Beltway Banthas: Star Wars, Politics & More Stephen Kent

Banthas! We're back and up and running after a brief disturbance in the Force. On this episode, Stephen Kent breaks down the latest in the journey toward publishing a book based on this very podcast and the life lessons embedded in Star Wars. Here you can listen to Stephen read the draft Introduction to the book: How The Force Can Fix The World: Lessons on Life, Liberty, and Happiness From a Galaxy Far, Far Away. 

Announcement! Every Thursday we'll host a Video Hangout for friends of the show. The link is below and it starts tonight, May 27th. 

****BELTWAY BANTHAS WEEKLY HANGOUT @ 9:00 – 10:30pm EST ***

Google Meet link: https://meet.google.com/vpr-pkyk-zfh

Join us also on:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUe4SZeDlA4B6W0axMVHUMA

Substack Newsletter: https://politicizeme.substack.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeltwayBanthas

Website: retrozap.com/beltway-banthas/

This month on Beltway Banthas, host Stephen Kent speaks with writer Brittany Hunter about Star Wars' complicated narrative on redemption. What does it mean to "come back to the light" or to be redeemed in Star Wars' greatest character arcs? As Stephen works his way toward finishing his book, How The Force Can Fix America this conversation is meant to work through one of the most sticky issues in American life...our nation's own redemption story.

Economics is like the Force, it surrounds us, penetrates us and binds the galaxy together. If you've never really been into economic theory, it's okay you're not alone. This episode is your primer on Economics 101 using Star Wars as a guide to powerful ideas such as Game Theory, Supply & Demand, Opportunity Cost and Incentives. Whether it's Rogue One, Return of the Jedi, Solo, A New Hope or Attack of the Clones...Star Wars is chock full of great scenes that have hidden lessons on economic theory

Gina Carano has been sacked by Disney Lucasfilm and will not be involved in The Mandalorian going forward. Today on Beltway Banthas, Stephen Kent speaks with Robby Soave of Reason Magazine and author of Panic Attack: Young Radicals in the Age of Trump. Robby and Stephen generally share the same concerns about what's known as cancel culture, but come down in different places on how we should think about Gina Carano's firing.

America was attacked on January 6th, 2021 from within. A sitting president fulfilled his many years of promising to not concede a lost election and did so by sicking his craven supporters on Congress. Beltway Banthas is a Star Wars and politics podcast, but sometimes Star Wars is hard to find in the moments when history is being written on TV. In this episode Stephen Kent, Danielle Adams, Nick DiCo and Riley Blanton convene the day after an insurrection at the Capitol building and unload their thoughts.

Star Wars is all about conquering fear. Naming it. Facing it. It's the destiny of a Jedi after all. This episode is a reflection on fear, attachment and the search for hope beyond 2020. It's okay if you don't feel hope. This year has been hard. 

But nevertheless, "hope is like the sun...if you only believe in it when you see it, you'll never make it through the night."

Happy New Years everyone. May the Force be with you.