This is exactly the type of politically charged question that Overthinking It loves to tackle. Forget the economic sense of invading Iraq, Afghanistan and now Libya. Obliterating an entire planet is just slightly more jaw-dropping. They put the question to their panel of "experts" (you know, old veterans from the rebellion, surviving Jedi, former prisoners of war, and the spirits of those who are now one with the force).
The down-to-Earth panel suggests, “One of the more effective negotiation tactics, from a game theory perspective, is to convince your opponent that you’re crazy enough to do something stupid.”
Certainly, your opponent will be convinced that you're crazy enough to do something stupid if you actually DO something stupid. You have rightfully earned the title thereafter of Stupid. You've got to admire that tactic. It's not nearly as brilliant as it is stupid. The fact that the Empire went on to a stunning defeat seems to prove the point. You can check the historical records (hint, it's a series of 6 movies...).
Citing an actual historical example, one panelist (could it have been Yoda?) said, “This is a pretty standard imperial tactic for dealing with rebellion,” one of the analysts wrote, noting that the Romans occasionally wiped out a rebellious city to send a message to other potential troublemakers. “Kind of like a mastectomy. You lose one productive part of the body in order to keep cancer from spreading.”
Indeed, the Romans were stupid enough to destroy the Hebrew Temple, which still lies in rubble today, and scatter the tribes of Israel. Last I checked, there are at least 5 million Jews in New York City alone and I've yet to meet a Roman Imperialist.
Lesson to world leaders: the Death Star kills.
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| The Death Star was the karmic killer of the Empire |
The down-to-Earth panel suggests, “One of the more effective negotiation tactics, from a game theory perspective, is to convince your opponent that you’re crazy enough to do something stupid.”
Certainly, your opponent will be convinced that you're crazy enough to do something stupid if you actually DO something stupid. You have rightfully earned the title thereafter of Stupid. You've got to admire that tactic. It's not nearly as brilliant as it is stupid. The fact that the Empire went on to a stunning defeat seems to prove the point. You can check the historical records (hint, it's a series of 6 movies...).
Citing an actual historical example, one panelist (could it have been Yoda?) said, “This is a pretty standard imperial tactic for dealing with rebellion,” one of the analysts wrote, noting that the Romans occasionally wiped out a rebellious city to send a message to other potential troublemakers. “Kind of like a mastectomy. You lose one productive part of the body in order to keep cancer from spreading.”
Indeed, the Romans were stupid enough to destroy the Hebrew Temple, which still lies in rubble today, and scatter the tribes of Israel. Last I checked, there are at least 5 million Jews in New York City alone and I've yet to meet a Roman Imperialist.
Lesson to world leaders: the Death Star kills.
