The Politics Of Star Wars, What Do Abers Think ?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/12/15/star-wars-left-or-right-wing-bbc-daily-politics-debates_n_8811332.html
I'm going to have a think about it so I'll comment later.

[ichkeria]

All very silly, although I am struck by perceived parallels between the Empire and Putin's Russia, particularly the way they used trade as a weapon

[jim360]

"Kessel run in five parsecs"? It's twelve, dammit, twelve! Ignorant leftie...

[ToraToraTora]

that line is wrong anyway, a Parsec is a distance not a time.

[jim360]

There are two explanations for that, TTT:

1) The "Kessel run" is an area of space populated with a large number of Black Holes and other gravitationally-strong phenomena. This means that a safe path through the area is quite lengthy, requiring plenty of course corrections and care to steer around the various black holes at a safe distance. However, faster ships are able to navigate closer courses, thus reducing the distance travelled during the run. As a particularly fast ship then, the Millennium Falcon was able to make the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs, rather than a more typical 15 or so.

2) The actual explanation is that Han Solo was lying through his teeth to look impressive, and said something that sounded cool but was, in fact, bilge (eg trying to con people out of money). I believe early versions of the script include a note about "Kenobi raises his eyebrows at this obvious lie", or some such. So it may have been deliberate.

[ToraToraTora]

Never heard and explanation before and 1) and 2) are plausible but I just think the script writers put it in as it sounded right without, like many, knowing what a Parsec was. Presumably neither did the actors, or indeed Lucas. Cue frantic googling..........

[jim360]

"Never heard and explanation before..."

In this case that's probably a good thing, as only sad people and geeks care about it :P

[ToraToraTora]

well at least there is an attempt at an explanation!