Why the Old ‘Star Wars’ Formula Can’t Work in the War-on-Terror
Era  D.B. Grady October 31, 2012  The unexpected news of Disney
acquiring Lucasfilm and the plans to continue Star Wars are
worth some consideration. The Atlantic’s Spencer Kornhaber is
right, of course—the saga will survive “whatever horrible thing
Disney does to it.” But the timing of a new film, presently set
for release in 2015, has implications beyond the state of CGI
and digital projection. This isn’t just another Star Wars film;
it’s Episode VII, which means we are set for the continuation of
a story that ended in 1983. And life in the galaxy following the
Return of the Jedi will have an interesting parallel with our
world post-War on Terror.  George Lucas has long claimed that
the Star Wars universe is heavily influenced by American foreign
policy. According to Lucas, in the first film the Galactic
Empire represented U.S. imperialism in Vietnam. (Which, carried
forward, makes Princess Leia a member of the VC.) In Revenge of
the Sith, the