, enjoyed greater internal freedom than Rome’s elite who had to suck up to tyrants to make a living. Richards acknowledged this but argued that Objectivism’s strength lies in its systematic approach, beginning with metaphysics and epistemology, and ending in ethics and politics centered on the primacy of the individual. It’s very anti-collectivist.

That point on collectivism is important because it’s perhaps the most pointed area of disagreement.

Most Stoics would say that all “goods” must be considered for the whole of a community. Objectivists, or Ayn Rand, did not believe “the public” even exists. Her philosophical focus was on living, breathing things, and she rejected the notion that the disjointed “we” was a thing worthy of acknowledgement.

I am alive. The “public” is not. I have interests. The public does not.

Stoics don’t buy this, especially not Ryan Holiday.

Now, go enjoy the discussion and tell us what you thought in the comments below.

New on YouTube from Geeky Stoics

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"What need is there to weep over parts of life? The whole of it calls for tears. New ills will come, or old ones will return. Meanwhile, keep your spirit cheerful." - Epictetus, Discourses

The other day, my daughter was stressed about some complicated logistical stuff happening two days in the future. She was visibly distraught and trying to figure out what to be prepared for in case it all went badly. I am not great at this myself, but I reminded her that tomorrow’s troubles don’t require your negative energy today. Lighten up.

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Seneca wrote in one of his "Letters to Lucilius” that, "We are tormented by what is to come more than by what is. The future is uncertain, and we often suffer more in imagination than in reality." That is to say, we go over scenarios for how badly something could go, it causes us suffering, and then it comes, and it wasn’t really that bad.

Then we laugh. What was I so worried about?

There’s a balance between planning for all eventualities (being prepared) and suffering in advance of imagined problems. You’re planning a hike and need to prepare for the possibility of rain and sleet, so you pack a rain jacket and the appropriate shelter. You don’t get into a huff about weather that hasn’t come yet. That’s silly.

When it’s all said and done, though, and you realize you’ve been wound tight over imagined struggles that never even came about, feel free to have a laugh about it. Don’t take yourself so seriously, or even this messy life.

If you want to go a bit deeper on humor and leadership and when to laugh it off, check out this video above. It’s exclusive to newsletter subscribers before it hits YouTube later this week.

Be well.

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This week, I put together an essay I’ve been dying to make for well over a year. This is about Star Wars: Andor and whether or not the show supports a Marxist lens on freedom in a galaxy far, far away.

Star Wars fans online had a field day with the words and deeds of one character, Nemik, who not only writes a “manifesto” for the Rebellion but also wears in Ushanka-style hat. Naturally, this got the Tankies (online communists) a little excited.

In this video essay, being previewed FIRST for email subscribers to Geeky Stoics, I lay out why Nemik isn’t very Marxist. I begin with an assessment of his views on Self-Reliance, then turn to Andor’s nod to Natural Rights doctrine. And I conclude with my view on why Stoicism fills in the gaps left by political ideologies that claim to free mankind.

I would like your feedback in the comments section before launching this on YouTube. Any fat that could be trimmed or argument that can tightened up, I’d like to hear about it!

A beautiful excerpt from Nemik’s Manifesto

There will be times when the struggle seems impossible. I know this already. Alone, unsure, dwarfed by the scale of the enemy.

Remember this, Freedom is a pure idea. It occurs spontaneously and without instruction. Random acts of insurrection are occurring constantly throughout the galaxy. There are whole armies, battalions that have no idea that they’ve already enlisted in the cause.

Remember that the frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere. And even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward.

And remember this: the Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear.

Remember that. And know this, the day will come when all these skirmishes and battles, these moments of defiance will have flooded the banks of the Empires’s authority and then there will be one too many. One single thing will break the siege.

Remember this: Try.

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My family has taken to teasing me over my annual surprise when a shrubbery or tree on our property shows signs of life around March or April. I must admit, I do look at my plants in the winter and think to myself, “Well, that’s it. They’re dead.” And I do this every year.

I kneel at the side of my bushes and snap their branches to check the inside for moist green. I stare at them for long periods of time, wondering if I need to uproot the plant and toss it out for a new one.

Tonight over dinner, I noticed that our tree in the backyard was beginning to reveal fresh buds where pink flowers will soon blossom. My surprise was evident. Many of the other trees on the property had already flowered, and in the back of my mind, the only explanation for why this one hadn’t done so yet was that it had finally died.

Maybe I’m a fringe lunatic, and this is just evidence that I lack a certain chill. It also might reflect my lack of faith in miracles.

Spring is something of a miracle. I don’t easily take to miracles.

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Did you see the news about The Chronicles of Narnia? After years of negotiation, director Greta Gerwig has closed a deal to have her Narnia movie hit theaters on November 26, 2026 before streaming on Netflix that Christmas. It’s pretty exciting! We love C.S. Lewis’ Narnia here on Geeky Stoics. The best available information out there points to Gerwig starting her Narnia series with the chronological first book, The Magician’s Nephew.

In this video, I explain the significance of Narnia’s return AND summarize all of The Magician’s Nephew in less than 5 minutes.

Enjoy and have a restful Sunday.

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The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.

— Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Throughout The Lord of the Rings, doom and tragedy are constantly on the doorstep of J.R.R. Tolkien’s heroes. Failure and defeat happen frequently. The Witch King of Angmar overpowers Merry and Éowyn, Boromir is struck down by Uruk-hai scouts leaving the Fellowship without its great son of Gondor, Frodo is overcome by the power of the Ring on more than one occasion; including at the Crack of Doom when he must throw it into the fire, Gandalf seemingly perishes in the Mines of Moria.

Tolkien coined a term in his early academic writings, Eucatastrophe, to describe an unexpected peril resolved by an unexpected hope.

The Greek prefix "eu-" means “good”

And “catastrophe”, of course, implies disaster or upheaval.

I often imagine a table being flipped upside down. The table is adorned in fine food and wine, among other trappings of the good life. Then someone ruins it all in anger. They flip the table over, destroying all of it. But on the bottom of the table, the dinner guests see a treasure map that has been etched into the wood of the table. The dinner isn’t necessarily redeemed at that very moment, but there is now a bright and shining hope that it could be.

Good comes from the bad.

“-I am a Christian, and indeed a Roman Catholic, so that I do not expect ‘history’ to be anything but a ‘long defeat’ –though it contains (and in a legend may contain more clearly and movingly) some samples or glimpses of final victory.” - Tolkien, Letter 195

It should go without saying that in the Christian world, for believers and non-believers alike, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ rests as the great beacon of eucatastrophe. It captures Tolkien’s notion of “Christian joy…which produces tears because it is qualitatively so like sorrow”.

There’s a strange place in the human heart where Grief and Joy meet and reconcile their differences. They become one.

“Is everything sad going to come untrue?”

My Dad died rather suddenly a little over a week ago. I’m in the stage of grief where even as I write this, I am confused by the words. I don’t understand what has happened. The funeral, eulogy, and urn of ashes feel very much like a dream and every few hours I blink rapidly in recognition that it was all real.

In the final installment of The Lord of the Rings, Samwise Gamgee awakes in bed after the destruction of the Ring. He is in the presence of Gandalf. He mutters about the whole adventure having been a dream and remarks that he is glad to be awake. Then he turns over and sees Frodo lying next to him, missing a finger from his final confrontation with Gollum.

“Full memory flooded back”

Gandalf asks Sam as the Hobbit awakes, “Master Samwise, how do you feel?”

Sam is described as laying back with his mouth agape, fumbling through bewilderment and joy, and unable to speak. Then he gasps.

“Is everything sad going to come untrue? What’s happened to the world?” asks Sam.

It’s all true, and all that has happened will remain so.

But there is a light that is coming. That’s the whole meaning of the Christian Advent season where for four weeks, candles are lit in the runup to Christ’s birth.

It’s a dark season. The sun sets early and it’s cold as death. I’ve never hated December the way I hate it right now. I so badly want the sun and its warmth around me.

But light is coming. There is a treasure map beneath the ruined feast.

In all of the Tolkien scenes I described at the start of this entry, there is a positive resolution brought about by unexpected forces.

Eucatastrophe sings in the pitch black of night.

“And he who was seated on the throne said,

‘Behold, I am making all things new.’”

• Revelation 21:5

Whatever you’re going through, good can come of it. Debts can be paid and in ways you never imagined possible. Be faithful, honest, and true in your dealings with others.

Do not despair.

Warmer days are coming.

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We’re beyond excited to share a new video from the Geeky Stoics YouTube channel, on Dragon Ball Z and Pride. In this video essay, I lay out the character arc of Vegeta in DBZ and offer a lesson on his infamous Pride that can be applied to your life.

Also on YouTube, we have our first viral video, On Anger. Almost 63,000 views. A massive highwater mark for Geeky Stoics.

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It’s a rare and beautiful thing to meet someone with whom you discover so much in common. Not just experiences, but sentiment and aspiration. That’s how I felt after taping a podcast with Evan, best known for his viral Twitter account, @MidddleearthMixr. Going into this conversation about Tolkien and the relevant philosophy of The Lord of the Rings, I didn’t realize I knew Evan from my professional walk. We had a connection. Beyond that, we shared a similar sort of awakening in how we returned to the well of stories that delighted us as children…drawing from them something to help us in adulthood. What Star Wars is to me, Tolkien’s works are to Evan. This was a podcast I had planned to only be 45 minutes, but we couldn’t stop, so it’s more like 90 minutes. I can confirm though, it’s worth every second.

My hope is that you’ll walk away from this encouraged to embrace the stories that move you and listen to what they say. When you were young, you understood certain truths so much more clearly than you do now. In this mashup between MiddleearthMixr and Geeky Stoics, you’ll learn why.

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The first thing you’ll see in my home when you enter is a framed portrait of Abraham Lincoln. Below the image of America’s 16th president, a man who arguably refounded the United States and became one of its most consequential figures, is a list of his numerous failures. The guy posted a lot of L’s.

This list of Lincoln failures is pretty well known, so you might have seen this before. Here is the text I have framed in our doorway.

“Lincoln”

Lost job in 1832.Defeated for state legislature in 1832.Failed in business in 1833.Elected to state legislature in 1834.Sweetheart died in 1835.Had a nervous breakdown in 1836.Defeated for Speaker in 1838.Defeated for nomination for Congress in 1843.Elected to Congress in 1846.Lost renomination in 1848.Rejected for land officer in 1849.Defeated for U.S. Senate in 1854.Defeated for nomination for Vice President in 1856.Again defeated for U.S. Senate in 1858.Elected President in 1860.

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This piece always catches my eye, particularly in the morning when I’m having coffee and thinking about the day ahead. Today is no exception.

Last night I lost my race for City Council in Manassas, Virginia. It was my first foray into politics, and I’d never run in this city before for anything. I’ve lived here about 10 years, whereas all my opponents pretty much grew up here or have lifelong roots in town. That counts for something when a small town of 45,000 people vote. In reality, only about 8,000 people vote in elections around here. It’s kind of crazy.

I’m not launching into some narrative in which I’m a Lincoln figure in the making. It’s just that I’ve had a lot of strikeouts at the plate lately. Let me run through them.

My career has been a pretty wild ride since 2015 when I started a semi-popular podcast called Beltway Banthas. It opened the door to me doing something almost no one gets to do, which is go on TV and talk politics on some of the biggest news networks in the country. From 2016 to 2022 I had a really active and exciting run as a political commentator. All of this led to me securing a book deal with Hachette Publishing for How The Force Can Fix The World, another rare professional notch on the belt that not many people get to experience. It’s special, and that’s not lost on me. Especially when there are so many better writers out there. At the same time, I was selected to host a political talk show for an international news network.

Here’s the thing though. By objective measures, in every single one of these ventures, I “failed”.

As a podcaster, Banthas never generated revenues. As a commentator, I secured no contributor contracts or invites to the “major leagues” for top shows in the world in the mainstream or alternative media. My debut book had a niche audience but was not a best seller on any list of “importance” in the publishing world. My talk show was canceled after one year. We couldn’t find an audience for it. After that, I entered a professional wilderness for almost 2 years. Luckily, a friend offered me a job right when I needed it, but it was a job I ended up being very bad at. As I started looking around for a better fit and interviewing, I felt untouchable. I couldn’t secure a job after all of this. No one wanted to hire me.

I landed on my feet in the end at a really great nonprofit, one where I still work. That was by virtue of managing my relationships and having a good reputation for hard work and honesty. But it was a really hard road.

Then this year I finally ran for office, a dream of mine since I was a kid, and I lost. Not only did I lose, I was the lowest vote-getter in the city.

Deep sigh.

NEW VIDEO FROM GEEKY STOICS

What I told my wife last night when the results came in was that it’s not that I feel like some kind of loser who never has any wins. No, it’s not that. Because in many ways I keep making it to Championship matches (big opportunities), and then striking out when I step up to the plate.

I think that people go on these journeys in life where they think they’ve found “the thing” they were called to do and it turns out to have been a mirage.

I imagine it like a long hallway of locked doors. You have the keyring in your hand and a hundred keys on it. You fumble around to find the right key for the right door, you open it, and then it’s just a wall behind the door. That wasn’t the door for you.

I think I’m just good at feeling around for certain keys to certain doors.

Part of this thought reminds me of one of Geeky Stoics’ central pillars, the life and ideas of C.S. Lewis. As you know, Lewis is famous, immortal really, because of The Chronicles of Narnia. The first book was published in 1950, at a time when Lewis was almost completely drained of his self-confidence and hope. Lewis had become an international superstar in the 1940s for his wartime radio broadcasts on the BBC and Mere Christianity, his most cherished nonfiction work making the case for Christian morality. Then there was The Screwtape Letters, making him even more of a star and the voice of Christian apologetics. Yet, when he was invited onto the BBC in 1950 to discuss faith, Lewis declined saying,

“Like the old fangless snake in The Jungle Book,

I’ve largely lost my dialectal power.”

Lewis had become a symbol of Christian thought and argumentation but had “failed” to convert his own friends and family. In fact, the woman in his life (Mrs. Moore) only grew more hostile to faith over time. He felt powerless in his own sphere of influence.

Just a year before declining the BBC, Lewis participated in a Socratic debate at Oxford against a young woman named Elizabeth Anscombe about “naturalism” and Christian belief. Anscombe was a Catholic and fan of Lewis, but she disagreed strongly with some of Lewis’ cherished conclusions in his book, Miracles.

Long story short, Anscombe defeated and embarrassed Lewis in his own dojo during that debate in 1948. In front of his colleagues, fans, critics, and students, Lewis was dismantled. But it wasn’t just Lewis, it was the premise of one of his great books.

Like a good man with an open mind, Lewis knew he lost and he knew then that Miracles was deeply flawed. For a man like Lewis, it’s the kind of thing that keeps you up at night.

He entered a dark period at this time. Friends of his were dying of age or illness. His ideas were being beaten back by younger thinkers. His famous friendship with J.R.R Tolkien was in disrepair. He’d lost his zeal to write. He was still quite financially strapped, for many reasons. And because Oxford was as hostile to faith as it still is today, Lewis had a target on his back at his university.

He was passed over again and again for new roles at Oxford. Disparaged by department heads and treated like the plague. Academics at elite universities tend to hate their colleagues who have mainstream success, which Mere Christianity was by a large margin.

Lewis was in the shadowlands of his career.

Then he came across a door in that long hallway, opened it, and crossed a threshold into something new.

In 1950, C.S. Lewis published The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. The rest is history. In his lowest moment, C.S. Lewis’ purpose was revealed to him. All the work that he had poured into Christian argumentation in his nonfiction books became the basis for his fictional work in Narnia. The ideas he tested on atheists and believers for 15 years became the story of Wardrobe, Aslan, and White Witch.

Reading over the lives of Lincoln and Lewis, you get the sense that these men considered giving up. Lewis drank too much and was pretty depressed for a period of time. Lincoln’s depression is well-known. But they held on.

Their purpose was revealed to them.

One of C.S. Lewis’ central arguments about God is that if you set out to find Him, it will always be He who finds you first. The hunter becomes the hunted. But it doesn’t happen unless you’re open, aware, and searching.

God, I’m listening.

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Hey Geeky Stoics, right now I’m reading The Creative Act by music producer Rick Rubin. This book is lovely. Two-page chapters that are all about artistic expression and connecting with your ability to create. It’s like Meditations, really.

The Creative Act is a book about the idea I described above. Being open, aware, and searching. If you’re distracted, numb, drunk, overstimulated, or fearful, you won’t hear your call when it comes.

That call may be a painting, a business idea, a song, or a message for a political campaign. Check it out! You won’t regret it.

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“It is not a golden bit that makes one horse superior to others.”

-Seneca, Letters from A Stoic

It’s taken longer than I intended to find a Dragon Ball Z topic for Geeky Stoics. This uniquely popular anime in the United States was my second love growing up, right next to Star Wars. My favorite character is Vegeta, the Prince of Saiyans. He is a total jerk, but it’s something of a novelty as the show grinds on. The whole schtick is that Saiyans are immensely prideful and take their race and blood lineage very seriously.

Vegeta is like most royal-born characters in great stories. He’s privileged, entitled, arrogant, and often whiny, but you like him anyway, because Vegeta is broken down constantly and forced to build himself up again. The reinvention is what makes him interesting.

Humility is one of the more classical virtues that I’m drawn toward in my writing. It was the topic of the first chapter of my 2021 book, How The Force Can Fix The World. In general, we shouldn’t be obsessed with the traits in life that were gifted to us by virtue of being born.

What is gifted to us? Health. Ability. Family. Lineage. Status. Among other things.

Gifts are given to you. You did nothing to deserve them. Awards are earned. Recognition is earned. Gifts are understood to be wrapped with a bow on top and handed to you by the grace of someone else or God himself.

I have a gift for teaching and writing. It would be wrong to strut around acting like I am some self-made man on either of these items. They come naturally to me, and both of my natural talents were strengthened by mentors who entered my life and shared their knowledge freely.

Who am I to be prideful when it comes to these things?

St. Thomas Aquinas (1274 AD) said “Humility removes pride, whereby a man refuses to submit himself to the truth of faith.”

C.S. Lewis said of pride, “Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.”

Still, Vegeta and his precious pride. "Only a failure abandons his principles and his Pride,” the Prince of Saiyans says in Dragon Ball Super.

Vegeta goes on a series-long journey to reform what his pride is made of. At the start of Dragon Ball Z, it is purely this ethnic radicalism based on lore about Saiyan history. His blood is everything to him.

Blood is cheap.

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But then like I said, he’s broken down. Vegeta is defeated again and again, even killed. His rivals usurp him, namely ones without royal blood, and scoff at his entitlement to praise and honor. Vegeta learns something that we’ve all seen in the real world…..

Success is more often the product of natural talent + hard work. I’m a good writer, but I know damn well there are less-good writers who outwork me by leaps and bounds. Those writers will see greater success in this field than me.

I could sit in my office and be pissed about it, or I can work harder.

Vegeta is never really cured of his Saiyan Pride, but with time and suffering it becomes based on something more real — which is Vegeta’s own special resolve to never stay down. He will always get back up.

The Roman stoic known as Seneca the Younger wrote in his letters,

“No one should feel pride in anything that is not his own. In a man, praise is due only to what is his very own. Suppose he has a beautiful home and a handsome collection of servants, a lot of land under cultivation, and a lot of money earned out of interest; not one of these things can be said to be his own – they are just things around him.” - Letters From A Stoic

Vegeta believes in himself, and that’s a variation of pride we make allowances for in philosophy and culture. No one likes or follows people who don’t believe in themselves.

Vegeta’s Pride becomes something he earned. Something that is his own, cultivated within through trials and defeat. He knows at a certain point that his “special blood” won’t save him.

If you were to take pride in one thing, it might be how well you get back up when smacked down. But even that, in my opinion, comes from a God who made you differently than every person around you. Some people will have to fight their whole life for the resolve to stick up for themselves even once, that’s where you come in.

Their meekness is your call to duty. Your strength should be put to work in service of those who have none.

You’re unique. Listen for that whisper. Notice what you’re good at from the earliest age when it’s easiest to hear these whispers.

It’s what you were made for.

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“Don’t seek for everything to happen as you wish it would, but rather wish that everything happens as it actually will—then your life will flow well”

- Epictetus, Enchiridion, 8.

Grey Worm looks at Missandei, with a profound seriousness on his face but a sort of sadness in his eyes. He has not just accepted what happened to him, but he has chosen something akin to gratitude.

“If the masters never cut me, I never am Unsullied. I never stand in the Plaza of Pride when Daenerys Stormborn orders us to kill the masters. I never am chosen to lead the Unsullied. I never meet Missandei from the island of Naath.”

Read more in the article below

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A few weeks ago, Riley and I got together in Northern Virginia to spend some time working on Geeky Stoics’ future. For me, the highlight was taking a morning walk out in the Manassas Battlefield Park and sharing some ideas with each other about why we take fiction so seriously. The goal was a candid conversation.

At the heart of this exchange is a commo…

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“There’s no difference between responsibility and adventure” is something said by Jordan Peterson in his most recent chat with Joe Rogan. I scribbled that one down as soon as I heard it. It resonated for a few reasons, chief among them that accepting responsibility in my own life around age 20 led me to the life I have now…with a beautiful wife of 13 years and an equally lovely daughter of 13. The adventure has been unbelievable and has taken me in so many directions I didn’t anticipate.

Like most individuals faced with that kind of crossroad moment, I didn’t initially know which road to take. I resisted the path of responsibility, however briefly.

Luke Skywalker had this kind of hinge moment in Star Wars: Episode IV. He had always dreamed of leaving Tatooine. He talks about it with his best friend, Biggs, who is packing his bags to leave and join the Rebellion. Then Obi-Wan Kenobi gives Luke an opportunity when he says “You must learn the ways of the Force and come with me to Alderaan.”

You must. Not should.

Luke evades. “I can’t get involved.”

Yeah right. He was scared of change and more content to dream about leaving home than actually doing it. But fate forced Luke’s hand when the Empire burned his home to the ground, killing his Aunt and Uncle in the process.

Now there was nothing for Luke on Tatooine. He agrees to go with Obi-Wan. Hardly a heroic motivation. He had run out of excuses for doing what he knew to be right.

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Like the Force of Star Wars, God also has a way of compelling proper action and walking the path of responsibility. The whole reason Jonah ended up inside a whale was because he refused to heed God’s command to travel to Nineveh and preach against its evil and corruption.

Moses was commanded by God to be his champion in confronting the Pharaoh of Egypt and freeing the Israelites, but he relented.

“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh —- Please send someone else.”

Jonah fled God and was taken in by a whale till he came to his senses. Luke Skywalker had to lose everything in a very Job-like tragedy.

What are you running from that you’ve been called to do?

It’s true that not all of us are meant to go on grand adventures. We shouldn’t be seeking out what the culture considers “adventure”… mountains, skydiving, cross-country treks, and living off the grid for fun….instead, think of adventure as taking responsibility, or doing what must be done.

1 Timothy 2:2 says “live peaceful and quiet lives” and for some of us, that’s exactly what we’ve been called to do. Raise kids, go to work, love our spouses, and pay bills. Why? It might be your child or their child who God will call on for some kind of dangerous physical adventure….and your job is to feed and educate that person so they can one day do it.

I know of something that I’m running from which I feel called to do.

What about you?

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Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings have two very similar moments. As a great threat makes itself known in each world, a band of potential heroes circle up to assess the danger and devise a plan.

In Star Wars: Rogue One this is the “rebellions are built on hope speech” delivered by Jyn Erso who has discovered the plans for the Death Star and wants to lead the fractured Rebel Alliance in stealing them. The Rebels are divided and hardly interested in risking everything over a rumor.

In The Lord of the Rings, what will soon become the “Fellowship of the Ring” is gathered in Rivendell under the hospitality of Lord Elrond. He has gathered the Elves, Men, and Dwarves all together with Gandalf and the Hobbits, to unveil the Ring of the Power and make it known — it must be destroyed.

In both stories, everyone learns of the threat with bated breath and in silence. Then fear and self-interest sink in. Argument erupts.

In Star Wars and Middle-earth, we see a confluence of civilizations and leaders with their own unique concerns. Mutual destruction is only part of their calculus. For almost all of these men and women, their will to fight and risk it all comes from something you and I know well — a love of home.

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Before we continue, our new video, The School of Tywin Lannister, is out on YouTube in its entirety. This is a rundown of 3 Stoic lessons offered by the most powerful man in Westeros, a worthy villain in Game of Thrones. Check it out and be sure to leave a Like and Comment with your thoughts!

A love of home is sometimes made into a controversial thing, even though we all know it is not. The Rebels and Fellowship are not risking their lives for one another homes, that is quite clear. Elves don’t much care for Dwarves and vice versa. The Hobbits don’t give a damn about Gondor, nor does Gondor care what happens to the Shire. They only care about what happens in faraway lands so much as it will eventually harm them and their lands.

Jyn Erso reminds the Rebels of what the Empire did to Jedha just days before their meeting. The Empire tested the Death Star on a city called Jedha, which was completely wiped off the map. The Rebels know she’s right. They think of their homes.

Call this instinct patriotism or nationalism or whatever you want. I would prefer the former…patriotism, where you view your homeland as special, good, and worthy of defense. Nationalism is something else. It’s when you take that belief and decide to carry it like a torch into other people’s lands.

In C.S. Lewis’s The Four Loves, he begins the book with a deep explanation of this love of home and why it matters to human beings.

With this love for the place there goes a love for the way of life; for beer and tea and open fires, trains with compartments in them and an unarmed police force and all the rest of it….a man’s reasons for not wanting his country to be ruled by foreigners are very like his reasons for not wanting his house to be burned down because he “could not even begin” to enumerate all the things he would miss.”

This love is what propels Sam and Frodo across all of Middle-earth. They think of the Shire. Frodo cries for it in his lowest moments, with the great irony being that he never feels comfortable there again after coming to its ultimate defense.

Lewis says “Patriotism is not in the least aggressive. It asks only to be left alone.” For any man with imagination, he says, “How can I love my home without coming to realize that other men, no less rightly, love theirs?”

In this sense, you get a perfectly reasonable take on self-interest as a motivating factor in the heroism of Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings. Modern people love to talk a big game about being global citizens and tout their open-mindedness about cultures in corners of the globe they’ve never experienced or studied. It’s performative. The only thing tangible is loving your own garden and tending to it. A deep and gentle love leads you to wish no harm to other people’s gardens, for they must feel as strongly about them as you do yours.

This well of empathy is valuable and leads to beautiful outcomes in both Star Wars and Tolkien’s tale of Middle-earth. You can build it by investing in your own community, your own home, and local culture. You’ll see how it differs from the cultures around you. And that's okay. There is beauty in difference.

It would not be home unless it were different

-C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

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“Just because some people are nice to you, doesn’t mean you should spend time with them”

-Epictetus in The Art of Living

You probably have gotten an earful for most of your life about choosing your friends wisely. Mom or Dad might have told you this, maybe a coach and most certainly your Sunday school teacher. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t listen to this when I was 16. I wanted to be friends with anyone who accepted me and welcomed my company. That was the extent of my discrimination on who I shared time with.

I wish I had thought about it differently now, looking back on those years. You really do become more like who you hang around.

You adopt their mannerisms. Sayings. Lingo. Wardrobe. Ever seen Mean Girls? It’s natural. We are social creatures and will do all sorts of things in order to not be the lone wolf traveling the world without support.

All friendships are transactional, even the ones we think are not.

You are making deposits on every relationship. Is the other person putting something into it that adds value to your life at a positive rate of interest?

C.S. Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia) and J.R.R Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings) were friends and colleagues at the University of Oxford. It’s cool to imagine these creative titans sharing time together and swapping ideas.

The friendship had limits, of course, and it became strained over time as their evolving values and commitments clashed.

They had a literary and writing club at Oxford known as The Inklings. This group of men (exclusively) would meet to share their work with one another. They’d offer feedback, argue, and poke holes in different ideas presented by the members. But the goal was to sharpen one another. At times this was known to be frustrating for members with varying degrees of ego.

After the untimely death of C.S. Lewis, to which Tolkien had become estranged, he wrote of his old friend, “The unpayable debt I owe to C.S. Lewis was not influence but sheer encouragement. He was for long my only audience.”

You see, Tolkien was not as prolific a writer as Lewis. He was more in the weeds of his worldbuilding, sure, but he struggled to finish his work in a way that Lewis did not. Tolkien had doubts and at times lacked motivation to continue. He very much did not have wind in his sails to complete The Hobbit, a story he had reservations about releasing to the public.

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Tolkien had even greater doubts about the longer tale that would become The Lord of the Rings.

But Lewis loved the stories. He read the drafts with great enthusiasm and clamored for his friend to continue forward. Tolkien did, and the world has never been the same.

Lewis was known as a serial encourager of others. He loved to brainstorm and workshop other people’s ideas. There is no telling how many great works came from Oxford and The Inklings as a result of Lewis’ desire to make sure fruit never died on the vine.

You need friends like this in your life.

The Stoic philosopher Epictetus is known to have shared these very ideas in his lectures.

“The world is full of agreeable and talented folk. The key is to keep company only with the people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best,” he said.

You need to be choosy. The company you keep will rub off on you.

In the case of Lewis and Tolkien, these two men were in each other’s lives at a time when they needed one another. They sharpened each other’s craft and uplifted spirits at late hours of the night when their creative energies would boil over.

Then it stopped. The men grew apart. It’s rather sad the more you read about it and the slow demise of The Inklings.

But that’s the truth of 90 percent of friendships. They are chapters in a book and people move in and out of our lives like the tides.

Only a select few will be in your life from start to finish. Hopefully, they are company you chose to keep.

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“When you’ve done well and another has benefited by it — why like a fool do you look for a third thing on top—credit for the good deed or a favor in return?”

-Marcus Aurelius

Love languages are funny. Some people really value conversation in their relationship, others value closeness. I remember early on in my marriage I thought it was uncomfortable to sit on the couch in silence with my wife, just watching TV and saying nothing for two hours. Inside I was panicking like, “Are we not in sync?! Why aren’t we talking?!” But she would always say it was just nice to be together and share space.

What are the love languages you’ve seen in your life? Flowers….jewelry….ice cream…physical touch…

My Mom is in town visiting. She has a farm in North Carolina. More of a petting zoo, honestly. Lots of cute and fuzzy animals who don’t produce anything but smiles. There are rabbits! She told me that contrary to popular belief, bunnies don’t like to be held. It goes against their instincts as prey for larger animals to be held and taken off their feet. Their ability to dart away at any given moment is their strength. Without feet on the ground, they feel helpless.

My dog (Kylo) hates being hugged. It’s funny to watch. His head moves away and his body pulls in the other direction as you wrap your arms around him.

But as human beings, we have wants and needs ourselves. We show love differently. We want to hold the rabbit because it’s like a baby. We want to hug the dog because he is a dear friend. But that’s not what they want.

Can we accept that?

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CS Lewis once said that the true mark of human beings’ primacy over animals is how we “acknowledge duties to them which they do not acknowledge to us.”

We do things for them without any real hope of thanks. Marcus Aurelius called this the “third thing”, referencing how we sell ourselves short by doing what we’re supposed to do but only in search of validation or praise. Animals are never going to give that to you.

This matters. Our gentleness to animals is an expression of deep love and empathy. It’s something that makes you unique.

But what good is it if you are gentle to your cat and cruel to your spouse? What good is it if you’re understanding of the dog who threw up on the rug after eating too much grass, but angry when your toddler throws a spoon full of pudding across the dining room?

Animals are training for how we should treat our fellow human beings. We diminish our dignity when we are mean-spirited to animals because we have the greater capacity for choice in how we engage them.

Be patient. Be gentle. Trust me, I’m writing this as a reminder to myself. It’s hard sometimes. But it’s what we’re here to do. So do it.

Have a great weekend folks.

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There are two truths I want you to hold at once. The first truth is that you have no time to waste being someone you’re not. I recently interviewed this young entrepreneur named Nicolas Kirkland, and he said something that stuck with me — “Why do you gotta act like everybody else? Everybody else is taken.”

We’re either on the hamster wheel of trying to fit in or we’ve slipped into the sinkhole of mistaking someone else’s dream for our own.

Related note: One of my absolute favorite musical tunes is “From Now On” performed by Hugh Jackman in The Greatest Showman. He lets his father-in-law and insecurity about growing up poor corrupt his ambitions, and he quickly finds himself living the life of a two-faced businessman. Somehow he lost touch with who he was at the start. But it wasn’t too late to turn things around.

BTW the Zac Brown Band does an A+ cover of this song I highly recommend.

“The politicians praised my name. But those are someone else’s dreams, the pitfalls of the man I became. For years and years, I chased their cheers, at the crazy speed of always needing more.”

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The second truth is that you can also become the person you want to be by simply playing the part. You can call it “fake it to make it” or couch it in that old saying, “dress for the job you want, not the job you have.”

These truths could be mistaken for a contradiction, one demanding authenticity and another promoting inauthenticity, but it all depends on how honest you’re being with yourself about who you’re meant to be. None of us come into the world born the way we’d like to eventually leave the world. We are in a process of becoming. The trick is becoming the person you want to see in the mirror till your final days, and doing that work for yourself…not someone else.

I hope you enjoy this video for Geeky Stoics subscribers. Leave a comment with your thoughts and share with a friend.

If you enjoyed this post and want more to read, here are a few recommendations

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While I was chaperoning my daughter’s Scout Troop at summer camp in July, I took The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe with me to revisit the classic C.S. Lewis tale with adult eyes. It was fun. I fully appreciate now why I loved this story so much growing up. I also can appreciate with even more clarity why I loathed the character of Edmund so much. He’s the younger brother and family traitor who sells out his siblings to the White Witch, setting into motion a series of events that results in the death of Aslan, “King of Beasts”.

Most readers of this book (or fans of the movies) will dislike Edmund. Perhaps there is a legion of younger brothers out there who see themselves in Edmund and hate Peter instead. That seems likely, now that I think about it.

He is awful though. Edmund bullies his younger sister (Lucy) for her belief in Narnia, learns of it himself, and then lies again to make Lucy look foolish. All the while he is conspiring with the White Witch to bring her his siblings and be anointed “king” of Narnia. The Turkish Delight candies the Witch feeds him do legitimately skew his judgment, something the book goes to great lengths to make clear. Edmund is a rotten boy but he is a victim of deceit and malicious spiritual intoxication.

“When faced with people’s bad behavior, turn around and ask when you have acted like that. When you saw money as a good, or pleasure, or social position — Your anger will subside as soon as you recognize that they acted under compulsion. What else could they do?”

- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

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Owen: "We don't need anything from you, Kenobi." Obi-Wan: "It's just a toy."Owen: "It's a lot more than that."

―Owen Lars to Obi-Wan Kenobi

I’ve been thinking a lot today about why I do this. Here’s what I came up with.

Geeky Stoics is about drawing out the transcendent from the entertaining. It’s about reaching beyond “escapism” and expanding your potential in the real world through the enjoyment of other worlds. Every place we visit, we take something home. You travel to South Carolina….you come home with a sea turtle mug and sand between your toes. You return from California with a tan. You go to school and hopefully return with fun facts, or maybe a black eye. You go to the movie theater to see Star Wars or Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings or The Avengers, and you come home with ideas of a larger world. Why do you think Obi-Wan Kenobi gave young Luke Skywalker a toy T-16 Skyhopper as a gift? The one we see a more grown-up Luke playing with in the original Star Wars film. It was to inform Luke, to delight and direct his mind toward the stars. Uncle Owen forbids it at first. He takes the toy away and angrily returns it to Obi-Wan. Knowledge of the stars and ships to visit them would direct Luke’s imagination toward them. That opens Luke up to great danger. He could be harmed by the galaxy. But Obi-Wan persisted and made sure Luke had this toy at his desert home on Tatooine. It primed Luke to want more. Yes, it’s just a toy, the definition of escapist entertainment. But toys are how we act out greatness. We roleplay heroism and courage with toys and costumes. In the theater seat, are you not doing the same thing? Wondering to yourself during the movie, “Is this how I would respond to Darth Vader’s offer of power and empire? Would I walk away from the burning Homestead and leave Mos Eisley with strangers to rescue a princess?” Every few days I hear from someone that we take these stories too seriously, and that they weren’t meant to be philosophies or profound insights about life. They’re just meant to be “simple” and “family entertainment”. When I think of simple family entertainment I think of a waterslide. You climb up, you go down, you get wet, and do it all over again. But I don’t know how you could look at Spider-Man….when Peter Parker chooses out of vengefulness to let an armed robber escape with a bag of cash, something he has the power to stop, but he shirks that responsibility and it cascades directly to the murder of his beloved uncle by that same thief….and think, “simple entertainment”. Someone quipped to me that it’s not like Michael Bay’s Transformers movies are philosophical. Surely that would be a huge stretch to argue. I don’t particularly care for those films, but just five minutes of reflection would lead you to see that even the Transformers movies, which are dripping in shiny objects, sex appeal, and big explosions, have a very basic perspective about human existence….which is that it’s worth fighting for. Optimus Prime doesn’t come down to Earth and encourage the people he meets to roll over and die. When you come to realize that there a tons of people, philosophers even, who promote the idea that humanity is an invasive species, you then have to ask yourself, “Well what is this goofy Transformers movie telling me?” And it’s saying, in the booming voice of Optimus Prime…Defend planet Earth from the Decepticons. Be brave. Stand up for yourself. Fight. Almost every story you’ve ever read has a point of view and something it wants you to understand. Every story is written in the context of a civilization and its values, and every little thing that you think is “simple” is very likely an alien concept to some man or woman your age on the other side of the globe. It makes me think of this old Brad Pitt movie Seven Years in Tibet, where Pitt plays an Austrian Olympic climber visiting Tibet. He brags of his feats climbing mountains in hopes of seducing a local woman, but she’s gobsmacked that this Western man thinks it is valiant to conquer mountains. I don’t know about you, but as a Western man myself, I see a mountain and I think “You climb it”…Why? “Because it’s there”. I suspect we will never hear the end of criticism and naysaying about how we take simple stories too seriously or bend over backward to find meaning in ridiculous children's stories, but I know in my bones that they are much more than that. These “toys” these “escapist” pieces of entertainment, they are telling us something. The question is, are you listening?

God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.

-C.S. Lewis

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This morning I was alone for a while in a lovely wooded area outside of my town. I was dwelling on some negative comments I’d seen recently about the stuff we make here. And I started writing in my journal. That was the first piece of what you just read. The intent is for it to be part of a book that Riley Blanton and I are working on, all about Geeky Stoics. Stay tuned.

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Why do our warmest memories sort of hurt? You know the feeling. An old home video from childhood where you’re opening Christmas presents in the company of siblings and cousins, or the memory box from high school full of photos and scribblings featuring your long-lost best friends.

We miss these times. Though they were challenging at the time (being a teenager is hard) you can’t help but look back on those years as more…simple.

Today, we want to show you a short YouTube video called “A Love Letter To Star Wars” that depicts a young man lost in the nostalgia of the Star Wars prequel era (1999-2006). He seems lonely. Alienated from the Star Wars of today. The past makes him smile.

We feel that. There’s a wonderful book I read recently called Past Forward: How Nostalgia Can Help You Live A More Meaningful Life by Dr. Clay Routledge which makes a compelling case for the value of nostalgic feeling.

Rather than treating nostalgia as a negative experience that traps people in the past and prevents growth, Routledge explains how nostalgia directs our future actions.

The past isn’t the true destination; it’s just where we go to grab supplies for the trip

Nostalgia is a clue in our subconscious about what makes us feel whole. We lose those things along the way due to circumstances and the ever-changing nature of the world. But every day we have a chance to build a new life. So how are you using those nostalgic feelings to guide your decision making?

Something I picked up from a biography of C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia) was that he believed God speaks to us in our childhood loves. Lewis spoke of nostalgia often but in terms of how God attempts to show us who we really are and what gifts he gave us that perhaps we’ve squandered.

Did you love animals when you were 10 years old and dream of being a zoo keeper? Lewis believed that this might have been the real you. That doesn’t mean that you have to be a zoo keeper, but it might mean you were gifted the heart of a nurturer. That could mean being a teacher, a dog kennel operator, or a parent to a big flock of children.

If you loved Star Wars (deeply) like Riley and I both do, the idea is that this is not a flash-in-the-pan kind of phase you went through, but a deeper reality about something in your heart.

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We lose touch with that deeper truth when we enter the life of career, making money, paying bills, managing debt, and other sorts of mundane adult pressures.

I made peace with that deeper truth several years ago and decided not to segregate Star Wars and “geeky” stories from my adult life. I think I was meant to adore these stories and reframe them for my adult peers.

I think I was meant to do something like we’re doing at Geeky Stoics.

I know that because of nostalgic feelings toward Star Wars, Narnia, Lord of the Rings, and my childhood friendships.

This might be why C.S. Lewis dedicated The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe to his God-daughter, saying

“I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand a word you say, but I shall still be your affectionate Godfather, C. S. Lewis.”

Did you catch that?

Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.

Enjoy this video podcast of Geeky Stoics, and let us know what you think in the Comments.

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A journey through perspective taking with Star Wars and C.S. Lewis. The glasses we wear in life change everything.

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“What view is one likely to take of the state of a person’s mind when his speech is wild and incoherent and knows no restraint?” The Roman known as Seneca asked this question sometime around the year 50 AD in a collection of letters now published as Letters From A Stoic. It’s possible I like this book more than Stoicism’s seminal text, Meditations. It’s very practical. Seneca was a lawyer, senator, political advisor and philosopher, and his letters are chock full of very strong takes on matters such as public speaking and how to be persuasive.

As a participant in political discourse, both as a commentator and as a candidate for office, Seneca’s advice on communication is something I take seriously. You should too!

In Letter XL, Seneca guides us on everything from the speed and volume of our speech, to the simplicity of the words we choose.

“Nothing can be well-regulated if it is done in a breakneck hurry” (bad news for Ben Shapiro)

“Language which devotes its attention to truth ought to be plain and unadorned.” (Here’s great political slogan that comes from a much more wordy and drawn out concept)

“The other extreme of thinness and poverty means less attentiveness on the part of the listener as he becomes tired of the slowness with all its interruptions.” (Bueller? Bueller?)

In plain terms, Seneca is saying in this last quote to speak with peaks and valleys. Pick up speed and speak with a rhythm, and then slow down at strategic points in your message.

Although I still have much to learn, I do work as a public speaking coach for hire. When I train speakers, this is lesson number one: Variation in your speed.

It keeps the audience engaged. If you talk fast and then slow down, people want to know why. They assume you’re making an important point. It’s like verbally whipping out a yellow highlighter and emphasizing a few words in your speech. Trust me, it makes people listen if they had started to zone out.

I’ll wrap things up with a great moment in communication from The Lord of the Rings. The wizard Gandalf is trying to get his friend, Bilbo Baggins, to relinquish the Ring of Power to him for safe keeping. Bilbo is in the grips of the Ring’s influence, and is starting to become angry and vicious. Bilbo is talking faster and more erratically. Gandalf at first tries to keep up, interrupt softly and with concern. Then he changes strategy.

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Gandalf raises his voice. Quite loudly. In Tolkien’s book it’s even more clear that Gandalf employs some kind of magic to enlarge his appearance and fill the air with almost static electricity. He shocks Bilbo out of his paranoid rant.

The movie dialogue from the Peter Jackson movie is more straight forward than what Gandalf says in the book.

“BIBLO BAGGINS!!!! DO NOT TAKE ME FOR SOME CONJURER OF CHEAP TRICKS. I AM NOT TRYING TO ROB YOU…..I’m trying to help you.”

Bilbo runs into Gandalf’s arms for comfort and help. The Ring has overtaken his mind, and he knows it. Gandalf does not go around yelling at people. He speaks very softly almost all of the time. So when he raises his voice, people listen.

You’ve probably known someone, a parent or teacher or politician, who is always barking and being loud. It’s fascinating. Even in their shouting, it can become like white noise, a static that you barely hear at all.

Variation in speech is key for making your point and having ears attuned to what you are saying.

Be in control. Speaking with great intention is a virtue to Seneca and the Stoics, and it certainly was to Gandalf the Grey. Practice it this week.

After all, Seneca does conclude this letter by saying, “One needs constant daily practice for it.”

ICYMI here is the new episode of the Geeky Stoics Podcast where we talk about Star Wars: The Acolyte

and if you wanna go a layer deeper on Star Wars you simply must watch this video essay by Riley Blanton of Geeky Stoics

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Clive Staples Lewis (C.S. Lewis), known to friends and family as “Jacksie” (or Jack), was a stridently opinionated young man from the earliest age. He was a bookworm, an avid enjoyer of mythology and you could even say he was a bit too pleased with himself for it. During an unpleasant period of Lewis’ life (age 15) studying at Malvern College, a boys’ prep school, Lewis began to form an aspect of his personality he’d work a lifetime to keep in check: scorn.

Malvern valued athletics above everything else. The school aimed to shape the boys through physical competition and sport, something which young “Jacksie” had no talent in or appetite for. He avoided the games whenever possible. But he went a step further and adopted an attitude of contempt for the school’s jocks. I was the same way at 15, despite being good at sports.

Lewis was this classic archetype. The nerd and intellectual who looks down on sports and all his peers who participate in it. Lewis wrote in a letter, “If I had never seen the horrible spectacle which these coarse, brainless English schoolboys present, I might be a danger of my sometimes becoming like that myself.” C.S. Lewis was at least self-aware and seemed to know he had an arrogance problem.

A few years later, Lewis had found himself a mentor in one, Mr. Kirkpatrick, a friend of the family. On a walk one day in the English county of Surrey, Kirkpatrick began to work on Lewis’ snobbery in what can only be described as a Socratic smackdown.

Lewis was Irish and very much hated being in England. He found it ugly, dry, and uninspired. So naturally, he made an underhanded remark about it. Lewis said on their walk that Surrey was “wilder” than he had anticipated.

Kirkpatrick began his pushback.

“What do you mean by wildness?” (I dunno)

“Have you been here before?” (No)

“Have you studied maps of the area?” (No)

“Have you read books about Surrey or seen photographs of it?” (NO!!)

Lewis was caught off guard. His gentle jab at Surrey wasn’t meant to provoke, it was just him making small talk, but it reflected his opinionated nature.

Kirkpatrick put Lewis in his place by asking him questions that would reveal what informed his thinking.

Nothing informed it. Only his contempt for England and romanticization of rural Northern Ireland.

Before you continue with this stoic lesson from the life of C.S. Lewis, open up our new Geeky Stoics video analysis on the closure of the “Star Wars Hotel” at Disney World. There’s another lesson here about opinions, stubborn confidence, and listening graciously to feedback.

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C.S. Lewis had no basis for thinking ill of Surrey or that it would be tame and boring.

Lewis knew then that he needed to develop his critical thinking capabilities. Being taken apart like that over such a simple matter was not something he wanted to endure again.

In Meditations, Marcus Aurelius writes that:

“It is in our power to have no opinion about a thing, and not to be disturbed in our soul; for things themselves have no natural power to form our judgments”

Not being overly opinionated is a pillar of Stoic philosophy. The idea is that you should test every impression and feeling like a shopkeeper tests the currency they’re given by a shopper. Is this counterfeit?

The Roman stoic, Seneca said in his letters that, “Pain is slight if opinion has added nothing to it.”

C.S. Lewis could have used this when watching his peers play football at Malvern College. You don’t have to enjoy sports. You don’t have to have strong opinions about it all. His opinions on the thing were causing him to suffer more than the thing itself.

Our world is driven by opinion and sounding off, more than at any time in human history. It’s amplified and monetized by social media. Look around and you’ll see most people are not too happy about it, but they play right into the hands of the opinion industry.

It’s okay to not have an opinion about this or that. You are not uninformed for having no opinion. Nothing is worse and more cheap than a paper-thin opinion treated as gospel.

Thanks for reading Geeky Stoics! We’ll be back next week with more. I’m in Poland right now on business, but I did have a little excitement on my way here. Here’s that!

I did make it to Warsaw. Here’s the evidence. My daughter sent me here with her stuffed cow named Epictetus. Yes, the stoic…Epictetus.

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Yesterday I revisited a Robin Williams classic, the Dead Poets Society. This movie likely inspired a generation of English teachers, based on how many times this movie was shown to me in school by a teacher with a twinkle in their eye. Everyone fancies themselves the Williams character, Mr. Keating, who teaches his students about language, romanticism, and “carpe diem”. It’s a great movie and aged well. In a sense, Dead Poets is standard fare for the inspirational drama genre. Its main beats include a spunky teacher instilling nonconformity in his prep school students, overbearing parents who won’t accept their children’s passion for art, an authoritarian headmaster, and a bunch of messy boys searching for their identity in a school that takes no interest in the individual.

The movie is pure romanticism, all the way from its high points like the O’ Captain My Captain ending to the low points like the tragic suicide of a main character, taken by despair about his future.

When you’re young, you see yourself in the boys.

Their hopelessness about meeting parental expectations hits hard.

You love the teacher who sees them for who they truly are. Robin Williams captures the kind of mentor we all wanted at that age. I hope you had someone in your life that was like Keating.

Dead Poets is chock full of memorable takeaways and bumper sticker wisdom.

"No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.”

“There is a time for daring, and there is a time for caution. And a wise man understands which is called for.”

“Poetry, beauty, romance, love… these are what we stay alive for.”

“Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.”

But what about this one from Mr. Keating’s lessons…..

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One afternoon, Keating jumps up on his desk and proclaims the necessity of seeing things from a different perspective. Have an open mind. Walk in another man’s shoes. Stand on the teacher’s desk where you can look out at the class. The kids and their desks would seem small.

It’s a little goofy and not that transcendent of a lesson compared to some other observations by Keating about life and love. It even feels a bit elementary.

“After an orange cloud — formed as a result of a dust storm over the Sahara and caught up by air currents — reached the Philippines and settled there with rain, I understood that we are all sailing in the same boat.”

• Vladimir Kovalenok, on seeing the Earth from space

But now as a parent of a 13-year-old, watching Dead Poets as a family last night, I took a new interest in elements of the movie I hadn’t cared about before. It’s like the old saying, “You never stand in the same river twice.” Since the water is always in motion, the river is new every single day. This is the case for rereading books you love and watching old movies again. You’re different today than you were yesterday or a decade ago.

I was standing on the desk. Seeing the movie as an adult. Seeing the kids not as my peers, but as kids.

“We must constantly look at things in a different way,” says Mr. Keating as the boys climb up on the desk to see the classroom from above.

I felt the pain of the parents who lost their son to suicide. Though their overbearing expectations are what pushed the child to end his life, I actually noticed the offhand detail about the family being lower-middle class and less wealthy than everyone else at the prep school. The parents also felt pressure, and their desire to improve their economic position in society overwhelmed their son. They weren’t bad people. They had developed tunnel vision, and I’ve been there before.

There’s a teacher (Mr. Nolan) early in the movie who questions Keating’s unorthodox methods in the classroom. He’s a bit of a totalitarian himself, and he debates Keating at the lunch table. What I never noticed when I was a kid was that Mr. Nolan does not dislike Keating, he actually quite enjoys him.

They spar, but you can see in a shared smile that they are simply two teachers who love knowledge and sharing it, but in different ways. When you’re young you don’t like Nolan.

Yesterday, I didn’t feel badly about him at all. Weird!

Mr. Nolan is also not a bad man. In fact, he says something true to Keating which is that the romanticism he values will open the boys up to more pain in their lives. This is true.

Keating expands the boy’s minds and their dreams, and when a dream gets crushed, a boy is crushed also, then buried.

It’s this part of the movie, climbing the desk, which is quite hard for teenagers to fully appreciate. They’re particularly self-centered creatures. I know cause I was one.

This is one of the great hurts Robin Williams touched on throughout his career: becoming an adult without losing the child inside. Like in his reimagined Peter Pan story, Hook, “All grown-ups are pirates.”

But we don’t want to be. Our priorities just change. We fall in love. We have kids. We start to need money and then fall for the lie that we always need more of it. Then we alienate those who we love and wonder how we lost our way in the first place. “I did it for them” these characters always say.

Climb the desk. Revisit something you “used to love” and see what you can see. I bet it’ll be different from when you were younger.

Did you catch our latest video and articles on Geeky Stoics?

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Once there was a Gnat who flew over the meadow with much buzzing for so small a creature and he settled on the tip of one of the horns of a Bull. After he had rested a short time, the Gnat made ready to fly away. But before he left he begged the Bull's pardon for having used his horn for a resting place.

"You must be very glad to have me go now," said the Gnat

"It's all the same to me," replied the Bull. "I did not even know you were there."

Ouch! This is one of my favorite of Aesop’s Fables. Like the other stories in this fantastical collection from Ancient Greece, “The Gnat & the Bull” is a reminder to think a little less of yourself. It’s nearly impossible to not think of yourself as the main character of your own story, but trying is a worthwhile exercise.

There’s this great scene in AMC’s classic series, Mad Men, where the advertising executive and playboy Don Draper (played by Jon Hamm) has just hurt the pride of one of his employees, Michael Ginsberg. This young man is a starving artist type. He’s brilliant, but a tad tortured inside. His creative work matters a lot to him. In a pitch meeting for a client, Ginsberg’s idea was supposed to be front and center. Last minute, Don Draper changes things up and pitches his own idea instead.

This is what happens…..it’s 50 seconds and worth watching.

So often we are of greater importance in our own eyes than in the eyes of our neighbor…..

This fable and the scene from Mad Men are instructive in a few ways. First, as I said above, Michael Ginsberg has never considered that his hot-shot boss gives zero thought to his existence. As a great artist with a wild mind, Ginsberg is very pleased with himself and his creations for the ad firm. He is watching others very closely, studying rivals, and thinking about how other people carry themselves. He’s more empathic in that way. But the problem with empaths (I am one) is that we also start to think everyone else is like this.

“I’m constantly wondering what this person is up to…..I bet they're thinking about me and my struggles…”

Do you see how this is both a gift and a curse? This kind of mind is hyper-aware, but one step away from being self-centered at all times.

Don Draper is not a nice guy. He’s got a huge ego. He’s the Bull, a heavyweight in his field, and a very self-centered man.

But….as a boss in a big office, Draper is 100% correct that in this dynamic….Michael Ginsberg works for him. Ginseberg’s ideas are his ideas in a pitch meeting. If you have a boss, you work for their glory. Your job is to support them, help them succeed, and see them recognized. This means doing your job diligently and adopting a service mindset. Of course, this has limits. A good boss who keeps employees around knows that glory and recognition have to be shared, and underlings have to be given opportunities to rise in the company based on their performance.

Don is not great with this. However, every time he says to Ginsberg, “I don’t think about you at all” I want to break into applause for Don here, even though he’s not a great guy.

Two things are true here in the case of the Gnat and the Bull, AKA Ginsberg and Draper.

One: Draper does in fact think about Ginsberg, a lot. His career is sputtering and he feels very much that his position in the company is threatened. He’s lost a little of his creative edge. Ginsberg has it. He sees it. He wants it and also wants to snuff it out. Draper will not be eclipsed by a young upstart. So what is doing isn’t fully sincere.

Two: Don simply wants to deny him the satisfaction when Ginsberg says, “I feel sorry for you.” He shuts it down with disinterest and walks off. He won that standoff. Ginsberg is convinced, and frankly, he kind of needed it. His boss has a life and big problems, Ginsberg should think that Draper isn’t thinking about him that much. There’s ego going both ways here that need to be put in check.

The people you are trying to keep up with, the folks whose stuff you envy….they likely aren’t thinking about you at all. That Facebook or Slack post you edited 10 times to get the wording just right so you didn’t offend anyone….no one saw it in the first place. When you spend twenty minutes picking the right outfit or tie to go to a party, you imagine this scenario where everyone is watching you and judging your outfit. In reality, hardly anyone will notice you. Their faces are in their phones or in conversation with people they already know.

Uncenter yourself a little bit from the narrative. If someone else wants to make you the star of the show or the main character in a story, let them do it. But as much as you can, resist this impulse.

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less.”

― C.S. Lewis

This is a great analysis of the scene for Mad Men fans. Enjoy!

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Nothing is worse than losing your sense of who you are. That’s what Riley wrote about for Geeky Stoics just a few days ago. C.S. Lewis worried about this too. He had this sense that Satan himself would love nothing more than to alienate the individual from the person in the mirror. That horrible, empty feeling when you look at yourself and don’t like what you see. The hatred of your own unique voice or reflection.

That’s part of what we discussed in today’s Geeky Stoics Book Club!

C.S. Lewis writes from the perspective of a demonic force preying on human beings…

“You should always try to make the patient (human) abandon the people or food or books he really likes in favour of the “best” people, the “right” food,” the “important” books.”

This letter from C.S. Lewis was about more than just liking what you like, but also dealt with liking things for the sake of gaining attention, glory, or appeasing vanity.

We struggle with this at Geeky Stoics, because in essence, Lewis’ idea is to NOT read great books and then share their insights for the purpose of impressing friends or sounding smart in a newsletter……(uh oh)

We do a lot of reading and synthesizing here, but the goal of Riley and myself is you make it all for your benefit.

C.S. Lewis wants you to know the person in the mirror and guard that person’s heart and mind with prejudice. Don’t lose yourself.

In the video ABOVE, we and some supporters of Geeky Stoics share our simple loves….things we enjoy for the sake of enjoying them, and nothing more. We hope it brings you some joy! Leave your simple pleasures in the comments section.

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In the video BELOW, which is premiering on YouTube right this very moment, Riley continues his series on how “focus determines reality”.

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Life is comfortable in the ivory tower. You can look down on the rest of the world from the observatory window, seated next to your collection of books chock full of ancient wisdom and quips. The Jedi Order was trapped in this state during the years leading up to the Star Wars prequel trilogy (Episodes I, II, III). The Jedi Council literally sat around at the top of an ivory-looking tower on Coruscant, projecting outward their enlightenment and supernatural power as they looked out on Coruscant from the council chamber. How nice.

Yes, there were Jedi of action. If you weren’t on the Council, you were doing missions more regularly and seeing the real state of the galaxy. But if you moved up the Council, your world would be books, meditation, politics, and endless discussion. This is famously why Qui-Gon Jinn rejected an offer to join the Jedi Council when a seat opened up. During the Clone Wars period, Jedi Council members experienced more regular deployment into the field, leading many to die in battle. But again, it was not the historical norm.

Why am I going on about this?

Philosophy is for living and leading

I too like my books. I like my office. I like sitting in it, with my books, reading, highlighting, and writing about what I absorb. It’s nice and very cozy.

Over the last week though, I’ve been faced with a call to leave the coziness of my office and enter a different space, one I’d say is a bit more uncomfortable and perilous. I didn’t want to answer that call, which I’d received from a number of people in my community, asking me to consider running for City Council in Manassas, Virginia. A lane was open and no one was stepping in to fill it. That means the city gets more of the same in terms of leadership.

I thought of Geeky Stoics, my writing, and my time to be alone and think about philosophy, and I didn’t like the idea at all.

Then I remembered something.

The Stoics were (mostly) doers. Many of the Roman Stoics at their peak were ivory tower types in that they were privileged and powerful, but they were “in the arena” as it were, and engaged in public life. Seneca, advisor to the emperor, a masterful politician, and a former senator. Marcus Aurelius, emperor of Rome, not by blood but by merit. He didn’t want the purple robe of the emperorship, and he feared it greatly. Thomas Jefferson famously passed away with a copy of Seneca by his bedside. John Adams wrote with great knowledge and appreciation of Epictetus and Aurelius, and George Washington also kept the words of Seneca close as he rose into leadership roles in the Continental Army. To say nothing of President Teddy Roosevelt adventuring through the Amazon with Meditations in his backpack…..

Rolling back the clock a bit to Greece, the Stoic known as Cleanthes was known to haul water buckets around on a pole to water the gardens of wealthy homeowners in Athens. He was mocked relentlessly for working to make a living for himself.

Cleanthes was also a boxer for most of his life, before becoming the head of the Stoic school in ancient Greece. He succeeded its founder, a man known as Zeno, and was known for doing things with his hands as a means to strengthen his mind.

“Be a boxer, not a gladiator, in the way you act on your principles. The gladiator takes up his sword only to put it down again, but the boxer is never without his fist and has only to clench it.”

• Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

That’s why Marcus Aurelius wrote fondly of Cleanthes in Meditations, saying one should be a boxer, not a gladiator….because a boxer never lays down his weapon. He carries it with him wherever he goes.

Stoic philosophy was for people “in the field” of life. Not their home office.

Isolated on an island with a library

I’m reminded of Luke Skywalker as seen in Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, where he’s mostly given up on life and the fight against darkness. He is holed up on the island of Ahch-To, hoarding ancient Jedi texts in a library within a tree. It’s not a perfect analogy, but at this time in his life, Luke valued the books more than he did the application of what was inside of them. He had resolved to die alone on the island, and let the way of the Jedi die with him. Yet, he was somehow still really attached to the books. When Master Yoda appears to him to give a much-needed pep talk, Yoda calls on lightning from the sky and sets the tree library ablaze. Luke is horrified. Yoda laughs. He reminds Luke that they are just old books, not page-turners.

The truth (which Luke does not know) is that Rey snuck the books out of the library before leaving the island. As the tree burns, the books are safe, and Yoda knows that. But he wants Luke to feel something real: the pain of letting them go.

We are called to be leaders in the world. Books and studies are for Hobbits in the Shire. The goal for each of us, “Geeky Stoics”, should be to take those books on the road and on great adventures. We’ll miss the simplicity of our old life, Bilbo Baggins certainly did. But these aren’t works of fiction for leisure.

The books on my desk right now: The Bible, Seneca’s Letters from a Stoic, and Meditations, these are field manuals. You take them out into the world.

Y’all, I am terrified of what life looks like from now until November when America goes to vote in the 2024 election. I’ll be on the ballot in Manassas for City Council, and until then I will be spending more time out in the city talking to my neighbors and asking people to support me in my candidacy. I have some ideas for the city I’m excited about, and I really just want to be an open ear for everyday people in my community who feel like the council doesn’t listen to them.

In the months ahead I anticipate being verbally attacked, maligned in mailers, gossiped about on weird Facebook Group pages run by the opposition. I know myself and I know that I like to be liked. It’s gonna hurt when the slings and arrows start flying from people whom I’ve never met and the entrenched local politicians who take offense that anyone would dare challenge their leadership.

I love this bit from comedian John Mulaney in his Netflix special where he talks about how his wife is awesome because she doesn’t care one bit what people think of her. I say this often about my wife, Mel, who ran fearlessly for the city school board in 2022. She took cruel attacks from both sides of the aisle with such stoic grace.

Mulaney goes “When I walk down the street I need everybody…all day long…to like me so much, it’s exhausting! My wife said that walking around with me is like walking with someone running for mayor of nothing.” He goes on to describe how he got a Best Buy Rewards Card once because he didn’t want the employee to be mad at him. Classic.

I’m more like John. I am energized by bringing people together and finding common ground in a divisive world. That lights me up inside. But I have learned good and well that in politics (the arena) there are people who are fueled by the opposite. They love division, foolishness, and slander, and they wake up every day with a sense of paranoia and suspicion. I think power does this to people, even in more small, local elected offices.

“Begin each day by telling yourself: Today I shall be meeting with interference, ingratitude, insolence, disloyalty, ill-will, and selfishness – all of them due to the offenders’ ignorance of what is good or evil (right or wrong)……..”

- Marcus Aurelius, part 1 of 2.

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We are designed for cooperation

I’ll wrap this up. Now you know, I’m going to be running for Manassas City Council this year. Nothing changes for Geeky Stoics. I just need to work with my friend and collaborator,

Riley Blanton

, to stay organized so that we’re writing for you on the same regular basis about the philosophy within pop culture. If you want to support me in the campaign, it goes without saying I appreciate it. It’s much needed.

To close, meditate on this passage from Marcus Aurelius, where he speaks about what to expect from each day. He is not being cynical or crude when he says there will be fools and ill-will found in each day. That’s reality. But what he says after the passage above is so important, and often left out when Aurelius’ is quoted.

He reminds himself (and us, the reader he never anticipated having ) that even amidst stupidity and malice, our human duty is to work with others in a gracious spirit. We forgive the slights and attacks because as students of philosophy, we know that we are meant for cooperation with others, just as our hands, feet, and eyelids strive to work in sync.

That is what nature demands of us.

“….But for my part I have long perceived the nature of good and its nobility, the nature of evil and its meanness, and also the nature of the culprit himself, who is my brother (not in the physical sense, but as a fellow creature similarly endowed with reason and a share of the divine); therefore none of those things can injure me, for nobody can implicate me in what is degrading. Neither can I be angry with my brother or fall foul of him; for he and I were born to work together, like a man’s two hands, feet or eyelids, or the upper and lower rows of his teeth. To obstruct each other is against Nature’s law – and what is irritation or aversion but a form of obstruction.”

- Marcus Aurelius, part 2 of 2

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May the Fourth be with you!

What better way to celebrate than to watch a very special, video edition of the Geeky Stoics podcast.

In this episode, and get into it! It is a Star Wars philosophical battle royale (ok, maybe thoughtful discussion) on the ever-controversial concept of "balance” of the Force. Balance is a big deal in Star Wars - it's basically the main job description of the Chosen One. But leave it to a couple of philosophy nerds like us to find 7 ways to interpret exactly what that means.

Stephen kicks things off by critiquing showrunner Leslye Headland’s comments about her vision of balance in the context of the Acolyte series. This sparks a debate on George Lucas's original intent, Jungian psychology, the “gray Jedi,” “shadow self,” and whether darkness can truly co-exist with light.

We always try to approach these discussions from multiple viewpoints while staying true to the philosophical “blender” that is Star Wars storytelling.

May the Force Fourth be with you, friends.

-Riley

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How closely do you guard the start of your day? That alarm clock sits by the bedside or maybe a few feet from the door (if you’re clever) and it calls you to a commitment you made the night before. When the sleep is good, or even more so when the sleep was bad until about 3 AM, this otherwise small battle feels like a D-Day level effort.

This can be the first victory of the day or the first defeat.

You know how these things cascade. You hit snooze one too many times, miss the chance to shower, then scramble to the closet and throw on mismatched socks, and then you’ve missed a chance to have a decent breakfast. Money in the bank account is low, but your credit card can handle a quick Dunkin Donuts combo, right? So you break that promise to yourself too.

It’s funny how much like the Hero’s Journey our daily lives can be. The iconic arc of hero characters begins with The Ordinary—> The Call To Adventure—> Refusal Of The Call. What is the morning routine if not this first sequence of narrative storytelling?

These crossroads moments come to define our lives faster than I’m comfortable admitting. If what Albert Camus said is true, that “Our lives are the sum of our choices,” then putting off that First Defeat seems wise.

I’ll share what I try to guard daily: 6 AM wake up at the latest, one mile walk with the dog, then coffee, then I write something. I try to do all of this before checking email or any social media. I fail a lot, but the days I win….boy do I love it. Those days rock!

“At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: “I have to go to work — as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for — the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?”

-Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

BTW! A new video out now from Geeky Stoics.

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How many social media posts have you made this week? Think about it for a few seconds. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or even Reddit. What were you hoping to communicate to the world in those posts? Were there other posts you drafted and then deleted after coming to your senses about the perils of hitting Post?

I can think of a few deleted Tweets from the past week, and quite a few more that stayed up even though I felt immediate regret.

Why did I need to say that?

Why do these 10 Likes and 3 Comments motivate me like a demonic possession to proclaim every half-baked thought or observation I have about the world?

It doesn’t have to be this way.

In a little over a week, I’m going to see Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace in theaters! It’s being given a theatrical re-release for May 4th. I can’t wait. We talk a lot about Episode I on Geeky Stoics, primarily because….Qui-Gon Jinn.

As a Jedi, he is a man of few words. He speaks plenty throughout the film, but unlike the younger Obi-Wan Kenobi or the foolish Jar Jar Binks, he just comes across as highly intentional about every word. His words cut like a knife. When Qui-Gon speaks, you get the sense it must be important.

“The ability to speak does not make you intelligent”

When the Jedi first meet Jar Jar Binks in the swamps of Naboo, Jar Jar is basically standing in the way of traffic, about to get run over by incoming military vehicles. Qui-Gon and Jar Jar collide and the Jedi pins the blathering Gungan to the ground until the danger has passed.

Qui-Gon is not pleased. “What are you, brainless?” he asks, rather harshly.

Jar Jar answers, “I speak”, as if this answers the Jedi’s question.

“The ability to speak does not make you intelligent-” Qui-Gon says.

Indeed. It’s fitting then that later in the movie, Jar Jar gets his tongue grabbed by Qui-Gon Jinn at the dinner table.

Every day we should ask ourselves if what we’re saying to others is truly worth saying. Are we speaking in order to add value for the recipient, or are we speaking to assuage the voice of ego deep inside that is convinced our every word is wise and interesting?

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” - James 1:19

I remember an old boss of mine got angry with the staff at a morning meeting because the brainstorming sessions were too quiet. No one was speaking up. He reminded us all that we’re paid to speak up and share our thoughts. So people started speaking. The problem, of course, is that the most obtuse individuals were doing almost all of the talking. The egomaniacs and brown nosers knew the incentive structure was to make sounds with their faces, even if it was corporate drivel and buzzword salad.

This balancing act is delicate. You need to reject fear and speak up at meetings, but you don’t want to slip into speaking for its own sake.

The ability to speak does not make you intelligent. Say this to yourself every now and then. Maybe it’ll help you discern which words on the tip of your tongue are worth pushing out.

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The Talking People

The need for me to do this in my own life is pretty pressing. I do TV news from time to time, to talk about politics and current events. And if I had a dollar for every time I spoke for longer than was necessary or said something regrettable…..well, you know, I’d have a lot of dollars.

But the incentive structure on TV news is to speak and speak often. They don’t book wallflowers for political segments. So you come up with something to say, even if it doesn’t need saying. It’s rather toxic. After doing lots of TV for about 5 years, I found myself being more loose with what I’d say in casual conversation with friends and family.

The TV people want me to speak, why doesn’t everyone else?

When my daughter was little, she called TV news “the talking people”. If was going on TV, she’d say “Have fun with the talking people, Daddddddy.”

I did have fun with them. Always have. But there’s a cost…..which is, lots of things spoken on the record I might later wish were not. You don’t even get paid to be a guest on the news. So even in raw financial terms, it’s often not worth it.

But I do it, still, it’s part of my job. My only aim now is to try and be better, more precise, and more like Qui-Gon. I want to have a tongue that, when deployed for political discourse, actually cuts. It’s a work in progress.

Our political system elevates talkers. Have you noticed?

Perhaps, we could try and remember politicians like Cato the Younger, who in the late Roman Republic had developed a reputation for both fiery speech and deadly silence. When he spoke, people listened. When he was quiet, people wanted to know why.

“Cato practiced the kind of public speech capable of moving the masses, believing proper political philosophy takes care like any great city to maintain the warlike element. But he was never seen practicing in front of others, and no one ever heard him rehearse a speech. When he was told that people blamed him for his silence, he replied, ‘Better they not blame my life. I begin to speak only when I’m certain what I’ll say isn’t better left unsaid.’”—Plutarch on Cato the Younger

Have a great week my friends. Remember, the ability to speak does not make you intelligent. Consider deleting that Tweet, or saving that post as a Draft and walking away for a few hours. You might be surprised at how much people listen when you’re known to be careful with your tongue.

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Author Eric Clayton thinks BIG about Star Wars. Like us at Geeky Stoics, he’s been a lifelong fan of the galaxy far, far away and Star Wars has folded into Eric’s views about God and human spirituality. My interview with Eric covers a few chapters of his book, My Life With The Jedi and we focus on turning perceived weaknesses into strengths, letting go of the desire for control, and the principle of indifference as an Ignatian practice. This is something that students of Stoicism should recognize in their own philosophy.

Both Marcus Aurelius and Seneca wrote about the importance of practicing indifference, regarding physical comfort and the events of nature.

“Nothing that is according to nature can be evil,” said Aurelius. Seneca was known to practice living in poverty every month so that he could be reminded that life beyond the Roman halls of power was nothing to be feared. Aurelius and Seneca each wanted to be indifferent to situations both desirable and undesirable.

If you can do that, you have a better shot at behaving virtuously in good times and bad times. Seems like a worthy goal, no?

Turns out, Star Wars has a lot to say about indifference. In this conversation, you’ll learn about that and much more. Be sure to go check out My Life With The Jedi by .

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Happy Friday, Geeky Stoics! I hope you all had a positive week. Today I’ve got a short reflection on Stoicism and emotion, and whether or not the two can co-exist. A popular criticism of the philosophy is that it’s “cold” and “harsh”. I strongly disagree and will use Ahsoka from Star Wars as a case study in ‘stoic’ as a character trait.

First, two questions for you all.

• Do you enjoy or make use of the Audio versions of our articles? Or do you listen to the Geeky Stoics podcast? It takes quite a bit of additional effort to produce and is time-consuming. Audio is one of my favorite parts of doing Geeky Stoics, but do you make use of it?

• We have a new video up on YouTube that is in many ways the thesis statement of what Geeky Stoics is all about.

Have you watched it yet? We’d love to see more readers Subscribe to the YouTube channel and leave comments, reactions, and feedback on the videos. Discussion is a goal of our community, and we’d love to hear from you and get more well-acquainted.

Ahsoka the Stoic, Ahsoka the Rock

Ahsoka has to be my favorite of all the recent Star Wars movies and shows. Having been an adolescent when the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series was playing on TV, I’ve grown up with Ahsoka Tano, the wartime padawan of Anakin Skywalker. I’m not surprised by the mixed response to the live-action show, where actress Rosario Dawson plays a grown-up Ahsoka, but I am a bit surprised by some of the complaints fans have expressed.

Here are a few that stuck out: “Ahsoka is too stoic”, “Ahsoka is soulless” and “Ahsoka has no emotion”. In other words, “Ashoka should smile more” or something.

'To be like the rock that the waves keep crashing over. It stands unmoved and the raging of the sea falls still around it.'

-Marcus Aurelius

Star Wars fans have seen the other side of Ahsoka Tano when she was a Jedi pupil. Tano was an impulsive, bratty, brash, annoying, overly sensitive, and disrespectful young Jedi. She and Anakin were a perfect fit. Fast forward to the Ahsoka series and she is around 47 years old. Ahsoka has grappled with her choice to leave the Jedi Order, her guilt over its destruction, and the fall of Anakin Skywalker to evil. She watched the Empire rise and fall and Ahsoka even attempted to train Jedi padawans herself, such as Sabine Wren, with little success.

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Ahsoka has a heaviness about her that is visible to anyone watching the show. At times you wonder, why isn’t she blowing her lid right now or reacting in anger to this situation or that?

When critics malign Ahsoka’s temperament or the acting of Rosario Dawson as being devoid of emotion, what is really being criticized is the character’s unwillingness to display what we all know she feels inside.

Ahsoka doesn’t emote like she used to as a child.

Reflection is not repression

Stoicism is most commonly criticized for being a cold and callous school of philosophy that encourages the repression of emotion. But it’s not true.

As writer and contemporary stoic Ryan Holiday put it on The Daily Show with Jordan Klepper,

“There’s a difference between being angry, and doing something out of anger.” There is an ocean between feeling anger and indignation over the foolishness of another person, and then “hitting Send on the email dressing them down for it.”

Ahsoka has learned not to hit Send.

I’m reminded of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace when he must negotiate with the junk dealer and slave owner, Watto, in order to get their starship repaired so Queen Amidala can be delivered to Naboo. Their mission is of massive consequence to the galaxy, and failure could mean political chaos in the Republic.

Watto, not knowing this (and he wouldn’t care either way), has the gall to resist Qui-Gon’s “Jedi Mind Trick” and reject Republic currency for the spare parts they need.

You know Qui-Gonn is furious. But he does not speak, he just observes Watto and forces out a visibly angry “smile” before walking away from the situation. Jinn could easily kill or subdue Watto and take what is needed.

Jedi are not without emotion. Neither are the Stoics of our world, past and present.

Stoics were awash in emotion. They had romantic relationships, they had children, and they were politicians confronting fear, suspicion, and doubt in their midst. The most enduring of the Stoics, Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, buried nine children in his lifetime. He buried his wife, Faustina. When his beloved tutor died, it is said that Aurelius sobbed uncontrollably. His stepfather, Antoninus, told the younger Marcus, “Neither philosophy nor empire takes away natural feeling.”

Feelings are facts of life. It is a rare and dangerous few who walk this earth without them. Stoics fight not against their emotions, but for an understanding of where their emotions are coming from.

They sit with their feelings. They search them for meaning.

Ahsoka has learned how to do this, and for people accustomed to reactive behavior and emotive expression, it can be very offputting.

If you think something is funny, why aren’t you LOLing?! If you think something is sad, why aren’t you crying or TELLING the world you’re crying on social media?

That’s how those people think. If you live your life trying to meet their standard of emotive expression, you’ll be constantly performing emotion in order to make them feel at ease. Don’t do this.

The Stoic treats emotion like a cloaked visitor who has knocked on their door. They open the door, greet the visitor, and ask them to reveal their identity before coming inside. Anger is often actually Fear, Disgust can stem from Confusion, and Joy sometimes becomes a lingering Sadness. We call that nostalgia or homesickness.

When you learn to answer the door in this way, you’re doing what the best Jedi do with their emotions. They are not suppressed, they are examined. When you take the time to examine your feelings, you’ll be more like what everyday people call ‘stoic’ in your character.

Steady. Reliable. Patient. Sturdy.

May the Force be with you.

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Stephen Kent of Geeky Stoics lists off similarities between Stoic Philosophy and Star Wars.

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In Dune, Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) does not want to be the ruler of his people. His father, Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac) of the House Atreides, aims to help him down that path as gently as possible. Like many young characters at the start of their Hero’s Journey, Paul does not want the responsibility of power. He doesn’t crave its weight. Leto would have preferred to be a pilot himself, but here he is, a monarchal ruler instead.

It’s a classic motif. Young princes don’t know how to be kings. Princesses don't know how to be queens. Girls aren’t born knowing how to be wives and boys don’t know how to be good husbands. Lord knows none of us “know” how to parents and raise successful, happy children. We just make it up as we go.

Of course, we hopefully had role models to learn from and base our understanding on. A young man’s best hope for knowing how to be a decent husband is by having a father in his life who loves and honors the mother. If you don’t have that, social networks and stories can fill the void to a certain extent. Human beings love stories. And we are discretely taking notes from them throughout our lives.

You might come from a family where literally no one has courage of any kind, and so you develop all of your understanding of courage from Peter in C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe…or from Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games.

Speaking of C.S. Lewis, he has a remarkable observation about this very problem when it comes to the Christian life, which he outlines in the final chapters of his classic, Mere Christianity. In it, Lewis endorses what you might call roleplaying (cosplaying) the Christian in order to become the Christian. We’re all like “little Christs” or “toy soldiers” trying to be as close to the real thing as possible.

And the truth is, we’ll never feel like we’ve reached the end destination.

I doubt Duke Leto Atredies feels as though he is truly a king deep down. He wears the mask of one.

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He knows how to move like one and dress like one.

The moment a person such as Leto thinks of himself as a monarch with immense power, that’s when power begins to corrupt its wielder.

Much better to think of one’s self as a father, patriot, son or husband who happens to be a king than to look in the mirror and see only royalty.

I think we’ve lost sight of what “role model” is supposed to mean in our language. It’s not a blanket term meant to describe anyone in a position of power or influence. It’s a person who is modeling how to perform a certain role you may also have to play in this life.

The boss. The spouse. The parent. The friend. The teacher.

These are common roles. Yet we most often hear ‘role model’ deployed when talking about or criticizing the behavior of celebrities.

I don’t think it’s correct to say “Taylor Swift is a good role model” or “Taylor Swift is a bad role model” because it’s unclear to me what role she would even be modeling for your typical young girl.

“International pop star” is not a role that you are likely to play compared to citizen, neighbor, sibling, or mentor. Maybe the celebrity is modeling either humility or gluttony when it comes to their fame. Perhaps what they model for us is how to handle overwhelming success and public attention. Maybe the celebrity is modeling the role of “the blessed”.

I never intend to be dismissive, especially not of our Great American Monarch, Queen Taylor Swift.

The beauty of the scene in Dune which we began with today is how Duke Leto responds to Paul’s uncertainty and doubt. After Leto’s encouragement, Paul asks, “Dad, what if I’m not…..the future of House Atreides.”

Leto answers gently, “A great man doesn't seek to lead; he is called to it. But if your answer is no, you'd still be the only thing I ever needed you to be: my son.”

I’ve been thinking on and off about this for weeks now. I confided in a friend at church that I was struggling with how to be the kind of Dad my daughter needs me to be. And he prayed with me, and in his wisdom, knowing I love tying everything back to movies…spoke about this scene in Dune.

He did that because this moment between Father and Son is a scene about roles, responsibility, duty, and fear….but it’s also about love. The Father loves his son. He loves Paul because he is his son, not because Paul does or does not want to step up and be a ruler.

My friend reminded me that I’m covered. That God is with me in this walk, and that I’m already everything He and my child need me to be.

Sometimes, just being present and existing in your kid’s life is all that is required. Seriously, that may be the truth of it. You don’t have to be a fount of wisdom and clever anecdotes, and you don’t have to have an answer for every question. You just have to be there.

Showing up to play the role is all you ever had to do.

After all, your story isn’t a scripted stage play with lines to remember.

It’s improv.

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Thanks for reading Geeky Stoics. This is a newsletter, podcast and YouTube channel all about finding the wisdom worth living by in your favorite movies, books, and shows. I’m and I do this with my friend and collaborator, .

Hey fun fact, I’m contributing a little bit to a new Substack called . They have great articles going up about being a Dad. Highly recommend. A year ago I appeared on their YouTube show for a feature-length interview about Star Wars and parenting. If you missed that, it’s a fun conversation!

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In the new live-action adaptation of Airbender, Uncle Iroh is reflecting on the suffering of his nephew, Prince Zuko, who has been banished from home for not being as cutthroat and ruthless as his father would like him to be. Zuko tries very hard to impress his father, but Zuko has a big heart, and it makes the task impossible.

Zuko lives his life day to day not being his true self, not letting that heart show. The reason is simple. Showing his heart got him hurt very badly when his father laid fire to half of his face as a punishment for it.

It breaks Iroh’s heart. Zuko should not have to wear the mask of a brute to make his father proud. That is a burden no child should have to carry.

So Iroh begins to speak about the power of Masks. Here is what he says:

It's amazing how far we'll go to hide our true selves from the world.

Perhaps it's because we don't want people to know how much they really mean to us. Which is funny.

Because the truth is, we would do anything for them.

We'd travel incredible distances, risk our lives, even fight monsters.

But I suppose it can be scary to admit you need people.

Some might see that as a weakness, a liability.

After all, what greater pain is there than losing someone you love?

Or worse, finding out someone you love has left you behind.

I guess that's why we feel the need to hide away and protect ourselves.

So we put on a mask.

It's not hard to understand why.

What's hard is knowing that sometimes, the mask is who we really are.

What masks do you wear? I wear a few.

Not all are bad. Some are good.

When I do TV or public speaking I put on the mask of a confident person. It’s necessary because I am terrified. The mask gives me some needed strength.

When I am with my daughter I wear the “Dad Mask”. As Dad, I don’t overburden her with my problems, I don’t share what’s not in the bank account, I don’t overplay the fact that 75% of the time I don’t know what to do about anything……because she needs the feeling of security. It takes courage to wear that mask as a parent. There will be times when that mask needs to come off, and that will require bravery as well.

We play certain roles to stay alive or make it in this world.

My hope is that by reading this email today, you’ll begin to think about what masks play a role in your life, and be able to at least name them. When you are conscious of what they are, and when you put them on, you’ll have better control over their role in your life. But that does take reflection. Take that time today.

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Insights from C.S. Lewis and George Washington on being better than we actually are. Turns out “fake it to make it” might actually be a decent mantra for self-improvement.

This is Geeky Stoics. A Podcast and Newsletter about the wisdom to be found in popular culture.

TRANSCRIPT

I've been thinking a lot lately about imposter syndrome and when exactly I'm going to feel like the person I one day wish to be.

There's a future me out there who I believe is more disciplined and entrepreneurial, creative, brave, and patient.

When is he going to arrive?

There's a lot that I want to say on this subject.

It's one that I refer to as self-actualization, and I'm going to share two insights with you on that, one from C.S.

Lewis and another from George Washington biographer Richard Brookhiser.

In Mere Christianity, a book by C.S.

Lewis, he lays out the practical path to being a Christian.

Contrary to what many in the world teach, particularly in the church, Lewis offers a poetic case for what you might recognize as fake it to make it.

At some point, we have to decide, I am an artist.

I am an author.

I am a Christian.

I am a soldier.

Declaring it so might actually be your best hope of realizing it in the real world.

This is CS Lewis.

When you are not feeling particularly friendly but know you ought to be, the best thing you can do very often is to put on a friendly manner and behave as if you were a nicer person than you actually are.

And in a few minutes, as we have all noticed, you will be really feeling friendlier than you were.

Just by pretending.

Very often the only way to get a quality in reality is to start behaving as if you had it all along.

Pretending.

C.S.

Lewis, ever the fan of imaginative play and make-believe, suggests here that to be more Christ-like, a believer's best hope is to role-play.

Your heart may never be fully transformed in this life, but you're better served by pretending that it is.

Do this every single day in every walk of your life that you see as important.

Fatherhood, motherhood, marriage, career, creativity, spirituality.

Now, in George Washington on Leadership, a book by Richard Brookhiser, he tells of how Washington would inspire his troops throughout his military career.

Washington's letters and accounts of Washington

At war, show that the famed General and Father of America often referred to his colleagues as, quote, my brave fellows when addressing them.

My brave fellows, I ask you to reenlist.

My brave fellows, fight.

Richard Brookhiser says, maybe they would go home or run away and not be brave at all, but Washington would get them to be brave by telling them that they are.

Now imagine if you went through life like the Cowardly Lion and the Wizard of Oz, both being told that you're a coward and telling it to yourself every single day.

And then someone comes along and tells you that you could be brave and even that perhaps you already are brave.

Anybody who's raised kids knows that this kind of rhetorical nudge matters a heck of a lot in helping kids realize their potential.

Start being the person you want to be today.

Tell yourself you are that person.

You might find that by saying it, you hold yourself closer to the standards of that future you that you want to one day arrive.

This is a complex subject.

You know, you don't want to fake.

You don't want to be disingenuous.

You don't want to be unreal.

You also don't want to, you know, carry a sort of hubris like you're better than you are.

This is, of course, the nature of balance.

You want to try to get these things in balance with one another.

But you do have to aspire to be that future version of yourself.

And that might just mean that you have to role play it and act it out every single day.

I hope you can find that balance.

I'm Stephen Kent and you're listening to the Geeky Stoics Podcast.

You can find out more about what we do, finding wisdom in pop culture, books, TV, and movies over at geekystoics.com.

Sign up for a free subscription and do leave a kind review on this podcast.

It'll help you get your day off to a good start.

That's what we aim for here and hope that you have a wonderful end of the week and a great weekend.

Be well and we'll see you soon.

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I am constantly anxious about the future. What about you? This is a state of being that is entirely natural and is a gift human beings have been given to contemplate what’s coming tomorrow and plan accordingly. It’s also torture. Never is our mind 100 percent in the moment, focused on where we are and what we are doing. This was Luke Skywalker’s problem in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back as he trained to be a Jedi with Yoda. And it had always been his problem, even when he was back home on Tatooine. His mind wanders anxiously, a stew of anxiety, worry, hope, and dreams for his life.

In a new book by titled My Life With The Jedi, Clayton tells his story of walking through life with Star Wars and Ignatian spirituality. I’m only a few chapters deep but wanted to share it with you as soon as possible since the book just released this week.

Anxiety is a terrible thing to waste, actually.

[More on this after a quick sidenote]

IT’S SUNDAY SO IT’S VIDEO PREMIERE TIME

Speaking of new things, something else new that is releasing right this very moment is our latest Geeky Stoics video chronicling our recent trip to Atlanta Comic Con. In Atlanta we tabled, promoted Geeky Stoics and led programs on Star Wars, Empathy, and Stoicism.

In the video, I outline where Star Wars & Stoicism intersect, and thanks to the wizard video editing of you’ll also see some of the highlights from our trip. Subscribers to Geeky Stoics make this kind of content possible. Thank you for your support!

As I was saying….Anxiety is a terrible thing to waste, actually. It signals certain truths to us that we shouldn't ignore about our purpose and what is important to us. The calling of a Jedi is to be mindful and to be able to assess their feelings. They should be patient and recognize the validity of their feelings. Direct them toward something useful, but be patient, for one tried and true law of all progress is that these things take time.

Accept the anxiety of feeling yourselfin suspense and incomplete.

In My Life With The Jedi, Clayton shares a prayer from French Jesuit, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin that I wanted to pass along to you. Acceptance is its foundation. Read when you have a quiet moment alone, and I hope it speaks to you as you prepare for the week ahead.

PATIENT TRUST

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay.We should like to skip the intermediate stages.We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.

And yet it is the law of all progressthat it is made by passing through some stages of instability—and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you;your ideas mature gradually—let them grow,let them shape themselves, without undue haste.Don’t try to force them on,as though you could be today what time(that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will)will make of you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new spiritgradually forming within you will be.Give Our Lord the benefit of believingthat his hand is leading you,and accept the anxiety of feeling yourselfin suspense and incomplete.

-Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

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If someone can prove me wrong and show me my mistake in any thought or action, I shall gladly change. I seek the truth, which never harmed anyone: the harm is to persist in one's own self-deception and ignorance.

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

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Thank you to all our subscribers for the positive feedback on our most recent newsletter about the stoicism of Zorro, the 1998 film starring Antonio Banderas and Anthony Hopkins. It was fun to branch out beyond our usual focus on sci-fi and fantasy and riff about this awesome folk tale of revenge and justice. This email is the podcast version of Sunday’s newsletter and just a quick plug of our most recent videos on Geeky Stoics’ YouTube Channel + an appearance of your favorite Geeky Stoic on Breaking Bread with Adam Coleman. Mr. Coleman is a commentary writer and for this video series, he travels to meet other writers in their home, have a meal, and talk about politics and life. If you like that kind of thing, you’ll enjoy it!

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This week on the Geeky Stoics MEGACAST, Riley and Stephen recap their experience promoting Star Wars & Stoicism at Atlanta Comic Con.

Stephen provides a brief Stoicism 101 for geeks, explaining the four virtues of courage, wisdom, justice, and temperance and how they shine throughout Star Wars.

We also discuss the cultural significance of Star Wars and nostalgia. Riley reflects on how the franchise influenced his identity and friendships.

Listen in for behind-the-scenes banter about how we tackled our first Con as the Geeky Stoics and our plans for the future.

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In Star Wars, Padme had enjoyed many years of a thriving political career. She had been free of the sort of distraction and messiness that a forbidden romance might bring into her life. Throughout the movie, as she resists her desire for Anakin Skywalker, at times quite awkwardly for both of them, she is almost in a kind of grieving stage for her more tidy and simple life.

By the time Padme and Anakin are captured on a mission and sentenced to death, she sort of feels like the “old her” is dead already.

We transform throughout our lives. We let certain versions of ourselves die so that new ones can live. They can’t always coexist. Never changing would be horrible.

Let it happen. There are worse things than dying.

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Uncle Iroh says many wise things to Zuko over the course of his time running the tea business, a short period of bliss during Airbender’s second season. Here’s what stuck out to me today. It’s simple.

“Follow your passion and life will reward you”

In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Zuko is frustrated with Uncle Iroh and his simple passion for running this tea shop. Zuko has a claim to the throne of the Fire Nation and is on a mission to reclaim his “honor” from a father who exiled him from the kingdom. Zuko is obsessed with retaking his place. Uncle Iroh implores Zuko to search himself, look inward, and determine once and for all if his passion is truly his own, or if it flows from the expectations of his cruel father.

Perhaps you can relate.

MUSIC: All copyright belongs to their respective owners. Avatar The Last Airbender Themes by Jeremy Zuckerman Arranged and Orchestrated by Samuel Kim.

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Star Wars is a saga about one thing: Letting go. All of its main characters must learn to confront the fear of failure and loss, things beyond their control. It’s a message we all need to hear more of, and it’s what Geeky Stoics is all about.

Thank you for listening to Geeky Stoics.More on this at geekystoics.com

And find the videos on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@GeekyStoics/videos

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Live or die. This is the message from the ghost of Anakin Skywalker to his grown-up apprentice, Ahsoka Tano. Not many of us want to die. Ahsoka doesn’t either. But she was living as if she were dead. That is the message. Are you living your life, moving forward and for tomorrow? Or are you stuck in the past, reliving past successes and stewing on yesterdays failures?

Thank you for listening to Geeky Stoics.More on this at geekystoics.com

And find the videos on YouTube

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Life will be a lot cheaper when you’re dead.

Pay the taxes. Anticipate and accept the hidden costs. Understand that you truly own very little. Most of what you have is borrowed, so don’t overly invest yourself in hoarding it. Once you’ve sincerely thought over the hidden costs, decide if you truly need this thing, person, or job to be happy.

Above all else, be thankful for the things and the people who pass in and out of your life. Gratitude has the power to reframe everything.

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Star Wars is chock full of real-world wisdom and insights on life, death, control, love, and change. In this podcast, Riley Blanton of Geeky Stoics breaks down the 5 essential quotes from Star Wars that you can live by.

Thank you for listening to Geeky Stoics.More on this at geekystoics.com

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This podcast is about The Lord of the Rings, complaining, and Stoic insights on doing your duty without whining. Enjoy!

As an enjoyer of the The Lord of the Rings films, I’ve never much liked Frodo Baggins. Frodo is the chief protagonist of the series, the Ringer Bearer, the “Chosen One” of sorts, and he can be pretty fussy. Frodo is always going on about the heaviness of the Ring, and complaining about the burden of his quest. Sometimes he creepily fondles it and makes repeated attempts to go it alone all the way to Mordor. It can get a bit annoying. Such is the case in the Tolkien books as well. In our brand new Geeky Stoics book club we are reading The Fellowship of the Ring together with members of this community. In the book, Frodo is more or less the same.

Frodo hatred is a pretty common thing. Few are impressed by the reluctant hero at the beginning of his journey, something I hear often about other iconic leads such as Luke Skywalker, in Star Wars: A New Hope.

We don’t like complainers. I certainly don’t. Especially when there is something vitally important that must be done.

Well, that’s easy to say, until you’re the Ring Bearer…….

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How do you give people moral advice they’ll listen to? A recent controversy involving director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy offers a worthwhile opportunity to consider how you tell moral stories and aim to improve your audience. Enjoy the podcast and join us at geekystoics.com for more.

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In this episode of the Geeky Stoics Mega-Cast, Riley and Stephen delve into a recent controversy in the Star Wars community. We analyze an interview given by a certain upcoming Star Wars director and explore the fan reactions it sparked. Stephen provides insightful background on the director and quotes that particularly stuck with the fans, stirring up debate.

Key Discussion Points:

• Director's Controversial Interview: An exploration of the recent interview with Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy that has caused a stir among fans. Stephen provides context and examines the quotes that ignited fan discussions.

• Storytelling Philosophies: Riley and Stephen engage in a deep discussion on different storytelling philosophies. They reference C.S. Lewis, focusing on the idea that the most impactful writing stems from addressing one's personal struggles rather than attempting to 'fix' others. This concept is then applied to the situation surrounding Obaid-Chinoy.

• Geeky Stoics' Creative Journey: We also share insights into the creative process behind Geeky Stoics. We discuss the challenges we face with perfectionism and the difficulties in deciding when to release content. Stephen shares an anecdote about setting boundaries in collaborative projects.

• Inspirations and Current Reads: A look into how Riley and Stephen draw inspiration from their current readings and how they incorporate these ideas into Geeky Stoics' content.

Upcoming Content Teasers:

• Videos and Articles: Sneak peeks into upcoming Geeky Stoics videos and articles, touching on themes such as moral relativism and in-depth analyses of Star Wars quotes.

• Book Club: Anticipation builds for the Geeky Stoics book club discussion on "Fellowship of the Ring."

MTFBWY!

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This is going to be an ugly year. There’s a presidential election, after all. People will talk about how high the stakes are and they’ll theorize about the end of the American experiment — no matter the outcome. I am reluctant to say it, but hate and mass fear will be a huge part of what we observe in 2024. But there can also be beauty.

The question is, will you be able to see it? Do you even know what the beautiful things are in your life and in this world that are worth saving?

In Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Resistance fighter Rose Tico rushes onto the battlefield to save the ex-Stormtrooper turned Resistance fighter, Finn. She really likes him. She might even love him. Finn was on a suicide mission of sorts, ready to plow his ship into a First Order vessel in an attempt to stop the bad guys from advancing on the Resistance hideout on Crait. Rose intervenes. She uses her speeder to knock Finn’s craft out of the way, endangering herself in the process. Finn rushes over to Rose in the wreckage and pulls her out.

He wants to know why she did this. Rose says something I’ve always enjoyed.

Find out more in this podcast and dive deeper at GeekyStoics.com

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2024 is here — and it is going to be spicy. In the face of a legally fraught election, rising interest rates, social turmoil, and the never-ending “culture war,” The Geeky Stoics podcast is here to tell you about the key to keeping your sanity this year. It comes from an unlikely source which I was reminded of this past December…Dr. Seuss's classic, How The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.

Enjoy!

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This is Geeky Stoics, a podcast from GeekyStoics.com about the eternal wisdom beneath the surface of your favorite stories. This week we have a reflection on Anakin Skywalker’s fall, and a connection to C.S. Lewis’ writings on Right & Wrong.

Read it here:

What do we make excuses for?

We make excuses for a short temper, that time you screamed at a child because you were “tired and hungry” (AKA hangry), we broke our marriage vows because we were “lonely”, “drunk” or “resentful”.

No one makes excuses for Right action, such as helping a person up off the ground when they’ve fallen down or not screaming at a child when they’re tired. When we do Right, we ascribe that virtue to ourselves in a self-congratulatory manner.

Wrong things: we finger-point and blame.

Right things: we pat ourselves on the back.

Because we know what is Right.

As Yoda said, when you are still, listening, calm, and at peace — you know what the good side is and can distinguish it from the bad.

You’ve always known.

The key is creating space in your life for calm, peace, and necessary quiet. Find it, or build it into your day. Guard it with prejudice.

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This is what Geeky Stoics is all about. Identifying and celebrating those moments in modern stories that were in a sense, gifted to us. It’s an inheritance, one we’re grateful for. We focus on that rather than the predictable, angry, and shallow entertainment commentary that defines so much of our online lives. Even in movies we don’t particularly love, our attention is on finding the meaning or kernel of wisdom worth holding on to.

It’s been a process of transformation and finding just the right message for this Substack. You might remember that this newsletter started as “Politicize Me” in 2021, then it became “This Is The Way” and only recently relaunched with a new and complete identity, “Geeky Stoics”.

Stephen and I have known one another for years and long shared an admiration for one another’s passion for storytelling, philosophy, and the search for meaning.

If you're watching or reading this today, you’re one of the people who make this possible, and we want to say thank you so much for your support. Whether it's watching the videos, listening to the podcast version, or reading the newsletter, you make it worthwhile.

This is something we believe in and we're both excited about how far Geeky Stoics has come in 2023. We look forward to an amazing 2024.

May the Force be with you all and remember, “Your focus determines your reality.”

-Riley Blanton & Stephen Kent

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Gandalf the White is in the company of Aragorn and the sons of Elrond when they are joined by Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth. They are discussing what will happen if the Ring of Power is destroyed and Middle Earth is rid of Sauron. Gandalf makes a remark that leaps from the page as a reminder to think bigger about our role in making good of our time in this world.

“Other evils there are that may come; for Sauron is but a servant or emissary. Yet it is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour (support) of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they have is not ours to rule.”

In this podcast, I’ll explain what this means and how we can apply it to life.

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This weekend has been a difficult one for me.

Not to get too personal or whine, but my wife and I just completed in September, a renovation of our unfinished basement, which now functions as an office for my work and a second den. It was beautiful. Now it is not. An underground sewer line has busted, and it flooded half the basement and undid all the hard work we put into making it pretty.

I know me. And I know for a fact that two years ago the old me would have lost their damn mind. But as I mention in this video interview above about Stoicism’s founder, Zeno of Citium, the whole reason for studying philosophy is to make good come from “shipwrecks.”

Zeno began his journey to philosophy after being shipwrecked and losing nearly everything, everything but his life. Zeno turned it into an opportunity.

Stoicism is about accepting things as they are. It’s about stubborn realism.

Thank you for listening to Geeky Stoics. More on this at geekystoics.com

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It’s all a matter of perspective, and perspective is often a matter of choice.

Have you ever read (or been read) The Snow Queen (1844)? It’s a classic children’s fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, the storyteller behind The Little Mermaid, The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Princess & The Pea, and The Ugly Ducking. Elements of this fairytale are used in Disney’s Frozen, which hit theaters 10 years ago today, as well as C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

In the tale, the Devil creates a mirror with the cursed ability to make the beholder see ugliness in beautiful things, and wickedness in what is good. It also accentuates the largess of negative things. Everything is worse.

In the mirror, “the loveliest landscapes look like boiled spinach and the best people appear ugly, or as if they are standing on their head — their faces distorted and unrecognizable. The smallest freckle spreads over one’s entire nose and mouth.”

Yeah, this seems like something a demon would do. Knowing just how susceptible people are to their reflection and to first impressions, this mirror could change the hearts of mankind and the attitude of the entire planet.

And it does. In a battle of sorts with God’s angels, the mirror is shattered into billions of pieces. The shards, some microscopic in size, fall to Earth and bore into the eyes and skin of unsuspecting people.

We know how easy this is in real life. Anyone who has ever been at the beach has experienced a gust of wind that kicks up the sand furthest from the waterline. It gets in your eyes all too easily.

Once the shard is in your eye, your perspective is changed, as if you see through the glass as a lens on life.

In this tale, negativity and a sour outlook on the world is foisted upon unsuspecting individuals. It’s not their choice. But the utility of the story is to consider how the Devil’s glass shard may play a role in your real life.

Someone said something to you that felt like an attack. Was it? Or are you just inclined to take it as such?

The movie you paid $50 to go see in theaters didn’t quite meet your expectations. Did you try judging the film separately from your lofty expectations? On its own merits instead of yours….

You’re caught in Thanksgiving traffic on the road home. A total standstill. Have you been inconvenienced or is this merely a fine opportunity to exit the car and stretch your legs? (Yes, this was our drive home last week from Nashville)

Epictetus put this struggle in simple terms,

“It is not events that disturb people, it is their judgments concerning them.”

Marcus Aurelius would later write in Meditations,

“If you are pained by any external thing, it is not this thing that disturbs you, but your own judgment about it. And it is in your power to wipe out this judgment now.”

Within Stoicism is a long trail of clever comments and observations about perception. If the philosophy were to be boiled down 3 Pillars, that would be one of them. Just as your eyes can deceive you, your impressions can as well.

Question your inner monologue, that voice which is inclined toward cynicism and wicked intent.

Maybe that thing your spouse, boss, sibling, girlfriend, or boyfriend said was not meant to hurt you — maybe they just lack your skill with words, and perhaps they lack some self-awareness about the way their words sound.

This is a choice. Saint Thomas Aquinas defined love as “The choice to will the good of the other.”

Sometimes it will take an act of Will to see the best in a situation, a movie, a person, or their words. Remove the glass shard from your eye.

Flush it out this week. And when it returns, which it will — rinse and repeat.

This is the way.

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Two new videos to watch this week

First, Stephen Kent produced a dramatic reading of The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers. Campbell is read by William Walker Smith, and Moyers by Stephen Kent. This short passage from 1988 is about urban violence, social unrest, and crime…and how a decline of myth in society has led to more of it in American cities.

Then to follow it up, Riley Blanton of Geeky Stoics did an analysis of the same passage in The Power of Myth. He goes a bit deeper on how this demythologized culture is impacting entertainment and our favorite film franchises.

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WE ARE NOW GEEKY STOICS. Enjoy this new episode of the podcast where Stephen Kent walks through a connection between the writings of Seneca and the fall of Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episode III.

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I’ve never met a person who wanted to not live free. The trick with human beings is that we’re all seeking freedom from different things, people, places, and ideas. One man’s prison is another’s retreat. In last week’s edition, What Sets You Free (paywall is now down) I outlined how the Jedi and Sith differ on what defines freedom, and how it relates to our own struggles with living the kind of lives we’d like to live.

Today I have something else for you to consider, a controversial point — no doubt. Which is that freedom and subjugation may depend only on your perspective. After all, when we’re talking about Star Wars’ philosophy, even a blind man can see more clearly than those with functioning eyes.

But first! and took How The Force Can Fix The World and the message of This Is The Way on the road to North Carolina Comicon in Durham. Many of you reading this today are folks we met on the convention floor, again — welcome! Stephen gave a talk to a live audience about Star Wars’ & Empathy titled “The Call of Heroes". That call is to look beyond the masks and illusions of people who frighten and confuse us. That talk will be posted on YouTube soon. In the meantime, this 4-minute video is a sneak peek into our journey and what it was like preparing for for NC Comicon and spreading our message about how Star Wars makes us better.

In Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, we meet Chirrut Îmwe, a Force-wielding mystic and adherent to the Jedi way. He is no Jedi, but this blind monk of the planet Jedha would have made a great one, if not for the Empire’s rise.

Chirrut finds himself captured by anti-Imperial militants along with Cassian Andor and Baze Malbus. They sit together in a shoddy prison cell.

Cassian Andor is nervously trying to find a way out.

Chirrut says, “Relax, Captain. We've been in worse cages than this one.”

Andor snips back, “This is the first for me.”

Chirrut Îmwe, the blind monk sitting relaxed behind prison bars and undisturbed by their situation, says….

“There is more than one sort of prison, Captain.

I sense that you carry yours wherever you go.”

Chirrut senses a dark shadow around Cassian. One of guilt, worry, shame, doubt, and anger. All of these things shape Cassian’s actions and bear down on him like a wet blanket. Cassian could escape this prison cell and still be a prisoner, of sorts. Chirrut on the other hand, is free as a bird in any situation.

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Just as Chirrut can see clearly through the Force, even without his eyes, Chirrut is not held hostage by his past mistakes or worries. All is, from his perspective, as the Force wills it.

It’s a perfect encapsulation of the philosophy of Epictetus (meaning: the acquired one), one of the Stoic greats of 55–135 AD. Whereas many Stoics of the age were wealthy and well-connected, Epictetus was a fellow traveler who was enslaved. He had no freedom in the literal or legal sense, but in his teachings throughout life, he would speak of how he was more free than any man who had ever owned him.

A lofty ideal, but worthy of consideration. Chirrut Îmwe, without a doubt, would have identified with this lens on life.

Epictetus, whose lectures are captured in the Enchiridion, remarked on how the rich and powerful of Rome would weep over money, status, and possessions. Epictetus had none. His perspective was to guard the freedom he had in his mind. To be uninfluenced by status, uncompromised by concerns over money or belongings — this was liberty.

I wanted to keep this message today short, so if you want to go deeper, check out last week’s post on defining freedom. In the modern age, we’re fortunate to now be raised with an understanding of how unjust (and evil) systems like slavery are. But we should be wary of thinking of chains only in the literal sense.

After all, some of us carry our prison with us wherever we go. Make choices this week that lead you toward more freedom to choose.

This is the way.

A comparison of the Jedi & Sith view of freedom, and how it relates to our very real lives.

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Qui-Gon Jinn is a quote machine. Probably more than any Jedi Master in Star Wars, even more than Yoda. During his one film, Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon delivers a quip to Jar Jar Binks that is more important than you may realize.

Jar Jar almost gets them both killed. Qui-Gon is a tad flustered by this and asks, “What are you, brainless?” Jar Jar says back, “I can speak”

Qui-Gon responds, “The ability to speak doesn’t make you intelligent.”

Many of you receiving this email today are new to This Is The Way and joined us by signing up at our table at NC Comicon. Welcome! We hope this message today is of use to you in the week ahead.

I have to repeat this to myself often. Over the weekend I was in Durham, North Carolina for NC Comicon. That’s my hometown. It was great to be back and to present a talk in front of a live audience titled, “Fear, Hate, Anger,

Not Today” about the most worthwhile virtues of Star Wars.

I spoke for about 30 minutes. And if I hadn’t significantly edited down my remarks, it could have been closer to 50. The goal of public speaking is not to say everything you want to say, and it’s not to say everything that could be said.

It’s to say what needs to be said. Nothing more. I hope I got that balance right. In a few weeks, we’ll share a video of that talk, so you can let me know.

If you don’t think Qui-Gon has this right, consider Seneca, the Roman philosopher and advisor to the emperor of the Roman Empire. He wrote a lot about speaking and rhetoric, especially in his now-published letters to a friend named Lucilius.

In one Seneca writes about the lawyers in Rome:

“Even in an advocate (lawyer) I should be careful to allow such uncontrolled speed in delivery, all in an unruly rush; how could a judge (or jury) be expected to keep up with it? —- You will be doing the right if you do not listen to people who are more concerned with the quantity than the quality of what they say.”

Seneca doesn’t care for fast talkers and ramblers of the Roman legal scene. He brings it up numerous times over the years as he’s writing to Lucilius.

As I’ve built a career as a writer, occasional public speaker, and TV commentator, I know this wisdom from Seneca to be true.

You want to say memorable things. After all, “bumper sticker wisdom” is called that for a reason. It can fit on a sticker, and people want to share it with others. Because it’s clever and quick. Essays and monologues aren’t nearly as cool as: “Speak less, smile more” (Hamilton) and “Do or do not, there is no try”(Star Wars)

This week, try to catch yourself when you’re saying more than is necessary. Edit yourself when possible.

The truth of your heart and mind shines the brightest when fewer words are getting in the way.

This is the way.

Thank you for being part of THIS IS THE WAY, a newsletter from Stephen Kent (that’s me) and Riley Blanton, about the life lessons and wisdom from within Star Wars and other great stories.

This is a free letter that goes out at least once per week with the goal of helping you be the best version of yourself in a crazy world.

This newsletter is free, but….

there is a paid version as well which gets you more regular emails throughout the week, more tips and tricks for life, the ability to comment on articles, and opportunities to hang out with Stephen, Riley, and other subscribers. We’re building a community of Star Wars fans who love the philosophy of these films. You should join us!

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Paid Subscribers also get earlier access to podcasts, videos, and special releases from This Is The Way. Our YouTube channel is still getting started and you can find it now… Walk The Way

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Go through the motions. Mind details. The basics are what save your life. The fundamentals are what set you free to do great things. This is what I learned from reading Star Wars: Master & Apprentice, about the training of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Master Qui Gon Jinn had to teach him that the fundamentals of saber combat are the most timeless and valuable elements, not fancy spins and flipping attacks. Keep it simple. This really hit home for me when I was rock climbing in Virginia, and my partner nearly died on the mountain. She fell. The mistake was very careless. In this podcast, I’ll tell the story and I hope you are reminded in your day-to-day life…mind the details.

Have you joined us on YouTube yet? Here’s our most popular video so far.

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Don’t let your intellect and curiosity blind you to the motivations and drive of others. Don’t be fooled by the villain with pure bloodlust because another villain has a sympathetic backstory. Darth Vader and Palpatine (for example) are very different people. To confuse one for the other would be a fatal error.

Be curious. Use reason. Study history and seek to know more about the way the world works. Learn about other cultures and what they value. And while you do this, you must keep clear of “quibbles and qualifications,” and maintain a sense of what is good in your culture.

Without an anchor to something true, you’re just paper (a fancy degree) blowing around in the wind. Pity this person, the fool who will adopt any way of life or creed so long as the words sound pretty.

You can read this article in full here:

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I’ve been feeling tired lately. All is well. Nothing out of the ordinary. It’s just that the grind has been more noticeable in my low energy, aching body, and a mind frequently daydreaming of the next vacation. Where in the world could I escape to? Just for a day or two. Surely then I will feel better.

You’ve been here before, haven’t you?

Like so many vacations I’ve taken in the past, the fact remains that when I finally take the trip I’m stuck there with the same problem: Me

“Are you amazed to find that even with such extensive travel, to so many varied locales, you have not managed to shake off gloom and heaviness from your mind? As if that were a new experience! You must change the mind, not the venue.” - Seneca, Letters to Lucillius XXVIII.1

Perspective is everything.

Yesterday my daughter returned home from a trip to California with her grandfather. As usual, she came home with some photography from her journey. This time to San Diego and Joshua Tree National Park.

One of the photos she took shocked me. Especially when I learned how it came to be.

It’s stunning, isn’t it?

The whiskers on the stem, the way the light strikes the reddish pink petals. Its outer edges shine, almost glowing. Scanning through her photo collection, I had to pause and take this one in. It is beautiful. Even the Black Ford SUV rolling by in the background.

Yeah, the backdrop is a black SUV. I don’t know how she framed this shot exactly, but what I’m told is she took a dozen other photos before the car pulled up. None of them worked. The sky was too bright, or the clouds were offsetting the lighting. Then comes a car, which she assumed was yet another wrecked photo.

Exactly the opposite. The car reframed everything. The ultimate obstruction to the shot transformed it into a stunning expose of the flower’s beauty. Which reminds me….

Remember the opening scene of The Gladiator? Russell Crowe is standing somewhere, listening to the wind blow and staring off into the distance. The framing of the shot is tight. We don’t know where he is.

Maximus has a moment of bliss observing this bird. He found his center, just for a passing second. Then he returns to where he is at in the moment. A warzone and desolated battlefield. The frame expands.

In the quote at the top of the piece, you Seneca speaking to his friend Lucillius, by way of a letter. Seneca reminds his friend that travel and vacations mean nothing if you carry your chaos there with you.

Fix the mind. Not the venue. Find quiet, bliss, rest, and contentment wherever you are. Prayer. Meditation. Lifting weights. Target shooting. Yoga. Why wait until the expensive vacation to be still? That trip may never come.

Change your perspective.

This is the way.

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Today’s podcast is on an invaluable insight from Master & Apprentice, a novel by Claudia Gray about Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Before we met them in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, these two Jedi did not always get along. Qui-Gon even wanted to dump Kenobi as his Padawan learner during this time. They were oil and water. Why was Obi-Wan so reactive to Qui-Gon Jinn’s loose nature as a teacher? Young people are contrarian by nature of their age. Here’s what Qui-Gon had to learn….

“What your Padawan is doing is totally normal. Adolescents go one of two ways. They’re either rebels to the core, or even stricter than their elders. So Obi-Wan’s the latter. He’ll relax after a while. Know what? If his new Master is stricter than you, I bet he’ll loosen up immediately, just to be contrary.”

This is what Rael Averross says to Qui-Gon Jinn, who is distraught about his messy relationship with Obi-Wan Kenobi. Jinn is a rule breaker and Obi-Wan is a rather puritanical Jedi. But part of what Learners do is they see both your best and your worst. They borrow from what they like, and dispense with what they don’t. It’s natural.

Don’t be offended when YOUR Padawan does the same.

They are growing. Testing boundaries and their own convictions.

Let them. Keep watch, but let them feel out their own values.

It’s not all about you. This is the way.

In case you missed the latest from This Is The Way, we have a new short article about making the most of adventures, those you planned and those you never saw coming.

To go along with this piece, we have an interview on YouTube with author James Pethokoukis. As promised, we’re doing more than ever at This Is The Way to give you more value, more content, and more actionable ideas to reflect on.

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On the podcast today, lessons from The West Wing, Napoleon, and Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid.

The number one thing I’m driving at in this podcast is that you need to pay attention to the little things — to focus on the here and now.

The greatest risk to you on the road is not the driver who runs the red light, it is the driver barrelling toward the intersection with no signs of slowing down that you did not see coming. Maybe you were changing the playlist on Spotify and looked away for just a few moments.

Pay attention. Keep your concentration here and now where it belongs.

Abstract fears distract us from clear and present dangers. Distraction imperils us all (more on that in the next post) more than any zombie apocalypse scenario you could dream up.

Focus. Look up.

This is the way.

For more, read the full article The Sky Is Falling! And?

And be sure to watch our new video on YouTube

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What is a Jedi?

Is it a religion? To be a warrior? Are they the Light of the galaxy?

No hiding the ball on this one. I’ll tell you. To be a Jedi is to act a certain way in any given situation.

You’re given hate — respond with gentleness.

You’re presented with fear —- you choose faith and courage.

You’re given war —- then you fight for peace and with no hatred in your heart. You fight for tomorrow.

This new Walk The Way podcast is a rundown of a recent post, Fight For Better Days, inspired by the Ahsoka series, the music of Noah Gundersen and the writings of Marcus Aurelius. Enjoy.

This Is The Way is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Watch the video here

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My friends, we are now podcasting directly out of Substack. had a great point when he called me to suggest that we should be making This Is The Way the HQ of all our activities. I want you to get the most possible out of your subscription to this newsletter.

What you can expect from our podcast, Walk The Way, is 1-2 “wake up and go” podcasts that borrow from the written articles, and expand a bit on them. If you read When You're Consciously Incompetent, this podcast is the companion audio to that piece. I highly recommend taking in both. Read something, then listen to it back, again. I do this every day with another newsletter and its companion podcast. Go figure, I gotta hear things twice before I really hear it.

Learn to walk the way that we’re teaching about here. I hope you enjoy the podcast!

This is the way.

Will you join us?

ICYMI: Some recent articles from This Is The Way

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Change is painful, and yet it can still be so beautiful. In this episode, Stephen Kent reflects on parenting and a new song from musician Noah Gundersen called "Haunted House"

Listen to the song here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYTg47b2Xv4

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This episode of the Walk the Way podcast covers Riley's experience visiting the Lucasfilm headquarters in San Francisco to attend a screening of the new Ahsoka television series. Riley reflects on how this opportunity arose unexpectedly after he had let go of his past desires for validation through Star Wars fandom. He explains how his trip to Lucasfilm reinforced his views on detachment and focusing on the story of Star Wars over the competition in online fandom.

Timestamps:

• Intro to walk the way. 0:07
  • Today's episode is about how sometimes good things can come out entirely outside of one's own control.
  • Housekeeping
• The coincidences of life and Star Wars. 1:58
  • The coincidences of life and how Riley became a retired Star Wars podcaster.
  • The desire for reputation and validation
• Star Wars and the Presidio. 3:56
  • Life throws you a bone when you are least expecting it.
  • A preview fan event at the Presidio
• The Yoda Fountain. 5:49
  • Lucasfilm is the beating heart of the Star Wars universe.
  • Star Wars fan content creators tend to chase validation.
• Why I joined This is the Way. 7:45
  • Why it was the right choice to shift the focus to dive into the philosophy behind the stories.
  • Yoda says that attachment leads to jealousy and the shadow of greed.
  • Learn to let go

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Alexandra Hudson, author of the upcoming book "The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves" joins Walk The Way to discuss the book. Hudson reacts to scenes from James Cameron's Titanic and helps answer how to employ civility when being asked for your pronouns when you'd prefer not to answer.

Pre-order THE SOUL OF CIVILITY before its October launch and get $700 worth of FREE GIFTS for you to enjoy RIGHT NOW from Alexandra Hudson

You can order the book and claim your gifts here:

These gifts include:

• A course: Four Civility Books that Will Change Your Life (a $350 value)
• A toolkit: How to Talk to Anyone about Anything (a $47 value)
• An ebook: Cultivating Curiosity (a $12 value)
• Monthly calls with Alexandra Hudson and some of the most interesting and curious people of our day (a $250 value)
• A free year of Civic Renaissance (a $70 value)

(And with a purchase of 20+ copies, enjoy a private virtual workshop, a $5000 value

Watch the video trailer for Alexandra's book
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb6Oa0gAU0Y

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Big Idea: Focus on things within your control and choose the stories you tell yourself after difficult experiences.

In this episode of Walk the Way, Riley and Stephen discuss resiliency, trigger warnings, and mental health through the lens of Stoicism and the importance of perspective. Stephen shares an Atlantic article on trigger warnings and how they may have damaged the resiliency of a generation. Riley shares his experience working with MQ-9 operations in the military and how perspective shaped his view on mental health.

[0:00:01] Introduction - Resiliency and trigger warnings

[0:01:01] Trigger warnings controversy and Stoicism

[0:02:01] Riley's experience with drone operations and mental health in the military

[0:06:22] Balance between experienced trauma and perceived trauma

[0:10:00] Importance of perspective in shaping experiences

[0:15:44] "Post-traumatic Growth" and free will vs determinism

[0:22:09] Stoicism and focusing on things within your control

[0:25:29] Measuring policies by results, not intentions

[0:31:24] Viktor Frankl and choosing how you respond

[0:35:12] Teenage self-consciousness and perceiving everything as an attack

[0:39:58] Perspective of Marines during the Afghanistan Evacuation

[0:44:19] Choosing the story you tell yourself after tragedy

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In this episode, Stephen dives into the cultural phenomenon of Barbie, exploring her historical symbolism and what it means for our understanding of femininity and beauty. He analyzes the 2023 Barbie movie, featuring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, to uncover its rich social commentary. Stephen also delves into Stoic philosophy, gender dynamics, societal discontentment, and the authenticity of natural beauty.

Links and Resources:

• https://thisistheway.substack.com/ Subscribe to the newsletter.
• Barbie Movie (2023)
• Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Connect with the Host:

• Follow Walk The Way on Twitter, Instagram
• Join the podcast community on Discord.

Support the Show:

• Leave a review on your preferred podcast platform.
• Tell a friend!

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Big Idea: Bad bosses who rely on fear and intimidation fail to inspire their teams to achieve goals.

On this episode of Walk the Way, Riley and Stephen discuss their experiences with intimidating bosses and how good ideas can overcome bad leadership. They share stories from the military and office environments, highlighting the importance of speaking up for your values, knowing the mission, and encouraging your team with courage instead of fear.

Listen in to learn how good ideas can help you overcome an intimidating boss and inspire better performance from your team.

[0:00:07] Introduction - The idea of leadership through intimidation fails to inspire, true leadership stems from respect and integrity.

[0:01:23] Don't be Kylo Ren.

[0:02:14] Overview of the Lizzo story - Lizzo is facing lawsuits from dancers over intimidation, body shaming, and sexual harassment.

[0:02:37] The importance of remembering employees are people on their own journeys, not just tools. Treating them as "NPCs" will always backfire.

[0:03:59] Anecdote from The West Wing about Rob Lowe defying his boss to protect him. The importance of knowing the mission and goals.

[0:09:46] Riley's experience with an intimidating supervisor in Korea for a short time. The environment focused on making the boss happy instead of accomplishing goals.

[0:16:29] Riley's regret at not speaking up and defending his values during an interaction. The experience has helped him moving forward.

[0:25:00] Poor "Leaders" can be like bad bosses anywhere, using fear and intimidation.

[0:32:57] Good ideas can overcome bad bosses. When teams face courage and encouragement, they perform well.

Links and Resources:

• https://thisistheway.substack.com/ Subscribe to the newsletter.
• Riley's original piece

Connect with us:

• Follow Walk The Way on Twitter, Instagram
• Join the podcast community on Discord.

Support the Show:

• Leave a review on your preferred podcast platform.
• Tell a friend!

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In this bite-sized episode, Stephen examines "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," exploring the narrative and the more prominent themes it represents. The discussion delves into the portrayal of aging, the generational disconnect, and the societal treatment of the elderly.

Takeaway: Reconnect with the elders in our lives! Dial of Destiny serves as a springboard for a deeper conversation about the value, respect, and understanding we owe to our older generations.

Links and Resources:

• https://thisistheway.substack.com/ Subscribe to the newsletter.
• Dial of Destiny (2023)

Connect with us:

• Follow Walk The Way on Twitter, Instagram
• Join the podcast community on Discord.

Support the Show:

• Leave a review on your preferred podcast platform.
• Tell a friend!

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This episode of The Walk Away Podcast discusses the difference between courage and bravado through the lens of a quote from the movie Glass Onion. Stephen and Riley argue that true courage involves demonstrating wisdom, temperance, and discipline when faced with difficult situations, while bravado often involves speaking recklessly without considering whether one's words are true or good.

Takeaways:

1. [0:00:00] - Courage is demonstrating wisdom, justice, temperance, and other virtues when facing challenges. Bravery alone is not courage.
2. [0:07:46] - Some people mistake speaking recklessly for truth-telling. Truth requires inward and outward searching and discipline with words.
3. [0:13:22] - People see influencers who speak without restraint as courageous due to a culture of censorship, but they may lack self-control.
4. [0:19:48] - Aim for Aristotle's golden mean by slowing down and choosing words carefully to communicate in a way that is both true and good.
5. [0:25:39] - The goal is to improve every day, though there will be imperfections along the way.

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Yoda's ruse was a test of Luke's patience. Tests in life are often unannounced.

Inward vs Outward focus - Stephen missed a flight and lost the opportunity to properly engage with a kind stranger who gave him a ride.

All is not as it seems

Why we should always give people our best selves - tests are often unannounced.

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In this debut episode of Walk the Way, Riley and Stephen discuss the philosophy behind Rey Skywalker's choice to take on the Skywalker name in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. They talk about the theme of self-definition and identity in Star Wars and how pop culture stories can shape our worldviews and teach us virtues. They explain the focus of the Walk the Way podcast - diving deep into the philosophy they can learn from popular movies, TV shows, and books and how to apply those lessons to their own lives.

Timestamps:

[0:00:00] Riley and Stephen introduce the podcast and discuss their previous collaborations.
[0:08:32] Rey Skywalker - you can choose a new name - we discuss Stephen's substack about the philosophy of Rey Skywalker in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
[0:16:42] Self-definition in Star Wars - we discuss the theme of self-definition in Star Wars and Rey choosing the Skywalker name.
[0:22:01] Walk the Way podcast - we discuss the focus of the Walk the Way podcast, talking about the philosophy we can learn from pop culture.
[0:32:50] How to get the word out.

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Show notes:

1. Introduction and Background (0:00-1:00)
   • Riley Blanton, the founder and long-term host of The Star Wars Report podcast, announces the new podcast "Walk the Way" co-hosted by Stephen Kent.
   • Both hosts have a long history of Star Wars podcasting and intend to create a space that focuses on the philosophy and stories that define who we are.
2. The Concept of "Walk the Way" Podcast (1:01-2:05)
   • The podcast aims to delve deep into the stories and mythologies that inspire us and shape our identities.
   • We hope to move beyond the surface-level Star Wars news of the week and the controversies that havedivided the fandom.
3. Help us Launch! (2:06-2:50)
   • Subscribe, leave a rating, and review the new podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever they get their podcasts to help kick off the show.
4. Introduction to the First Episode (2:51-3:45)
   • The first episode includes an audio excerpt from Stephen's latest "Walk the Way" video on the new YouTube channel about his experience visiting Iceland.
5. Stephen Kent's Life Lessons from Iceland (3:46-17:50)
   • Importance of valuing time with family over money (3:46-7:15)
   • Being present and finding solace in any environment while traveling (7:16-10:00)
   • The need to be a stable, calming presence in the face of life's chaos (10:01-13:45)
   • Relearning how to deal with potential disappointments (13:46-17:50)
6. Conclusion (17:51-19:20)
   • Stephen asks listeners to engage leaving comments and sharing the content.
   • Join the community on substack at https://thisistheway.substack.com/

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Hello Friends! I had a few people request by email that we release the entirety of my interview with David French (The Dispatch) for the recent episode on dismantling the Death Star threat of our politics + David’s new book “Divided We Fall”

So…you can stream that right here (above)

First, I loved the book. It’s written for anyone left, right or center and is even-handed in describing the problem we face and the upside of David’s solution to every faction. But he is clear-eyed about the risks and the likelihood we can achieve what he’s described. You really should pick this book up.

The good people at DK Publishing were kind enough to send me a copy of the new “Star Wars Book” which is a comprehensive yet compact guide to the Star Wars universe. This is distinct from Star Wars guides of the past where it’s all alphabetical and breaking down everything from Darth Vader’s mask mechanics to how a Stormtrooper blaster works…The Star Wars Book breaks down timelines, politics, government, eras and turning points in Star Wars lore like I’ve ever seen before. It’s a MUST have for all Star Wars fans. I joined The Living Force Podcast & Youtube show this week to talk about REGIME change in Star Wars + the 2020 election and we break down what’s so great about this book at (16:00)

—— It’s me, Stephen Kent! I’m the curator of Politicize Me, host of the Beltway Banthas Podcast forthcoming author of ‘How The Force Can Fix The World’ (Hachette-Center Street). You can follow me on Twitter @Stephen_Kent89.

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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. At the end of the episode, you can catch the audio of our first foray into YouTube! 

**LISTENER SURVEY

**NEWSLETTER SIGNUP: Star Wars, politics and more

YouTube Video: Trump 2020 and Rogue One, Krennic parallel

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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? TV producer Andrew Kenlon joins the podcast to look back on Episode III and apply its lessons to the Coronavirus lockdown. 

This episode was recorded in mid-May before a wave of unrest and protests against police brutality & racism that have moved the entire world. We've put an introduction at the start of the episode to set this tough conversation in context. 

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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.

Buy "Queens Peril" by E.K. Johnston TODAY and learn more about WHY Naboo ever became a target of the Trade Federation for a trade blockade, the dark history of the Naboo and Gungans & much more.

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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. 

Stephen Kent and Kat discuss her article, living during COVID-19 and Kat shares a solid TV recommendation. 

Read Kat's article here: https://reason.com/2020/04/26/star-wars-identity-crisis/

Stream Stephen's EP, Color Me In With Green, on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1jJYBRBRhnbfYHFAtWsqXv?si=NHZd4ghMRemIdCrLLrn49g

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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. Now he speaks with Beltway Banthas about his love of Star Wars and much more. We get into his career, 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. 

MAILING LIST: https://t.co/OMthDa39Tt?amp=1

Guest: @michael_steel 

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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. 

Follow Ashwin Verghese: https://twitter.com/Ashwin_Tibet

Subscribe to our NEWSLETTER: https://mailchi.mp/01c4273308e7/starwarspolitics

Star Wars Identity Crisis:

https://reason.com/2020/04/26/star-wars-identity-crisis/

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Mayor Betsy Hodges may be the former mayor of Minneapolis and now Washington, D.C., but she's really a citizen of Tatooine. In this special interview episode, the progressive activist and mayor joins Beltway Banthas to share how Star Wars saved her life (The Mary Sue). Beyond her personal story, which is a remarkable one, Stephen Kent and Betsy Hodges trace how Star Wars explains redemption and why that matters for the world we live in. 

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To supplement your social distancing we have a bonus episode with Ben Domenech, publisher of The Federalist. Ben and Stephen review the ending of the sequel trilogy and the case for The Mandalorian as the future of Star Wars storytelling. Ben makes a compelling point about why Star Wars raises some questions about the value and trade off's of democracy, and why people like Anakin Skywalker end of wanting something else. 

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Season 7 of The Clone Wars is live on Disney+ and it's as political as ever. In Episode 5, Ahsoka Tano enters the underworld of Coruscant and meets people struggling to survive on the most opulent planet in the galaxy. Characters have to make real hard moral choices given the constraints of their economic status, which is the making of a great Beltway Banthas episode. Bernie Sanders organizer Mohammed Shakibnia joins the show to dissect The Clone Wars political themes. Plus! Herb Scribner of the Deseret News makes a guest appearance to reflect on the messages of "The Bad Batch" episodes, and what they say about war, trauma and fandom. 

Follow our guests:

Mohammed Shakibnia @momoshakibnia

Herb Scribner @HerbScribner

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Gene Park may have been the very first Star Wars fan to buy a ticket for Episode I: The Phantom Menace. It's true! In this special Bantha interview, Washington Post gaming reporter Gene Park talks about his Star Wars fandom and how storytelling methods from video games have crept in and out of blockbuster films. Gene memorably wrote in for WaPo about how the ‘Rise of Skywalker’ embraces all the worst parts of video game storytelling' and he's on the podcast to explain why that is, but why he's hopeful for the future of the franchise. 

Follow Gene Park on Twitter @GenePark

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Beltway Banthas is back! In Episode 81, host Stephen Kent and guest host Maggie Lovitt (SAG AFTRA actress and contributor to Cantina Cast) review the latest Star Wars news including The High Republic era and The Rise of Skywalker novelization. We discuss theories around central planning and how some of the classic mistakes of governance might apply to the oddities in Star Wars storytelling since 2015. In our main segment, Maggie and Stephen discuss the principles of Star Wars that improve American politics and life. "Hope" and "Redemption" is what we get into and it's one of the best conversations yet on Beltway Banthas!

From our Bantha Fodder segment, read up on the new article from Stephen Kent: The end of an era at Disney (Work left undone by Bob Iger)

Follow our guest Maggie Lovitt @MaggieOfTheTown

Email the show: BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com

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Look around the world today and you will see otherwise advanced societies overrun by misinformation, myth and conspiratorial thinking. Information echo chambers and media disruption has helped to polarize communities on everything from political viewpoints to opinions on Star Wars. Buzzfeed's Ryan Broderick wrote The “Star Wars” Misinformation Hell Is The New Future Of Everything" and he couldn't be more right. On this episode, Stephen Kent and guest Andrew Kenlon discuss the rise of #ReleaseTheJJCut and conspiracy theory within Star Wars fandom. It's always been there, but only recently has it been impossible to look away from, and that matters not only for Star Wars...but for our politics. 

Also, Stephen offers some updates on the show and what to expect in the weeks-months ahead. Listeners have till Saturday, January 11th to leave a review of Beltway Banthas on Podchaser.com to win one of two awesome Star Wars informational books. Don't miss out!

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What a merry time of year it is!! Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker crashed into theaters and has concluded the 42 year run of the Skywalker story that started in 1977. Stephen Kent saw it opening night and again the first weekend, and this is your REVIEW episode of the film. Stephen is joined by friends of the show to look at how The Rise of Skywalker does as a conclusion to STAR WARS, the good, the great, the bad and the ugly.

We also feature reviews from LISTENERS: John Liang, Mike Harris, Ari Chavez, Andrew Kenlon, Andy Seiner, Nick Dico, Connie Shih, Anne Evangelista.

This episode is a real adventure and a joy. We hope you take a ride through the entire thing. 

AND PLEASE: Join in our giveaway contest for TWO Star Wars books by leaving us a review on Podchaser.com/beltwaybanthas

---> Simply create an account, write a review, leave some stars and BOOM. You are entered in to win. May the Force be with you. 

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The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters this week! To discuss the hype and stakes for the film, comedian and baritone geek Andrew Heaton joins Beltway Banthas. We get into the return of Emperor Palpatine, Rey, fanboys vs The Last Jedi and Heaton's recent interview of Jonathan Last, who notoriously penned "The Case For Empire" in the Weekly Standard. Andrew Heaton and Stephen Kent review how and if the political right's penchant for trolling online tracks with Star Wars fandom and the common arguments in favor of the Empire over the Rebel Alliance. On Reddit, this part of fandom lives on in r/EmpireDidNothingWrong.

If you want Star Wars and a healthy dash of politics, this is the podcast you are looking for.

Andrew Heaton is the host of The Political Orphanage Podcast and his new sci-fi show, Alienating the Audience. This episode is the beginning of a giveaway contest! You can win Star Wars: The Ultimate Pop Up Galaxy or Star Wars: Rebel Starfighters: Owners' Workshop Manual by writing Beltway Banthas a review at PODCHASER.COM by January 7th, 2020.

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The world loves The Mandalorian! This week on Beltway Banthas, guests Josh Gilliland (The Legal Geeks Podcast) and Gio Insignares (WUSA Channel 9 DC) join to discuss the new Star Wars series on Disney+. We review the show itself, Baby Yoda and the legal questions raised by the entire profession of bounty hunting. Gilliland helps us understand The Mandalorian in a whole new way.

Then, Stephen reviews Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge: The Official Black Spire Outpost cookbook from Insight Editions just in time for Thanksgiving. These foods from a galaxy far, far away will change the way you see food for the better.

Follow Gio @Gio_Insignares and Josh @BowTieLaw | Follow Stephen @Stephen_Kent89 | Follow Beltway Banthas @BeltwayBanthas |

Send us your thoughts on the show and topics at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com.

Join us on Discord here

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This week on Beltway Banthas, the one and only Kennedy of Fox Business joins the show to share her Star Wars stories. You know her from Fox News, or perhaps from her time as a VJ on MTV. Either way, the Force is strong with this one. Kennedy and Stephen talk about everything from Luke vs Han, Jar Jar and the Leia bikini to U.S. foreign policy and Deadliest Catch.

Before the interview, John Liang gets Stephen up to speed on the latest in Star Wars canon with the release of 'Resistance Reborn.' This new book shines a light on the period between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, so you'll want to catch this part of the episode for some fun context to the upcoming movie. 

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This week on Beltway Banthas, author Michael Harris joins the show to preview his upcoming book, "Welcome to the Rebellion: A new hope in radical politics. Michael and Stephen discuss how Star Wars can inspire a young, new-left movement to confront the most pressing issues of the day for progressives: capitalism, income inequality, climate, nationalism and more.

To start things off, we review the big trailer release for The Rise of Skywalker, get into "Bendemption" and Stephen goes over his experience at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in Anaheim.

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Welcome back for another great show! This week Riley Blanton of The Star Wars Report and Mouse & Castle joins the show for a whirlwind of political chatter about a galaxy, far, far away. If you noticed the international controversy surrounding the NBA and their handling of political statements about the Hong Kong protests, this issue extends far beyond pro basketball. Disney actively makes some of the same calculations and accommodations for the Chinese Communist Party, as does every other American company operating there. 

Riley Blanton and Stephen Kent mix it up on how Star Wars fares in China, the tumultuous Democratic primary and cable news debates. And to start the show, Riley gives Stephen his insights into how to best experience STAR WARS: Galaxy's Edge, the new theme park at Disney where you can live your own Star Wars story. Stephen is going to the park soon and Riley is the guy you need to talk to before planning your own visit. 

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During The Clone Wars a young Jedi turned against the war and Jedi Order's involvement in it. Convinced she had no other way to send a message of disaffection, Barriss Offee bombed the Jedi Temple and framed another Jedi for the act of terror. She was right about the war, and the Jedi, but did something very wrong. This week Danielle Adams, progressive and climate activist, joins the show as guest host to take us into the story of Barriss Offee and why it matters. 

We also dive into a few rumors about The Rise of Skywalker and excerpts from Bob Iger's new memoir detailing tension with George Lucas over the new Star Wars films. 

Follow hosts @stephen_kent89 and @DanielleAdamsNC on Twitter

and Beltway Banthas @BeltwayBanthas

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Hold on to something! This week we've got a bonus episode of Beltway Banthas, a conversation with Glenn Beck, radio show host and founder of Blaze Media. Stephen Kent met up with Glenn at FreedomFest in Las Vegas to talk about his earliest memories with Star Wars, lessons on the political power of fear, generational change and the evolution (plus consistency) of Star Wars' message. 

Now, THIS is podcasting!!

If you follow this show closely you know that Stephen started appearing of Glenn's show regularly since 2017 to break down nerd culture and Star Wars news, so this marks the first time Glenn has come on Beltway Banthas turf. 

If you liked this you should also check out an interview of Glenn's longtime collaborator and co-host, Stu Burguiere. You can find that here. 

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The week on Beltway Banthas, in a 90-minute marathon run, we cover a lot of ground on Star Wars, politics and religion. In the main segment Stephen Kent is joined by Matthew Neugebauer to analyze Star Wars fandom and its troubles over the decades. A video from Wisecrack serves as the starting point for an analogy of fandom by understanding Protestant Reformation and the concept of a 'legitimation crisis'. Basically, in social science, what does it take to unravel social order and how can that be applied to the life of Star Wars fans.  Starting off the show, Caleb Franz guests to talk about D23 announcements and the new Rise of Skywalker teaser, an Obi-Wan Kenobi series and much more. 

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Welcome back Banthas! The Beltway Banthas podcast has returned with regular shows now through 2020. Starting off this new season of Star Wars & politics chatter, Stephen Kent is joined by guest host Nick DiColandrea for a dive into the political conscience of Padme Amidala. In Revenge of the Sith, she opens up to Anakin about her uncertainty with the Republic's democratic virtue. What got Padme to the point of questioning her entire political position and that of the "democracy" she has served? 

Stephen and Nick also spent time on the 2020 Democratic primary, what Nick is seeing on the ground and the state of Star Wars in the Disney era. Bloomberg reports that Star Wars Galaxy's Edge isn't catching fire, we'll talk about why and the demographic challenge Disney is facing. 

Follow Nick @NickDico 

Follow Stephen @Stephen_Kent89

Follow Beltway Banthas @BeltwayBanthas 

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Hello Banthas! Since it's launch in 2015 during the heat of the presidential primaries for 2016, Beltway Banthas has been a proud home of political discourse within Star Wars fandom. We've featured prominent politicians, journalists and political operatives on the show to explore how Star Wars impacted their worldview and careers. 70 official episodes and well over 120 episodes including interviews and bonus content. 

The Force of Star Wars' politics is strong. Let's discuss!

Follow

Joe Tavano @JoeyWanKenobi

John Liang @JuanJohnJedi

Stephen Kent @Stephen_Kent89

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Star Wars deals very directly with questions of justice and injustice. Mohammad Shakibnia wrote an article for ElevenThirtyEight on the messages of social, racial and economic justice than can be derived from the Clone Wars animated series. He joins the podcast this month to co-pilot the show and discuss these themes with host Stephen Kent. 

Stephen and Mohammad get into the weeds of Clone Wars era politics, talk about Star Wars Celebration, their entry into fandom and share Bantha Fodder. 

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This week on Beltway Banthas, Robby Soave of Reason Magazine joins the show to talk the politics of Episode I: The Phantom Menace. We cover trade disputes, slavery on Tatooine, the aloof Jedi Order and Vladimir Putin.  Robby and Stephen get into the weeds of Star Wars Episode I and also share thoughts on the Gillette controversy, the Women's March and what is like to write a book. 

Follow Robby Soave on Twitter @RobbySoave

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This week on Beltway Banthas, a discussion of the prequel trilogy as George Lucas' broadside against the neoliberal world order and capitalism. Stephen is joined by his brother, Michael Kent of the Toxic Schlock horror movie podcast to discuss and debate Lucas' critique of neoliberalism since the 1980's and how well he executed his analysis in Star Wars. 

Michael and Stephen also chat about the role horror played in Star Wars early on, old Star Wars horror novels and the battle between Netflix and the Academy establishment. 

Read the discussion piece at Making Star Wars on neoliberalism in Star Wars here

Follow guest Michael Kent on Twitter @Mikeyago_go

and @ToxicSchlock

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Dr. Andrea Letamendi (Lattes with Leia, The Arkham Sessions) joins Swara as they discuss not only one of the central themes of Star Wars, but also redemption and the grievance of galactic victims, both individual and galaxy wide. Does the franchise do a good job of exploring trauma of aggrieved parties like Rey, Luke, and Leia? What causes villains like Darth Vader and Kylo Ren to commit egregious actions, and how can they repent and atone? Swara and Drea also talk a bit about Episode IX title and teaser rumblings and further legal troubles for the Trump administration. We cover all our bases!

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Jar Jar Binks changed the course of galactic history during the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Love him or hate him, this bumbling alien is important. This week we review Jar Jar Binks rise and fall in politics, the impact he made and what we as citizens in a republic can learn from his story. Swara and Stephen also react to some new Star Wars books, talk trash about some real-world politicians and opine on the latest Star Wars news making the rounds this week.

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Rogue One contains a powerful message about engaging in the world around you. Jyn Erso accepted oppression as a status quo while Cassian Andor was raised in the fight for freedom. On this weeks show we are joined by Kate Sanchez of But Why Tho? for a discussion of Cassion Andor's complex, the midterm elections and why people get involved in politics.  We also react to news of a new Cassian Andor series coming on Disney Plus, assess the "blue wave" and offer some Bantha Fodder as usual. Thanks to Kate Sanchez for joining us this week and offering her perspective on Star Wars and politics. 

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Were the Jedi sincere in their pursuit of balancing the Force? Luke Skywalker didn't seem to think so in The Last Jedi when describing the Jedi Order to an impressionable Rey. He sees balance as allowing for light and dark to co-exist, compliment and challenge the other. How far can one take this before people get hurt? 

In this episode, Swara and Stephen discuss the wildly varied outcome of the 2018 midterm election. It was a purple spatter more than a blue wave. Is there something Star Wars can teach about why this is good for society? Hopefully, we will come to an answer you can appreciate. 

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Welcome back! This week Swara Salih and producer John Liang dig into the new Star Wars series "Resistance". There are several rich political elements in the background of the animated series, and we leave no stone unturned. 

Also, Star Wars author Chuck Wendig was fired by Marvel and taken off the future Star Wars comics. He presumably won't be used by LucasFilm and Disney for books in the future. Wendig is notably the author of the Aftermath series and is known for his aggressive political rhetoric on Twitter. Marvel fired him, citing the Tweets as vulgar and out of step with their expectations. Is there merit to this move by Marvel and what is the best defense of Wendig? We'll get into it. 

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Are Russian bots behind the divide around The Last Jedi? Stephen chatted with researcher Morten Bay to discuss the results of his study on Twitter reaction to the film. Swara and Stephen discuss whether or not Russian bots and trolls amplified the negative reaction to the film.  Stephen and Swara also hash out their reactions to the new animated series Resistance, dish out their Bantha Fodder, and much more!

Connect with Us Join us now on our Discord channel to keep this episodes' conversation going at: https://discord.gg/zYc9uYn.

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Welcome back to Beltway Banthas and brace yourself for a ride through hyperspace in higher quality audio with host, Stephen Kent. The show had some hiccups this week with the whole team migrating to new homes and getting unpacked, but Stephen found a closet and an article in SyFyWire about Star Wars politics to review.

Ana Marie Cox and Cher Martinetti sounded off on how RD-D2 and other characters would vote in a piece titled "SPACE THE NATION: R2-D2 IS A LIBERTARIAN". Naturally, this is provocative but perfect for a spin on Beltway Banthas. Join Stephen for s 30 min review of the analysis with his own spin on the characters signed up by SyFyWire to vote!

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Welcome back to Beltway Banthas! Swara and Stephen are BOTH moving this week to new homes and this was as good a time as any to share some audio from over the summer. Stephen met up with New York Times op-ed columnist Ross Douthat for a discussion on Star Wars and politics. It's a well rounded conversation with a lot of focus on Star Wars strengths AND weaknesses. We hope you enjoy and aren't distracted by the ambient noise of the conference. 

Here are supplemental materials for Douthat's writing about Star Wars

https://www.nationalreview.com/2017/12/star-wars-last-jedi-review-lost-space/

https://douthat.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/08/the-politics-of-star-wars-2/

https://douthat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/24/the-politics-of-star-wars/

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Bethany Lacina is an associate professor of political science at the University of Rochester and she took a dive into "Star Wars Twitter" to get a better understanding of fandom and why it's so toxic. 

She looked at the vitriol surround Kelly Marie Tran and wrote "How common is such harassment? In my research, I have investigated this phenomenon on Twitter, where offensive language and hate speech have a modest but clear presence — not because of automated accounts (“bots”) but because of humans. People use degrading language more frequently when they talk about women and minorities and when they talk to female fans."

There are a lot of fascinating numbers and takeaways from the study WHICH CAN BE FOUND HERE. 

This interview with Bethany was taped on September 7th and goes over the findings + her broader views on Star Wars fan culture. 

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Hello Banthas! Swara and Stephen are back for Episode 60 to with some exclusive audio from Dragon Con 2018, a great panel on Crime & Politics in Star Wars. We also riff on the bombshell anonymous op-ed in the New York Times by a member of the Trump administration about the work being done on the inside to restrain his worst impulses from the inside. Is there a Star Wars tie-in? You bet there is! And finally, we talk about the Disney union workers vote for higher wages - with a little disagreement to be had on the topic.

Dragon Con Panelists include Thomas Harper (@thomasLharper) , Matt Rushing (mattrushing02) , Bethany Blanton (@BethanyLBlanton), and Brandy Blanton (@BrandelineB) Swara Salih, Data Analyst at Johns Hopkins' Center for Government Excellence (GovEx)

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BONUS EPISODE! Beltway Banthas Contributor John Liang chats with author Max Brooks about Star Wars and the lessons that can be applied to today's modern military. Brooks wrote "Strategy Strikes Back: How Star Wars Explains Modern Military Conflict"

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The Empire is coming for your moisture farm! Today on the show we discuss politically charged deleted scenes that never made it into the final cut of Star Wars films. Our main focus is a discussion between Biggs and Luke Skywalker about the "imperialization" of industry. Abby Gleason fills in for Swara and we are joined by Brittany Hunter to talk socialism in space, bourgeois Biggs and more. Also on this episode, Abby and Stephen talk about the latest in Trump drama surrounding Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort. Also, an op-ed from Kelly Marie Tran (Loan) about her identity, race, consumerism and toxic fandom. This is a jam-packed episode you don't want to miss.

Kelly Marie Tran OP-ED (NYT)

Star Wars Deleted Scene Shows Socialism of the Empire (FEE)

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We're back! Stephen and Swara are back to discuss whether President Trump treats the media like Palpatine treated the Jedi Order during the Clone Wars. Both institutions are meant to be a positive check on power and injustice, but has Trump succeeded in changing the public narrative against the media as Palpatine did with the Jedi? Tune in to find out! We also discuss the state of toxic fandom as reported in the past several months, and how and whether we can take steps to combat it and make fandom a more welcoming place.

Join us now on Discord to keep the conversation going at: https://discord.gg/zYc9uYn

Get in touch with everyone on the show! Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter: @SwaraSalih1 | @Stephen_Kent89

Please share our show with a friend, review us on iTunes and shoot us some feedback. We grow in quality every time someone reaches out to tell us what they liked.

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We have a jam-packed episode for y'all before our hiatus! First Stephen and Swara give their review of Solo. We then present Swara's conversation with Matt Rogers (@Politodope) to talk about the politics of the Resistance on the Left and parallels we find with Star Wars, all from the prequels to the sequels. Finally the hosts give their final Bantha Fodders for the season before our two month hiatus! Matt also discusses his project to get young people involved in politics: "Politodope", Stephen and Swara debate the controversial issues surrounding Solo, and much more!

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Announcement: Beltway Banthas is going to be taking a summer break during June and July with a comeback set for early August. This show has been going strong for two years with weekly episodes and we felt now is a good time to pause, do a summer of research, reading and thinking about what topics to tackle this year. THE SHOW WILL GO ON! We hope you'll stay in touch with us on break on Twitter and Discord, where politics & Star Wars never sleep.

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Mark Hamill is a Hollywood legend for his depiction of Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars movies. He is also a staunch believer in speaking on about politics. In this weeks episode we look at Mark Hamill's public stand on gun control, President Trump and how he balances Star Wars with politics alongside the fans. This is part of a larger conversation on pop culture and whether or not our hyper politicized society has made it harder to enjoy art. In the intro Swara & Stephen give final thoughts on Solo: A Star Wars Story and dive into the controversy around Lando's sexuality as described by screenwriter Jon Kasdan. We also share Bantha Fodders and make some announcements which are laid out below.

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Announcement: Beltway Banthas is going to be taking a summer break during June and July with a comeback set for early August. This show has been going strong for two years with weekly episodes and we felt now is a good time to pause, do a summer of research, reading and thinking about what topics to tackle this year. THE SHOW WILL GO ON! We hope you'll stay in touch with us on break on Twitter and Discord, where politics & Star Wars never sleep.

Get in touch with everyone on the show! Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter: @SwaraSalih1 | @Stephen_Kent89 | @AbbyGleason | @Britt_the_wit

Please share our show with a friend, review us on iTunes and shoot us some feedback. We grow in quality every time someone reaches out to tell us what they liked.

We want to hear from you! You can send us your thoughts on the show and topics at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com.

If you like this episode, check out our previous one!

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The Star Wars franchise has been becoming more visibly diverse on the screen, but will LucasFilm go further on issues of representation? Swara, the hosts of Book Wars Pod and Rebel Grrrl, are joined by Star Wars: Last Shot author Daniel Jose Older and others to discuss this topic. The online campaign that emerged as a result of this effort is called #SWRepMatters. Come check out and join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #SWRepMatters!

Get in touch with everyone on the show! Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter: @SwaraSalih1 | @lu_sitania | @semirose | @spacejessss | @shannonjoy26 | @djolder | @ohcatrina

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Abby and Swara discuss and analyze the life of one of their favorite fictional politicians of all time, the wonderful and estimable Bail Organa of Alderaan. What drove him to sacrifice so much for the good of the galaxy? How can we learn from his amazing example? Why does he give us so many feels?!? Listen to find out! We also dig into the Donald Glover's appearance on SNL, his "This is America" music video, the latest in the Trump scandal news, dish out our Bantha Fodders, and much more!

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Beltway Banthas turned two this month! The experiment of blending Star Wars and politics has turned into an adventure the likes of which we could never has anticipated. THANK YOU for sticking with us all this time and making it so much fun.

We are excited on this May 4th, Star Wars Day, to announce the addition of new hosts to the show: Brittany Hunter and Abby Gleason. On this episode we get to know Abby and Brittany and talk about the past and future of Beltway Banthas.

Get in touch with everyone on the show! Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter: @SwaraSalih1 | @Stephen_Kent89 | @AbbyGleason | @Britt_the_wit

Please share our show with a friend, review us on iTunes and shoot us some feedback. We grow in quality every time someone reaches out to tell us what they liked.

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Finally we discuss the man, the Sith Lord, the Emperor, Sheev Palpatine! What lessons on democracy and our political institutions can we draw from our dear Uncle Palpy and his political career? Stephen and Swara delve into the political life of their favorite Star Wars politician to discuss! At the start of the show we also talk about French President Macron's US visit and the prospect of international war in Syria, Kanye West's apparent support for the President, and much more in this discussion of executive power in the real world and the Star Wars universe! Also a special guest appearance by political scientist Seth Masket (University of Denver, Vox)

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We join our friends at Tosche Station and the Book Wars Podcast to talk about Star Wars Multimedia Empire at Awesome Con! How do the books and comics in the  Expanded Universe differ from the current canon books? Why do we read these books when we have the film? How do the books deepen and enrich politics in the Galaxy Far, Far Away? How can Lucasfilm do better with diversity and inclusion? We discuss all this and more! The new canon structure for the books may be confusing now, but we attempt to break it all down! We also discuss the degree to which the new books are accessible to new fans, and whether we might see book characters in the films. Enjoy this great panel discussion on all things multimedia!

Get in touch with everyone on the show! Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter: @SwaraSalih1 | @lu_sitania | @ChrisSedor | @LaneWinree | @bookwarspod | @Tosche_Station

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DJ has a bad reputation after selling out our heroes in The Last Jedi. Some have said he embodies the self interested nature of libertarianism, Ayn Rand and a school of thought known as Objectivism. Today we go into the weeds with Brittany Hunter of FEE to learn a bit about Objectivism, rational self interest and how DJ does or does not fall into that category.

Before the main topic we talk about Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook and the departure of Paul Ryan from Congress. It's whirlwind episode of Beltway Banthas you don't want to miss.

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This past weekend we were at Awesome Con in Washington DC! Stephen and John join Nanci Schwartz, Brian Larsen and Bria Lavorgna of Tosche Station, and Jay Shah of Eleven-ThirtyEight to discuss the theme of redemption in the galaxy far, far away. If Vader can be redeemed, can anybody? Is Kylo Ren able to truly atone for the crimes he's committed? Tune in for a rich panel discussion of one of the franchise's major themes. Redemption has been a crucial part of Star Wars since 1983, but how often do we pause to think critically about what it entails? We believe this panel may answer some questions you may have on the topic. Major thank you to Brian of Tosche Station for capturing and sharing this audio, and to Bria Lavorgna for having Beltway Banthas on the panel.

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Poe Dameron, beloved ace pilot of The Resistance, is he a sexist as some fans have claimed? Or was it simply his frustration under pressure and Vice Admiral Holdo's secrecy that led him to mutiny in The Last Jedi ? Let's talk gender politics in The Last Jedi! We welcome back our good friend Kate Sanchez of But Why Tho? The Podcast to discuss! Stephen, Swara, and Kate also discuss the March For Our Lives in DC this past weekend, Trump's attack on Amazon and the Austin TX bombings. We conclude with a lively Bantha Fodder segment from Kate and the hosts. Enjoy!

By Kate on the But Why Tho? blog: Poe isn’t the Bad Guy

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On this week's episode, we welcome Jon Lovett, one of the co-hosts of Pod Save America and host of Lovett or Leave It. Lovett explains to us how he got into Star Wars with the Special Editions, why he loves Rogue One and what motivates his political activism. Jon also offers his thoughts on a potential Star Wars political drama, that Hagerman dude who went off the grid to avoid Trump and Saw Gerrera. On Beltway Banthas, Stephen and Swara discuss politics, Star Wars, and all the ways they intersect. On this episode we also discuss the DC snow storm, climate change and how we feel about the March for our Lives event weekend. To close we read and respond to listener email on last week's episode on fascism and the First Order. Get in touch with everyone on the show! Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter:@Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1 | @JonLovett

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In a super light and not-at-all serious discussion this week (JK!), we dig into the First Order and extremism! How did George Lucas, JJ Abrams, and others envision the main bad guys of the Original Trilogy and Sequel Trilogy? Have they grown beyond the label of "Space Nazis" at all? Where do communism, fascism, terrorism, and other extremist ideologies come into play? Join the discussion on Beltway Banthas! Stephen and Swara also talk about trade wars in Star Wars and real life, the President's proposed "Space Force", and have our Bantha Fodder segment with patron and dear friend of the show Connie Shih!

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Dan Wallace is the author of beloved Star Wars books "The Jedi Path" "Book of the Sith" and "Imperial Handbook". Now he has penned another behind the scenes manuel for the Rebellion and joins the show to talk about it. John Liang interviewed Wallace last week and got the scoop on what the book reveals about the rebellion, galactic politics and more.

Stephen and Swara also convene in the start of this episode to review the finale of Star Wars Rebels on Disney XD. It was a whirlwind final episode that left our hearts full and minds spinning.

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@Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1 | @JuanJohnJedi

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Rey and Kylo are seemingly total opposites...until the events of The Last Jedi. Through the Force and circumstance, these two foes connect in a way they never expected. Turns out - they have a lot in common. This week we are joined by Caitlin and Charlotte of the Skytalkers Podcasts to discuss "Reylo" and how it might relate to our own worlds broken politics.  Get in touch with everyone on the show! Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter:

@Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1 | @SkytalkersPod

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Let's get political! This week on Beltway Banthas we are rejoined by Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson of The Pollsters Podcast. Kristen is a huge Star Wars fan and came on to talk with Stephen about Rotten Tomatoes scores and how trolls factor into public perception of a movie. In addition to looking at The Last Jedi's scores, we discuss what an ideal method of gauging reaction to a movie would look like. Kristen offers reactions to The Last Jedi as a whole, and we also banter about feminism on screen and how audiences react to messages in film. This is an episode you don't want to miss!

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Swara and guest host Heath Williams of Rogue Podron discuss parallels between US presidents throughout American history and the various chief executives of Star Wars. From Chancellors Vallorum to Villecham, we trace the trends of executive leadership and how they compare to various occupants of the White House. We also give a reaction to the new Solo trailer and much more.  

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Hello Banthas! This week we are joined by radio producer and head writer for Glenn Beck, Mr. Stu Burguiere. Stu is a big time Star Wars fan and all around enjoyable radio personality. We thought you'd enjoy this behind the curtain conversation with a notable conservative radio personality and fan. Stephen and Stu discuss his career trajectory, working with Beck, Star Wars role in his life and how the theme of the new films is exposing frauds. Every other week we try to introduce our listeners to people in politics or media for whom Star Wars has made a difference in their lives. This mission spans the political spectrum and we hope you'll check out this interview to learn something new. You check out Stu's take on The Force Awakens and his belief that it is A New Hope rehash here, and then listen to Stephen of Beltway Banthas challenge that theory on his show here.

Get in touch with everyone on the show! Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter:

@Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1 | @WorldOfStu

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In our latest episode delving into the politics of The Last Jedi, we are joined by Entertainment Weekly's Anthony Breznican to discuss populism in the film! Do we use this term correctly? Are we actually seeing what is traditionally known as "populism" in the film? What does it really mean for common people to rise to power? We tackle all these questions and more! From the children on Canto Bight rebelling against their oppressors to Rey being from "nowhere," we see a rejection of legacy and hierarchy in the latest Star Wars film. What's the history of populism in Star Wars? Is populism a good force in the real world or has it led to more destabilization? In this discussion we hope to find at least some of the answers.

Get in touch with everyone on the show! Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter:

@Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1 | @Breznican

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Hello Banthas! This week we are excited to be joined by renowned science-fiction and fantasy author Ken Liu.  His short stories have appeared in F&SF, Asimov's, Analog, Lightspeed, Clarkesworld andhe recently debuted in Star Wars canon helming The Legends of Luke Skywalker.Ken joined our producer John Liang for a call where they discuss his background, Asian themes in Star Wars and the experience of adding to the new universe.

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It's the first of our in-depth discussion on The Last Jedi. This week we discuss the politics of Canto Bight! Joining us to discuss is political scientist Seth Masket! We discuss war profiteering, socioeconomic inequality, whether we think the sequence carries apt allegories, partisan interpretations of the sequence, and much more! Get in touch with everyone on the show! Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter:

@Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1 | @smotus

Please share our show with a friend, review us on iTunes and shoot us some feedback. We grow in quality every time someone reaches out to tell us what they liked.

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Hello Banthas and welcome to our first interview of 2018! This week we had the distinct honor of meeting the real humans behind the curtain of @RealTrumpatine, Twitters most prolific Star Wars and politics account. Every day the Emperor Trumpatine account pumps out amazing comedic content echoing whatever President Trump is Tweeting that day. It has kept us laughing from 2015 to today. This has been a year in the making, so meet Dan Udell and Tom Hunt, the two halves of the Trumpatine brain.

Get in touch with everyone on the show! Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter:

@Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1 | @RealTrumpatine

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We’re back from our holiday hiatus! Stephen and Swara FINALLY offer their first spoiler-filled thoughts on The Last Jedi. This is the first of many episodes we’ll be having on this deeply layered film. In this episode, we touch all our favorite parts and hangups. We also overview its many political themes and list out what we’ll be talking about in the coming weeks. In this episodes Bantha Fodder segment, we kick off our new Patreon Bantha Fodder series patron Isaiah Leslie, who sent in his own Fodder from his home out in California.

Get in touch with everyone on the show! Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter:

@Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1

Please share our show with a friend, review us on iTunes and shoot us some feedback. We grow in quality every time someone reaches out to tell us what they liked.

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Beltway Banthas is all about bringing people together - so this week we did just that. Past guests of the show, GOP pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson (host of The Pollsters Podcast), Ben Domenech (The Federalist), Tamara Keith & Scott Detrow (NPR Politics) gathered at the Arlington library in Virginia to share their love of Star Wars. This was a live show in front of an audience. We recorded the the program for you to enjoy! The group discusses the politics of Star Wars, some polling by the Morning Consult of fandoms politics and we celebrate the launch of The Last Jedi.

Get in touch with everyone on the show! Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter:

@Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1 | @DavidMarkDC | @KSoltisAnderson |

@BDomenech | @TamaraKeithNPR | @ScottDetrow

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What did the Empire do in the days and weeks following Return of the Jedi? It's not a simple happy ending. The Emperor left orders for Operation Cinder, a brutal campaign that would leave countless dead and the groundwork laid for the First Order. This week we discuss Operation Cinder and real world parallels. Also! We are joined for a special segment by David Mark of the Morning Consult. They released a poll this week on American's opinions about Star Wars politics. The results are intriguing. We also discuss the most favorable characters and movies found in the poll. You won't want to miss this!

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@Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1 | @DavidMarkDC

Please share our show with a friend, review us on iTunes and shoot us some feedback. We grow in quality every time someone reaches out to tell us what they liked.

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The galaxy is total upheaval! The events of Episode VII left the political order of Star Wars in a fascinating state of disarray. This week on Beltway Banthas the crew looks at The Last Jedi and it's political questions. This is an episode of speculation, intrigue and analysis about a movie we are all dying to see.

Swara, Stephen and John Liang also banter about Thanksgiving, Star Wars Battlefront 2, EA Games big controversy and much more!

Want to support the show? Visit us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/beltwaybanthas

Get in touch with everyone on the show! Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter:

@Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1 | @JuanJohnJedi |

Please share our show with a friend, review us on iTunes and shoot us some feedback. We grow in quality every time someone reaches out to tell us what they liked.

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Happy Thanksgiving! Beltway Banthas is taking this week off to connect with family & friends, but we did want to speak to you on this holiday. First, we want to thank you! This audience is amazing. We also share things we are thankful for in Star Wars and politics, as well as read your Tweets. Finally...some important announcements about the future of the show. Stick around for those in this holiday broadcast.

Get in touch with everyone on the show! Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter:

@JuanJohnJedi |@Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1

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Clayton Sandell is a digital news reporter and correspondent for ABC News. You may know his work during the launch of Rogue One: A Story Wars Story when ABC went behind the scenes to see how Tarkin was brought back to life. Clayton is a deep fan of Star Wars and someone who has been working in news for decades. It was really awesome to speak with him about his career, Star Wars fandom and how he managed to professionally merge the two. This episode jumps right into the interview and we hope you enjoy it and draw some inspiration for your own life and fandom.

Get in touch with everyone on the show! Follow Clayton Sandell on Twitter @Clayton_Sandell

Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter:

@JuanJohnJedi |@Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1

Please share our show with a friend, review us on iTunes and shoot us some feedback. We grow in quality every time someone reaches out to tell us what they liked.

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It's treason then! This week we discuss how the Jedi botched the removal of Chancellor Palpatine. Had they done it more carefully, maybe the Empire would have never risen. Stephen is joined by guests Josh Gilliland of The Legal Geeks and Kate Sanchez of the But Why Tho Podcast. Also on this episode, Stephen and guests discuss the indictments made by Bob Mueller in the investigation into Russian collusion with the Trump campaign. Josh explains the charges made against Paul Manafort and more. Later, we share our week in bantha fodder and read a bunch of awesome listener email. Lots of treason this week!

Get in touch with everyone on the show! Follow Josh and Kate on Twitter @BowTieLaw and @OhMyMithrandir

Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter:

@Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1 | @JuanJohnJedi |

Please share our show with a friend, review us on iTunes and shoot us some feedback. We grow in quality every time someone reaches out to tell us what they liked.

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In this episode, Tricia Barr (@fangirlcantina) of the Fangirls Going Rogue podcast and founder of Fangirlblog, along with contributor John Liang (@juanjohnjedi), joins Beltway Banthas for a spoiler-filled discussion of one of the most recently released novels: Claudia Gray’s Leia: Princess of Alderaan, and what we learn about the politics of the Rebellion. The topics we discuss include Alderaan’s role and the politics of the Rebellion; Breha and Bail; Mon Mothma, leader of the Rebel Alliance; Leia’s links to her mother Padme Amidala; the Apprentice Legislature; and Leia's interactions with Grand Moff Tarkin. We also talk about the most recent behind the scene trailer for the The Last Jedi, the return of Star Wars: Rebels, and much more!

Get in touch with everyone on the show! Follow Tricia on Twitter @fangirlcantina | Follow Fangirls Going Rogue on Twitter @FGGoingRogue

Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter:

@JuanJohnJedi |@Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1

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Dr. Annalise Ophelian, the driving force behind Looking for Leia, joins us for a discussion on women in fandom, sexism, social movements, how to ensure fandom is inclusive. Looking for Leia is an upcoming documentary film that "features interviews with an intergenerational and culturally diverse group of female fans" who discuss entering Star Wars fandom, what Star Wars has meant to them, and the continuing trends of sexism they face. We also talk about her career and background, how Star Wars has informed her politics, social movements, why people misinterpret Saw Gerrera and the Partisans, and much more!

Get in touch with everyone on the show! Follow Dr. Annalise Ophelian on Twitter @Dr_Ophelian | Follow Looking for Leia on Twitter @LeiaFangirlFilm

Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter:

@JuanJohnJedi |@Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1

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In this jam packed episode, we seek wise counsel from The Legal Geeks podcast. Jessica Mederson and Josh Gilliland run The Legal Geeks blog and podcast, where they break down the burning questions of law in sci-fi. They joined Beltway Banthas to address droids rights, liability for the Death Star, Han's right to stand his ground and much more.

The Last Jedi trailer dropped this week! Our team also digs into the trailer and offers their takeaways. Swara and John also share their experiences from New York Comic-Con. Stephen & Swara share thoughts on Breitbart, the alt-right, Harvey Weinstein and sexual harassment and also a new metal band that plays Star Wars music. 

We love to hear your thoughts on the show! Shoot us an email to be read on the show at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com. Chat with us on Twitter @BeltwayBanthas, Stephen @Stephen_Kent89, Swara @SwaraSalih1, John @JuanJohnJedi

Our special guests The Legal Geeks are worth following and listening to. Check them out: http://thelegalgeeks.com/

On Twitter

@BowTieLaw

@eDiscMatters

@TheLegalGeeks

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Chuck Wendig is author of The Aftermath Trilogy, a series of stories that take place in the tumultuous time after Return of the Jedi. For our 40th episode, we chatted with Wendig about the politics of the era and how a Star Wars author learns about the galaxy in which they are writing. Also on this episode, Swara and Stephen give their quick thoughts on JJ returning to Star Wars as a director, Roger Stone and his meeting with House Intelligence on the hill and of course - Bantha Fodder! Thanks for joining us for this special episode and for sticking with the Beltway Banthas podcast!

Get in touch with everyone on the show! Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter:

@Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1 | @JuanJohnJedi

Follow the author of the Aftermath Trilogy on Twitter at @ChuckWendig

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Holy Star Wars Batman! Stephen was interviewed by Jason Flatt about defining redemption through the lens of Christianity. Together they apply this conversation to Star Wars and also our worlds nastiest politics - the politics of hate. This interview originally appeared on the Holy Star Wars podcast. We felt it was an awesome enough conversation on relevant topics to Beltway Banthas to share with you. Jason and Stephen go through the definition and cultural understanding of redemption. Next they tie the theme through Star Wars and also the film American History X, a dark tale of a mans descent and escape from dark well of racism & hate.

Get in touch with everyone on the show! Follow Jason Flatt on Twitter @FlatterYou | Follow Holy Star Wars on Twitter @Holy_Star_Wars

Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter:

@JuanJohnJedi |@Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1

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This week on Beltway Banthas we discuss Inferno Squad, the new Star Wars book by Christie Golden. The story takes us inside a faction of Saw Gerrera's Partisans with Iden Versio, an undercover Imperial with the elite - Inferno Squad. We talk about political violence, legitimate forms of resistance and how it's not always if you fight that matters - but how you fight. This was a timely book to say the least. It took us to talking about groups like Antifa and how they play into the #resist movement. Our team hopes you enjoy this conversation. Email us or Tweet your thoughts about the episode.

Get in touch with everyone on the show! Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter:

@Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1 | @JuanJohnJedi

Follow the author of Inferno Squad on Twitter at @ChristieGolden

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Eleven-ThirtyEight is a living journal of news and opinion dedicated to producing analytical pieces on all things Star Wars. In this week's interview episode, we talk to the creator and Editor-in-Chief of the site, Mike Cooper! We talk about the political message of the prequels, the creative process for Star Wars, his vision behind the website and much more! Eleven-ThirtyEight avoids reactionary takes and instead has a keen focus on long-form analytical pieces on characters, politics, filmmaking, canon and virtually all the aspects of Star Wars. In many way Beltway Banthas is has the same mission, to promote deeply thoughtful and analytical discussion and it was a delight to have Mike on.

Get in touch with everyone on the show! Follow Mike Cooper on Twitter @NoTheOtherLeft | Follow Eleven-ThirtyEight on Twitter @eleventhirtyate

Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter:

@JuanJohnJedi |@Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1

Please share our show with a friend, review us on iTunes and shoot us some feedback. We grow in quality everytime someone reaches out to tell us what they liked.

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"For over a thousand generations the Jedi were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic." Were the Jedi effective were they as galactic peacekeepers? Should they have been so beholden to Republic law? This week with guests Steele Saunders of the Steele Wars podcast and Mark Eldridge of the Jedi Archives podcast and ElevenThirtyEight, we discuss this topic and much more! We go through the representation of the Jedi in the films, whether they had a good system with the Old Republic, and ponder if the Jedi could have stopped the First Order. We also talk about the latest Han Solo movie news, new vehicle reveals from The Last Jedi, and much more!

Follow Steele Saunders on Twitter at @SteeleWars

Follow Mark Eldridge on Twitter @quigonsmith

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LIES! DECEPTIONS! In our latest interview episode, John Liang speaks with Vince Houghton, historian and curator at the International Spy Museum. He's a massive Star Wars fan. They talk about how he he fell in love with Star Wars, why he thinks Princess Leia is the most famous fictional rebel spy in history, and all the great lies and deceptions in Star Wars spy craft! This is really unique conversation we know you'll enjoy!  Follow Vince Houghton on Twitter @intelhistorian****

Follow John Liang on Twitter @JuanJohnJedi

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The First Order are an ideological and vicious military organization dedicated to one thing: making the galaxy great again. But for whom? This week with guest Ross Brown of FanGirlBlog.com we look at how the First Order rose to be such a threat to the galaxy.  In the wake of the events in Charlottesville, VA - we thought it necessary to talk about a how cultural resentment and political ideology can fuse into a radical movement. The First Order seek to reclaim the glory, order and promise of the Empire. They capture the essence of neo-fascist movements across our own world, as well the chaos of nuclear proliferation by rogue states like North Korea. 

Follow our guest Ross Brown on Twitter at @Wolfesghost 

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Seth Masket, political scientist and professor at the University of Denver, sees something ominous in the background of the Star Wars Holiday Special. He wrote about the politics of the campy Star Wars program in Mischiefs of Faction, a blog for Vox. The piece is called Amusing Ourselves Into Tyranny, sound familiar?

Before the interview, Swara and Stephen react to news of Disney pulling out of their deal with Netflix and the promise of a Disney streaming service. Is this capitalism run amok or the best thing that's ever happened? Join us for the discussion. 

Follow Seth Masket on Twitter @Smotus

Swara @SwaraSalih1

Stephen @stephen_kent89

and Beltway Banthas @BeltwayBanthas

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Today on Beltway Banthas, Swara and Stephen reconcile a dispute. Representation and diversity on screen is the hot topic of the day and it's more charged than ever. We discuss a disagreement had off the air in total transparency. Our goal was to better understand some feelings about identity politics in pop-culture.

The reason we say feelings, and not arguments, is because there is a time for for both. People seek to be understood, listened to and not disparaged for the feelings they are trying to explain. On Beltway Banthas we want that to be something we can take on, perhaps while many in Star Wars fandom and on social media struggle to communicate on this topic. 

This episode was a delight to do. Hard at times, but rewarding. All we ask of you the listener is be gracious - to the hosts - and to other fans - as we all attempt to open these dialogues. We want to hear from you about this episode, so please email us at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com if you have something you'd like to have discussed in the future.

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This week for our interview series, Stephen sits down with David Barnes of Generation Opportunity and Al Downs of Americans for Prosperity. Barnes is a former guest of the show and Al is a first timer. Both come with a deep love and knowledge of Star Wars.  We discuss the political message of the prequels, libertarianism and how it does or does not fit into Star Wars and also how vulnerable America may be to dictatorship. Al Downs and David Barnes dissect the Republic's deregulation of the banks and whether or not that is an accurate reflection of how government handles crisis, and they also share their favorite moments in the saga.

Follow Al Downs on Twitter @AlbertJDowns 

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Today on Beltway Banthas we shine our politician spotlight on the greatest politician the Star Wars universe has ever known, the beloved Princess, Senator and General...Leia Organa. Our very special guests are Charlotte Errity and Caitlin Plesher of the Skytalkers Podcast and show producer John Liang. Together we discuss the history, politics and power of Star Wars most iconic politician/princess.  Obviously with the loss of our beloved Carrie Fisher this was a difficult episode to record. Throughout our conversation we discuss how Leia and Carrie have inspired each of us. We look at  how Leia & Carrie inspired the world at large through cinema and real life. We also discuss The Last Jedi sizzle reel from D23, what Carrie's role might be like in the film. Enjoy!

Follow Charotte on Twitter @crerrity!

Follow Caitlin on Twitter @caitlinplesher!

Follow John on Twitter @JuanJohnJedi!

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The latest in our interview series! Swara interviews staff writer at the New Republic magazine, Graham Vyse! We cover everything from his fandom, to Virginia politics, national politics, Star Wars parallels and more! The New Republic is one of the oldest progressive publications in the U.S., and Graham is one of their best new writers. We had a great discussion about the origin of his fandom, how Star Wars informed his politics, and cover state and national politics. Later we go into what Star Wars and George Lucas were trying to teach us about our own government and how to counter illiberalism.

Follow Graham on Twitter @GrahamVyse!

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To welcome July 4th, Stephen, Swara, and Brittany Elisa discuss the concept of freedom in the Star Wars universe. We discuss what it might mean to different characters such as Luke, Rey, Jyn Erso, and even Emperor Palpatine! In the spirit of our Independence Day celebrating freedom, this is a free-flowing discussion touching upon all things from freedom of opportunity, economic freedom, the ability to pursue your dreams and much more. We also answer your emails asking about all things politics and Star Wars!

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Andrew Heaton is a comedian in NYC who is a growing staple of libertarian media. He worked with John Stossel at Fox Business and now at Reason Magazine working on The Mostly Weekly Show. Andrew is an incredibly funny guy and uniquely deep Star Wars fan that go on and on with anyone about the politics, philosophy and humor at length.

He has a voice for radio and TV that could have only been made by Zeus himself and it was really great to get his take on Star Wars humor and more. Andrew shares his fondness of Ewoks, why he thinks Jar Jar fell flat and Obi Wan’s comedic sensibility.

We also talk about where politics and science fiction collide, and if stories thrive when politics are put first rather than second.

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This week, Stephen and Swara are joined by good friend of the show, blogger at BrownsReview.com and Fangirlblog.com, Ross Brown! We discuss the politics of Timothy Zahn's novel Thrawn. The Banthas discuss insights into Imperial social hierarchy, the Empire's alien policy, the meteoric rise of Grand Admiral Thrawn and Governor Pryce and much more! We also discuss what we think of Colin Trevorrow directing episode IX after his latest film has been trashed by critics, delve into our Bantha Fodder, and much more on this packed episode!

Follow Ross on Twitter @Wolfesghost

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This weeks interview is with Dave Summers of Americans for Prosperity, a grassroots organization affiliated with the Koch brothers. Dave is a huge Star Wars fan and a Governor Tarkin enthusiast. Stephen and Dave talk about his fandoms roots, why Tarkin is so awesome and how a strong corporate culture like that of the Koch's could have helped Tarkin succeed in his most desperate hour.

If you enjoyed this interview check out our back catalogue of amazing politico Star Wars fans. Do you know someone in the DC area who needs to be on this show? Tell us about them. Tweet us @BeltwayBanthas or @Stephen_Kent89.

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Is Star Wars different in the era of Disney? In this episode we look at how the internal politics of Disney impact creative and business choices for Star Wars. Amy Ratcliffe of Lattes With Leia joins us for the discussion and shares her insights on how Disney functions and what motivates their thinking on issues of the day.

This is a fun conversation you don't want to miss. Stay up to date with Beltway Banthas by subscribing on iTunes or Google Play. Also follow us on Facebook to catch our new bonus content series, Beltway Banter, where hosts Stephen and Swara debate an issue in Star Wars or politics. 

Follow guest Amy Ratcliffe on Twitter

@Amy_Geek

and your hosts

@StephenofKent

@SwaraSalih1

@beltwaybanthas

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BONUS EPISODE! Today on this special release of Beltway Banthas Stephen & Swara talk about the Vanity Fair Star Wars spread, are joined by Stephen's daughter and discuss fan theorizing. Next, AdmiralNick22 (follow him on Twitter) of the ElevenThirtyEight blog joins Stephen to talk about his recent piece outlining the political cartography of the galaxy after Return of the Jedi. It's a fascinating and in-depth piece of work we highly recommend you go check out for peak Star Wars nerdom. 

Read the blog here: http://eleven-thirtyeight.com/2017/04/republic-rising-a-political-and-cartographic-look-post-galactic-concordance-galaxy/ 

Follow everyone from this week's episode on Twitter

@BeltwayBanthas

@StephenOfKent

@SwaraSalih1

@AdmiralNick22

Subscribe to Beltway Banthas and tune in next week for our episode with Amy Radcliff about the Politics of Disney!

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Stephen and Swara discuss the role of money in politics in the Star Wars universe. The discussion covers the role of the Trade Federation in The Phantom Menace, and how the concern of money in politics is plays out in our own world.

George Lucas' message in prequel trilogy on the dangers of money in politics was pretty clear. We discuss the roots of that message and how average Americans feel about this issue. Stephen and Swara also touch upon some real world political news, read a listener e-mail on Mon Mothma and offer their regular bantha fodder.

Get in touch with everyone on the show!

Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter:

@Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1 | @BeltwayBanthas |

Please share our show with a friend, review us on iTunes and shoot us some feedback. We grow in quality every time someone reaches out to tell us what they liked.

We want to hear from you! You can send us your thoughts on the show and topics at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com.

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This week on Beltway Banthas we continue our interview series, where one of our hosts interview someone of note who works in or around politics about their fandom of Star Wars.

Stephen went to Hillsdale College's Kirby Center to chat with Ben Domenech, host of The Federalist Radio Hour and publisher of The Federalist. We talk about Ben's deep Star Wars roots, why Star Wars continues to be culturally compelling and also a bit about The Federalist's approach to content and Star Wars. I ask him about their piece on Galen Erso and the Death Star as an historical parallel to America's founding and monster of slavery. Ben and I also talk about Porkins, yes Porkins...as well as The Last Jedi, morality of super-weapons and why R2-D2 is his favorite character.

Beltway Banthas just celebrated it's ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY! We are 40 shows and 12 months deep into this podcast. For our birthday all we want is your love (Padme line wink wink) and we'd love a review or rating on iTunes.

Shoot us an email at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com, Tweet us @BeltwayBanthas and today's guest Ben Domenech @BDomenech.

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It's time again form Star Wars politics! This week Swara and guest host Carly Lane (Nerdist, Syfywire, Supergirl Radio) delve into the history, political philosophy and escapades of the leader of the Rebel Alliance, Mon Mothma.

Senator/Chancellor/Commander-in-Chief Mon Mothma has been through and seen it all in the Star Wars universe. From her time in the Old Republic, denouncing Palpatine’s authority and to her leadership of the Rebellion to founding the New Republic, Mon Mothma’s life provides the definitive lens through which to view the political history of the Galaxy. Swara and Carly discuss her origins, motivations and all-around awesomeness in this illuminating episode. We also discuss Carly’s recent article in Syfywire on the diverse strength of women in Star Wars (especially with Padme Amidala), the role Carrie Fisher/General Leia will have in future Star Wars properties and much more. Beltway Banthas Episode 30: Mon Mothma - A Life of Public Service Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter: @Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1 | @CarlyLane | @SuperGirlRadio We want to hear from you! You can send us your thoughts on the show and topics at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com. We are going to be launching bonus content soon for subscribers to a super not-so-secret email list. Sign up here: eepurl.com/cxPyoX

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Our good friend John Liang (@JuanJohnJedi) was in Orlando for Star Wars Celebration (SWCO), where he was part of a panel discussing the military history of the Star Wars universe. He joined Thomas Harper, who led the panel, and Jason Fry to discuss the galaxy's history of military engagement, background on weapons and armaments, military justice in the Star Wars universe, and more! Follow these panelists on Twitter for more insight on the military history of Star Wars! John Liang @JuanJohnJedi | Thomas Harper @ThomasLHarper | Jason Fry @JasonCFry We've also got more Celebration banter! Swara also discusses his trip to Orlando and the highlights from Star Wars Celebration and we dig into The Last Jedi teaser trailer! After the military panel, we dish out our Bantha Fodder and have an impromptu Crackpot or Jackpot!

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Like so many Star Wars fans, Swara of Beltway Banthas was Orlando last weekend for Star Wars Celebration (SWCO)! It goes without saying that the Force was strong there, and so was a love of politics. Huddled together in a hotel room in Orlando, Swara brought together a group of friends and fans to talk about Star Wars, politics and escapism. Swara's round table featured Carly Lane (Supergirl Radio, Nerdist), Dennis Keithly (Starships, Sabers & Scoundrels) and Joe Tavano (Retrozap, Brews & Blasters) Follow our guests on Twitter! Carly Lane @CarlyLane Dennis Keithly @DJKver2 Joe Tavano @JoeyWanKenobi Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter: @Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1 We want to hear from you! You can send us your thoughts on the show and topics at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com. We are going to be launching bonus content soon for subscribers to a super not-so-secret email list. Sign up here: eepurl.com/cxPyoX

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This week we’re discussing the most exciting and most invigorating you could think of: budgets! Specifically, military appropriations and government spending in the Star Wars universe! We’re joined by our friend John Liang, military journalist and mega Star Wars fan, to discuss how fiscal battles played out during the Clone Wars, and how we see that in our own politics. We also discuss John and Swara’s upcoming trip to STAR WARS CELEBRATION ORLANDO (!!!), Rogue One playing on Air Force One, President Trump’s potential military escalation with Syria, and so much more! Follow our guest John Liang on Twitter @JuanJohnJedi! Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter: @Stephen_Kent89 | @SwaraSalih1 We want to hear from you! You can send us your thoughts on the show and topics at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com.

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No character captures intergalactic and real world politics better than Padme Amidala Naberrie of Naboo. This week we dive into the political ideals of Padme and also her legacy with fans. Allyson Gronowitz (The Mary Sue, Polygon) joins the show to help break down why Padme is beloved, but also divisive for so many fans. Spoiler: It has something to do with politics. Perfect for an episode of Beltway Banthas! We also review some Star Wars themed political ads out of a Congressional race in Georgia and a mayoral race in Memphis. These are funny clips you won’t want to miss. Lastly, Swara and Stephen share their thoughts on Star Wars Rebels, Darth Maul, fandom and the National Endowment for the Arts. Follow our guest Allyson Gronowitz on Twitter @TheFakeFanGirl Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter: @Stephen_Kent89 @SwaraSalih1 @beltwaybanthas We want to hear from you! You can send us your thoughts on the show and topics at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com. We are going to be launching bonus content soon for subscribers to a super not-so-secret email list. Sign up here: eepurl.com/cxPyoX

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It’s our second Comic-Con panel! Stephen and Swara are joined by friend of the show Nick Dicolandrea of Coffee With Kenobi to discuss “Star Wars goes to Washington,” and a bit of the international perspective of Star Wars as well. In our live panel at Oak City Comic-Con, we discuss political use of Star Wars from the 1980s to modern day, why it resonates with people of various political persuasions, and we even delve into some international political perceptions of Star Wars. In the Q&A section, our awesome audience joined us in a conversation of topics such as: Who in politics reminds of Galen Erso, and how do we think of the term “rebel” in the context of being in the American South. Take a listen and be part of the ongoing conversation on the politics of Star Wars! Follow Nick on Twitter @NickDiCo Follow Coffee With Kenobi @CoffeeWithKenobi Follow Stephen @Stephen_Kent89 Follow Swara @SwaraSalih1 Follow Beltway Banthas @BeltwayBanthas

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To inaugurate 25 episodes of Beltway Banthas, we sit down to talk about the evolution of the podcast. In a fun and free-wheeling conversation we share some of our favorite moments doing this show and what we have learned along the way. Also on the menu for this weeks episode, Stephen and Swara dig into Star Wars news and updates including The Last Jedi, Empires End and the upcoming Thrawn novel. Stephen shares how he is missing out on a chance to hang with Snoop Dogg, and goes over a few upcoming changes with work and the podcast.

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Most Star Wars fans love the Empire to one degree or another. They’re orderly, professional, and have the best fashion sense in the Galaxy. But is our love for them misplaced? Are we so enamored with Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader, and their subordinates that we forget they were based on real life fascist regimes? Why do we love villains anyway if they’re so awful? To discuss this challenging topic, we spoke with Dr. Andrea Letamendi of Lattes with Leia and Tyler Westhause of the Star Wars Podcast Alliance, two ardent Imperial fans. We discuss the extent to which we should take the fascist parallels seriously, why we all love the bad guys, and how the Empire can teach us about historical authoritarian regimes. You can find Dr. Letamendi and Tyler on Twitter @ArkhamAsylumDoc @twesthause You can email the show at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com Tweet and follow us @BeltwayBanthas Or connect with us on Facebook! Connect with the hosts on Twitter @Stephen_Kent89 @SwaraSalih1

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The next in our interview series! This week, we speak with Alexandra Petri, columnist and satirist for The Washington Post. She and Swara talk about keeping up with the crazy politics of the day, how it affects satire, her love of Star Wars, parallels between the real and Star Wars political worlds, and so much more! Listen to the conversation that is sure to lighten up your day and make the daily political craziness much more palatable. For more of her humor, follow Alexandra @petridishes on Twitter and her blog the ComPost!

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This week Beltway Banthas was joined by Tamara Keith & Scott Detrow of the NPR Politics Podcast. In a conversation any political and public radio junkie won't want to miss, we dive into the politics of Star Wars and some of Star Wars most enduring cultural themes that resonate with people from 1977 to today. We start by catching up with friend of the show and White House Correspondent for NPR, Tamara Keith, previously featured for a interview on Beltway Banthas. She shares her thoughts on Rogue One the finality of its characters, Tarkin's reanimation and her experience seeing the movie. Later we're joined by Scott Detrow, who Congress for NPR. These two are well known for their Star Wars fandom and they didn't disapoint. We discuss the confusing aspects of Star Wars politics, Rogue One's political message (intended and unintended), the role of Disney in Star Wars future and also the political parallels from Star Wars to today. We want to thank NPR, Scott Detrow and Tamara Keith for welcoming us into their studio and sharing their insights with us about politics and Star Wars. It was a real blast and we hope you enjoy the conversation. You can find Tamara and Scott on Twitter @TamaraKeithNPR @ScottDetrow And check out the NPR Politics Podcast on iTunes and @NPRPolitics

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This week Stephen and Swara discuss the key points of the article “Star Wars Politics Part Two: The Right Side Strikes Back.” How does the franchise reach out to and inspire conservative audiences? Did Star Wars take any inspiration from family values, limited government, and other issues on the political right? Also on this weeks jam packed episode: We connect with our friend Michael O’Connor (@oconnoblog) on his article “Phantom Menaces: Star Wars Tribalism.” We also discuss the Women’s March and the presence of Princess/General Leia on the resistance and feminist signs, the new Episode VIII title The Last Jedi and much more. This extra long episode of Beltway Banthas is one you won't want to miss. Piece by Becky Sharp: https://www.retrozap.com/star-wars-politics-right/ Tribalism by Mike O Connor: https://www.retrozap.com/star-wars-tribalism/ We are going to be launching bonus content soon for subscribers to a super not-so-secret email list. Sign up here: eepurl.com/cxPyoX

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This interview with U.S. Congressman Derek Kilmer is a continuation of the Beltway Banthas interview series! Stephen spoke with U.S. Congressman Derek Kilmer (D) of the state of Washington's 6th District in his DC office. This conversation is a landmark for Beltway Banthas because it is our first chat with a sitting member of Congress It was nothing short of honor to be on Capitol Hill talking Star Wars with someone as busy as Derek Kilmer. We want to thank him and his staff for making it possible. Get in touch with everyone on the show! Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter: @Stephen_Kent89 @BeltwayBanthas @RepDerekKilmer

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This week on Beltway Banthas we discuss the Confederacy of Independent Systems AKA The Separatists. The theme of disenchantment with government is never more relevant than in 2017, so we dug back into the prequel era to discuss this movement, why it happened and who was involved. To better understand this era we are joined by Dennis Keithly of the podcast STARSHIPS, SABERS and SCOUNDRELS. Follow him on Twitter linked below. We are going to be launching bonus content soon for subscribers to a super not-so-secret email list. SIGN UP HERE: eepurl.com/cxPyoX You can reach us on the show by email at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com On Twitter: @BeltwayBanthas @Stephen_Kent89 and our guest Dennis Keithly @DJKver2 Please share our show with a friend, review us on iTunes and shoot us some feedback. We grow in quality everytime someone reaches out to tell us what they liked.

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This week as a continuation of our interview series, Stephen spoke with Cheston Lee, a listener of the show and fmr staffer for the Hillary Clinton 2016 campaign. It is an illuminating conversation on many levels regarding politics and Star Wars fandom, and we know you will enjoy it! Cheston Lee hails from Brooklyn, NY where he lives with his partner James, two mischievous cats and a lot of in box Power of the Force action figures. Cheston worked on the Hillary for America Technology team as a Software Engineering Manager and believes you can still enjoy the Empire while fighting to save The Republic. Cheston is currently trying to catch up on a year's worth of internet Snoke theories. You can reach us on the show by email at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com On Twitter: @BeltwayBanthas @Stephen_Kent89 and our guest Cheston Lee @Cheston. Please share our show with a friend, review us on iTunes and shoot us some feedback. We grow in quality everytime someone reaches out to tell us what they liked.

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We are back! To kick off 2017 we catch up on all the feelings we have about Rogue One, the passing of Carrie Fisher, and we of course dive into the rich politics of Rogue One. Joining us for this episode is Tirso Perez, you might know him as the missing host of Beltway Banthas! For the main segment of the show, the politics of Rogue One, we discuss: Rogue One and multiculturalism Star Wars in the Trump era Meaningful quotes from the film with a political tinge Rogue One's portrayal of democracy and anti-establishment politics and lastly Faith in Rogue One and culture. Listener emails this week were from Ross Brown, Nick DiCo, Isaiah Leslie and Landen Kennedy. Thanks so much for your thoughts on galactic politics. And stick around after the show for a little song by Stephen. You can email the show at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com Tweet us @BeltwayBanthas Or connect with us on Facebook Hosts can be found on Twitter! @Stephen_Kent89 @SwaraSalih1 @ItsJustTirso Beltway Banthas is a RetroZap podcast!

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It’s finally here! Our pre-Rogue One episode! As we get increasingly amped up to see the film, Stephen Swara, and special guest Brittany Hunter delve into a discussion of why rebellions and revolutions occur. To do this we look at case studies including the American Revolution and the Arab Spring, and compare these events to the formation of the Rebel Alliance. We also speculate on what motivates individuals to rebel, and at what point they may be compelled to join movements they were once reluctant to support. Social movements are complicated, so we attempt to dissect that in this special 90 min episode. Leading up the main segment of the show we welcome Joseph Tavano of RetroZap to the show to explain how he started up the website that is now home to Beltway Banthas. Stephen and Swara also address white supremacists and their attempt to boycott Star Wars using #DumpStarWars and also what it means that Bob Iger (Disney CEO) is lending his advice to the incomingTrump administration. Join Beltway Banthas in saying…. #IRebel and have a great week celebrating the release of Rogue One. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @BeltwayBanthas @stephen_kent89 @SwaraSalih1 @Britt_the_wit Email the show at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com and please leave us a review on iTunes. This makes a huge difference for the growth of the show. Beltway Banthas will take a holiday break and return on January 12th!

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Cabinet appointments, promotions, and castings...oh my! In this episode of Beltway Banthas, we discuss competitions for power taking place in both Star Wars and our own universe. Stephen and Swara discuss Rogue One’s embroilment in real world politics, the “controversy” it generated and the potential impact on its success. Next we dive into a discussion of how President Elect Trump is going about choosing members of his cabinet, and how some of it reminds us of the rat race within the Empire. We also discuss the latest canon novel Catalyst, its implications for the wider story of Rogue One, and how we both have a new favorite villain in Orson Krennic.

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Stephen and Swara dig into the results of the 2016 election with guest Bobby Roberts! In the final days and hours of the elections, Star Wars references, memes and jokes abounded as Americans digested what they saw on the news. In this episode, Beltway Banthas seeks to understand why this happens and much more. This election season has been nothing short of exhausting. For some, the results of the election might be more troubling than the process that got us to this point. In this episode of Beltway Banthas, we unload all the feelings we have about the outcome and what it means, in the context of our Star Wars fandom. Star Wars teaches us about democracy, and also teaches us how to stand in the face of oppression and seemingly unsurmountable odds. THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE! Are you a rebel? What does that mean in culture, politics and Star Wars? Force Ghost Bobby Roberts joins the show to help us sort through it all. Follow us on Twitter @BeltwayBanthas @stephen_kent89 @SwaraSalih1 @bobbyrobertspdx

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Stephen interviews Seth Masket, a professor of political science at Denver University, author and founder of Mischiefs of Faction (VOX). Seth has written a lot in the past about the politics of Star Wars and he was kind enough to come on Beltway Banthas and share his thoughts on the political aims of Star Wars.

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Welcome to the 16th episode of Beltway Banthas! We had the privilege of visiting Richmond, VA for Virginia Comic Con, to do a panel titled "Star Wars Goes to Washington" So we captured the live audio to give you a glimpse inside the panel. Star Wars Goes To Washington is really the crux of this podcast. How has politics and government been impacted by Star Wars? Each generation of Star Wars interacts with the politics of its day in different ways, some that are subtle and some that are the opposite. From Reagan to Obama, election 1980 to election 2016. Enjoy! We'd love to hear from you! Send us your thoughts on the show and even questions at beltwaybanthas@gmail.com Find us on Twitter! @BeltwayBanthas Instagram @BeltwayBanthasPodcast Find us on RetroZap: wwww.retrozap.com/beltway-banthas Contact the Hosts on Twitter! Tirso Perez : @itsjusttirso Stephen Kent: @stephen_kent89 Swara Salih: @SwaraSalih1

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Hello, And welcome to a Beltway Banthas holiday special discussion! This week Tirso, Stephen, and our new co-host Swara, take some time on Halloween to discuss costuming, and what it might mean when we all want to dress up as the bad guy. Enjoy! Catch our live video recording of this discussion https://www.facebook.com/BeltwayBanthas We'd love to hear from you! Send us your thoughts on the show and even questions at beltwaybanthas@gmail.com Find us on Twitter! @BeltwayBanthas Instagram @BeltwayBanthasPodcast Find us on RetroZap: wwww.retrozap.com/beltway-banthas Contact the Hosts on Twitter! Tirso Perez : @itsjusttirso Stephen Kent: @stephen_kent89 Swara Salih: @SwaraSalih1 And most importantly of all, have a Happy Halloween!

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Hello There! And welcome new listeners and long time listeners alike; to the 15th Episode of Beltway Banthas. We had the privilege this week of getting to read Pablo Hidalgo's new book titled 'Star Wars: Propaganda' which offers a detailed look into the journey of the galaxy, through the eyes of propagandists and artists from around the Star Wars universe. And we take the time to discuss some major points, as well as aspects of the book that we found interesting regarding propaganda. Our guest today is Brittany Hunter; persuasive art expert who is well versed in the area of Nazi propaganda. And we have a brief chat with her on the science of persuasive art. So sit back! And enjoy this week's episode of Beltway Banthas Exicted for Star Wars Propaganda by Pablo Hidalgo? Order online here: https://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Propaganda-History-Persuasive/dp/0062466828 We'd love to hear from you! You an send us your thoughts on the show or even questions at beltwaybanthas@gmail.com Find us on Twitter! @BeltwayBanthas Facebook: facebook.com/beltwaybanthas Instagram @BeltwayBanthasPodcast Find us on RetroZap: www.retrozap.com/beltway-banthas Tweet the Hosts! @itsjusttirso @stephen_kent89 Guest Brittany @Britt_The_wit

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Stephen sits down to chat with Eric Geller of POLITICO pro, Cybersecurity writer and well known Star Wars aficionado. Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter @Stephen_Kent89 @BeltwayBanthas @ItsJustTirso and todays guest @EricGeller Beltway Banthas is part of the Retrozap Podcast network! http://www.retrozap.com/shows/beltway-banthas

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Hello there. This is the 14th episode of Beltway Banthas, now proudly a member of the RetroZap family and podcast network! We are really excited for this next chapter in the podcast as we continue to explore the politics of Star Wars, and how Star Wars has impacted our own worlds politics. That is what this show is all about!! Our guest today is Mike O’ Connor, author of the piece “Sounding Like a Separatist” (Retrozap, Newsweek, RawStory) which offers a liberal interpretation of the Star Wars story. We loved the piece and brought Mike on to talk about it and have some fun banter around the topic. Beltway Banthas is a non-partisan podcast and we are committed to journeying through the many layers of Star Wars fandom and the sagas inner workings. We are committed to respectful, fun and honest discourse. No posturing. Star Wars is for everyone and there is room for lots of interpretations. Except for Mace Windu is Snoke. That may be a bridge too far. We want to hear from you! You can send us your thoughts on the show and topics at…BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com Find us on Twitter @BeltwayBanthas Facebook.com/beltwaybanthas Instagram @BeltwayBanthasPodcast Find us on RetroZap: http://www.retrozap.com/beltway-banthas Twitter @Retrozapped @itsjusttirso @stephen_kent89

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Hello Banthas! This is a special release of Beltway Banthas that we are excited for you to hear. Stephen has a chat with James Floyd (Club Jade, Big Shiny Robot and StarWars.com), the “force” behind the #WearStarWarsEveryday project. Find out more and get involved at www.GoFundMe.com/WearStarWars2016 and if you contribute, do so ON FRIDAY September 30th. Mention Beltway Banthas in your submission. We want to show the podcast world what awesome listeners we have on this show. May the Force be with you!

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This week, we will have order! In this episode we delve into the character of Mas Amedda, that horned blue guy who lingers behind Palpatine throughout the prequels. Yes he is important. Yes he is powerful. His political career is meteoric and something fascinating that we discuss with Mike DeRose of the "You Seek Knowledge" podcast. Mike was an Amedda fan before it was cool. Connect with Mike on Twitter @LiveTheForce Tirso and Stephen also discuss Mark Hamill backing California legislation, Star Wars Rebels and dish bantha fodder. Our audience is amazing and so is this project. #WearStarWarsEveryDay founder James Floyd has a GoFundMe up to benefit the Collateral Repair Project, which helps urban refugees with emergency aid, education, and community building in Amman, Jordan. Please consider checking out this project and giving ON Force Friday, Sept 30th, that is ON Friday the 30th. Cite Beltway Banthas in the description of your donation! Let's show the Star Wars universe that the Force is strong with our audience. Link: https://www.gofundme.com/WearStarWars2016 Find Tirso Perez on Twitter @ItsJustTirso Stephen Kent @Stephen_Kent89 Please do leave us a review on iTunes and shoot us email! We'd love to hear your thoughts on the topics and get your feedback. May the Force be with you this week

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This week on Beltway Banthas, the politics of Harrison Ford. The actor behind Han Solo is mysterious, edgy and also a warm hearted, committed activist. We have long been fascinated by the work Ford has done outside of acting, whether is it environmental work, documentaries, speaking gigs with the Clintons or saving lost hikers in his helicopter. To better understand Ford, we welcome to the show the hosts of The Fordcast Podcast, Lauren Milberger and Rachel Leishman. They run a fantastic podcast that chronicles the career of Ford in a thoughtful and comedic package. Check out The Fordcast Podcast and follow them on Twitter @TheFordcastPC @RachelLeishman and @LaurenMilberger Have thoughts on the show? Ideas for episodes or a SW fan theory you want to share? Email us at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com Twitter: @BeltwayBanthas @stephen_Kent89 @ItsJustTirso Leave a review on iTunes! It means a lot and helps get the show to more people. May the Force be with you!

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Welcome back to another installment of Beltway Banthas! This week in the world of Star Wars we all got to experience the amazing trailer for the upcoming Rogue One film. In this weeks episode we dive into the politics of Nostalgia. We discuss the polarization between original fans and prequel fans and how that relates to our politics today. With the help of special guest Riley Blanton of the Star Wars Report, we pose questions regarding the greatness of America and it's connection to our galaxy far, far away. Stay connected with the show on twitter @BeltwayBanthas @Stephen_Kent89 @ItsJustTirso @TheRileyGuy , Remember to help the show by leaving us a review and rating on iTunes, and as always...May the Fore be with you!

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Hello banthas! This week we are happy to bring to you an interview with Tamara Keith, White House Correspondent for NPR and co-host of the NPR Politics podcast. Tamara is a HUGE Star Wars fan and we have a fun discussion about her fandom, her thoughts on new films, old films, Leia, Emperor Trumpatine and more. Review our podcast on iTunes! Every rating helps get this podcast to more people. Connect with us on Twitter @BeltwayBanthas Stephen @Stephen_Kent89 and Tamara at @TamaraKeithNPR Subscribe to NPR Politics for a great weekly podcast and news recaps. You won't regret it!

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Welcome back friends & banthas! This weeks episode is packed with Star Wars & politics fun. Our UK contributor Swara Salih is LIVE with us in DC. First we lead we dig into the story last week that Daisy Ridley left Instagram after backlash from a "political" statement on gun violence. The latest is that she says she got off Instagram to be away from a phone more, but the timing does suggest she needed to step away from the onslaught of negativity. Daisy is an intensely positive force online. We hope she comes back! We are also joined by Bria LaVorgna of Tosche Station to talk about the role of monarchies in Star Wars. There are kings & queens galore. Why? Find Bria on Twitter at @ChaosBRia Lastly, Crackpot or Jackpot? Rey Palpatine..... Have a theory you want to share? Email us at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com Connect with us on Twitter @Beltway Banthas @Stephen_Kent89 @ItsJustTirso @SwaraSalih1 Drop us a review on iTunes. It makes a huge difference to the show and hearing your feedback makes our show better everytime. May the Force be with you!

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As a continuation of our interview series, today we bring to you a conversation on Star Wars & politics with Rep. Jason Saine of NCs 97th district. This is a really insightful conversation about the rough and tumble of being in politics, as well as how Star Wars fandom plays into the value set and daily grind of a Fan/Lawmaker. Jason makes some really good points about Star Wars and the call to civic duty, as well the nature of who is in power...are they Rebels or the Empire. Star Wars shows us two or three times. insurgent rebels becoming the government. Jason Saine has been through something similar during his time in politics. Leave us a review on iTunes, let us know how we are doing. Connect on Twitter @BeltwayBanthas and with Rep. Saine @JasonSaine97th Email us thoughts, questions and ideas for episodes/guests at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com

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What a crazy month. In the world of Star Wars we all just experienced in person or through the power of Internet, Star Wars Celebration. Here in the world of current events and politics, lots has changed as well. In this weeks episode the Beltway Banthas share with you some audio from AEI's book talk on "The World According to Star Wars", a love letter to Star Wars by Cass Sunstein (former head of regulatory affairs in the White House under the Obama Admin). Cass talks through the chapters of his book, offering a broad view of why Star Wars was successful, and what lessons we can take away from it as observers of politics. This is a book we highly recommend..for a larger view of the Force. We are also joined by Zuri Davis (Rare Politics) for a dissection of the shooting in Dallas, and the deep & worsening racial divide in America today. This is a part of our developing series "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." The dynamic between people of color and police can be looked at through the prism of Yoda's warning to Anakin, so we dive into this tough topic. Thanks for coming on this wild ride of Star Wars + Politics with us! Drop us a review on iTunes and connect with the show on Twitter. @BeltwayBanthas @Stephen_Kent89 @ItsJustTirso @Zuri_Davis

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Surprise! We have a bonus episode this week from Star Wars Celebration London! Our senior foreign correspondent, Swara Salih, attended the convention and spoke with Bryan Young of Full of Sith, and Riley Blanton of the Star Wars Report about politics & Star Wars. They are really nice people and fun chats so check this out. You can follow Swara on Twitter at @SwaraSalih1 Full of Sith podcast at @FullofSith and Bryan @Swankmotron and the Star Wars Report at @StarWarsReport and Riley @TheRileyGuy Norma episode next Thursday is on the way! Have a great week.

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OMG one more day till Star Wars Celebration Europe 2016! Also known to the cool kids of Twitter as #SWCE. On this weeks episode we have a little extra fun in the spirit of Celebration. Joined by friend of the show, Michael Nitz, the Beltway Banthas talk over some of the schedule, what may happen at Celebration, what will be revealed? Rogue One gets a new trailer this Friday. Intrigue abounds. Will you be at #SWCE over the weekend? Stephen and Tirso couldn't make it but our Senior Foreign Correspondent Swara Salih will be roaming the convention. Find him on Twitter @SwaraSalih1 Also look out for livestreams from the convention on our Facebook www.facebook.com/beltwaybanthas Please do leave us a review on your podcatcher! Send us an email of feedback or a question to beltwaybanthas@gmail.com We WANT to hear from you and get to know our listeners. As usual you can find us online at www.BeltwayBanthas.com Twitter @BeltwayBanthas. Stephen is @Stephen_Kent89 Tirso is @ItsJustTirso

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"I love democracy, I love the Republic." Little did the Senate know but Chancellor Palpatine had his fingers crossed. How do democracies descend into tyranny is the primary question of our new episode. Star Wars is riddled with history from ancient Rome, France, Germany and ties to contemporary American politics. Beltway Banthas welcomes to the show David Barnes, Policy Director at Generation Opportunity , an experienced political professional and student of Plato's writings on democracy in ancient Greece. The show received exclusive audio from the lair of Emperor Trumpatine himself, its FANTASTIC and you won't wanna miss it. You can hear from from our overlord Emperor Trumpatine on Twitter @RealTrumpatine . The show is joined by the first addition to our team, Swara Salih, located in the UK and reporting to us as Senior Foreign Correspondant on "Brexit", the British exit from the EU. Swara wrote a piece on our website you must check out to know how Star Wars can make sense of this news in Europe. Star Wars Can Make Sense of Brexit: http://beltwaybanthas.com/2016/06/26/brexit-star-wars-can-make-sense-of-britain-leaving-the-eu/ Please do leave us a review on your podcatcher! Send us an email of feedback or a question to beltwaybanthas@gmail.com We WANT to hear from you and get to know our listeners. As usual you can find us online at www.BeltwayBanthas.com Twitter @BeltwayBanthas and www.Facebook.com/beltwaybanthas Stephen is @Stephen_Kent89 Tirso is @ItsJustTirso

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Thank you for tuning in for another installment of Beltway Banthas, a Star Wars podcast at the intersection of Coruscant & Washington DC. On this weeks episode, Stephen breaks down his time at AwesomeCon 2016 that brought Kevin Smith and a million Kylo Rens to the nations capital. Stephen assembled a special assembly of the DC Jedi Council for a round table chat about Star Wars fandom. He was joined by Kristen Soltis Anderson (The Pollsters podcast & author of 'The Selfie Vote') and Mike Shields (President of the American Action Network, fmr Chief of Staff of the RNC and Communications Director for Newt Gingrich). We had a great time discussing the films, the politics of the prequels and digging into the role political parties play in a functioning republic. This has been an emotional week for many. Stephen dishes some thoughts on the state of our union and how we can help our friends in Orlando: https://www.gofundme.com/PulseVictimsFund Be good to each other. Love really, truly, always wins. You can find Stephen on Twitter @Stephen_Kent89 Tirso @ItsJustTirso Kristen Soltis Anderson @KSoltisAnderson and Mike Shields @MShields007 Email us your thoughts on the show, a theory you have, ANYTHING at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com and Tweet us @BeltwayBanthas Review us on iTunes PLEASE. It makes a huge difference for getting the show exposure =) May the Force be with you this week...and always

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Welcome back to another episode of Beltway Banthas! On today's episode we discuss the newest edition to Star Wars canon, Star Wars: Bloodline by Claudia Gray. This is a book in between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens that gives us a view of Leia's political career in this time. SPOILERS will be discussed. If you are going to read the book and don't want it spoiled, tune in another time. What are the politics of the Republic? How can we view the problems of the Republic as similar to our own? Do these controversies sound familiar? You can follow the author on Twitter @ClaudiaGray http://www.claudiagray.com/ Our ending music is brought to you by Jonas Sees In Color, a NC band and friends of this show. Their original song inspired by Star Wars cantina bands is called "El Cantina De La Revolucion" You can check them out here: http://www.jsicband.com/ GREAT band and worth listening to. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter @JSIC Please do leave us a review on your podcatcher! Send us an email of feedback or a question to beltwaybanthas@gmail.com We WANT to hear from you and get to know our listeners. As usual you can find us online at www.BeltwayBanthas.com Twitter @BeltwayBanthas and www.Facebook.com/beltwaybanthas Stephen is @Stephen_Kent89 Tirso is @ItsJustTirso

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For the first interview episode of Beltway Banthas, Stephen talks to co-host of The Pollsters podcast, Kristen Soltis Anderson. Kristen is co-founder of Echelon Insights, the author of The Selfie Vote, a contributor on Fox, CNN and MSNBC and has made appearances on The Bill Maher Show as well! Did she go toe to toe with the Bernie Sanders' finger wag? Duh! Stephen and Kristen discuss her fandoms beginnings, how she has grown as a Star Wars fan in politics and also touch on polling in regards to Star Wars. You can reach Kristen @KSoltisAnderson or her podcast @ThePollsters. We highly recommend you subscribe to her show for the best in weekly political polling insights. Enjoy!

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On episode IV of Beltway Banthas, Stephen and Tirso talk death & Star Wars. Stephen's grandfather passed away a few backs ago, and we felt this was a good time to talk about it. No better place to do so than on this podcast. If there is one thing the Star Wars saga can guarantee you, it is systematic and cyclical heartbreak, starting with Qui-Gon and ending most recently with Han Solo. "Death is a natural part of life" and so it is a natural part of Star Wars. Which Star Wars deaths have impacted you the most? Has Star Wars helped you deal with the loss of a loved one? Also! We preview our interview with with Kristen Soltis Anderson (The Pollsters, Fox, CNN and MSNBC contributor) Kristen co-founded a DC polling firm, authored The Selfie Vote and has guested a couple times on The Bill Maher Show. If you have some thoughts, reactions or questions about this episode...please email us at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com...we want to hear from you. Hit us up on Twitter @BeltwayBanthas, Instagram @BeltwayBanthasPodcast and on Facebook.

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Thanks for tuning in to episode III of Beltway Banthas! It's been a crazy week and this is coming to you on STAR WARS DAY 2016. No better time to release this podcast. On this episode, we discuss some of the latest Star Wars news and chatter about Rogue One. Then, as promised, we get around to some politics. Stephen leads the show on an exploration of the Galactic Senate. How does it work? Why is there gridlock and an inability to get things done? This will be the first of many topical discussions on the politics of Star Wars and we hope you enjoy it. Did we miss anything you think should have been discussed? Let us know and we will touch on it: BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com Emo Kylo Ren performance inspired by @KyloR3n : https://twitter.com/KyloR3n Referenced in this episode: Vox: The Galactic Senate Needed A Minority Party - http://www.vox.com/mischiefs-of-faction/2015/10/6/9459735/galactic-senate-minority-party by Seth Masket The Delegation of 2000 meet (Episode III deleted scene): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42jp-O1y1HI&feature=youtu.be&t=2m52s

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On Episode II of Beltway Banthas, we take some time to discuss news of the day. By time you hear this the news will be a few weeks old, but we wanted to share with you our reactions and thoughts on Rogue One. As quick as it came it went. The first trailer for Rogue One debuted on Good Morning America and we at Beltway Banthas had some things to say about it. We discuss the content of the trailer, go over some of the theories surrounding what is seen, and talk about other upcoming stand alone films. What stand alone film do YOU want to see? Tweet us @BeltwayBanthas This podcast will seek to understand how Star Wars impacts the world we live in, while also covering the Star Wars news, gossip and hype of the day.

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Beltway Banthas is a Star Wars podcast about the intersection of fandom and the things that drive daily life. For hosts Stephen Kent & Tirso Perez, one of those things is politics. Star Wars draws from our worlds politics just as much as it contributes to it by influencing policy makers, journalists and thought leaders.

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