1:15 Not long, I just walk to the store in my smol home city, buy some stuff, walk back and cook not much/ often, so like max 2 hours. Its frigging good to live by your parents while you have a job.
Those meal kits are quite well made, typically average like $11USD per serving, apparently. Good for bachelors/bachelorettes who don't mind trading $$ for a little more time and some healthy food choices. Once you got like 3+ people to cook a meal for, the $$ value shifts back towards better to make it yourself.
I love how Allen is trying to educate the Star Wars Fandom by little brush strokes, on contemporary issues. This stuff might not get as many views as the other viral Star Wars channels but it's why I watch every Generation Tech upload.
I agree 💯👍 I love how Allen breaks down the the less but very important issues with star wars and relate them to real world issues he really knows his stuff... Plus everyone who knows star wars already knows about the kk issues these days anyway!
The true villain of the piece was the Parliamentarian who failed to keep the Trade Federation from shouting down Queen Amidala while she was making her case.
Genuinely good point, and for Americans who don't know, the role of "parliamentarian" is roughly equivalent to the roles of speaker of the house for the house and vice president for the senate. It sounds a lot like it should mean any member of a parliament, but it signifies a jointly respected leadership position in one.
Thanks for the UK perspective! In the past few years, I learned that the US senate does have a role called parliamentarian. They don't have a vote, though they have a say on if a bill can be presented to a vote. The office is appointed by the senate majority leader and serves at their please. The current parliamentarian is Elizabeth MacDonaugh appointed in 2012 by dem Chuck Schumer. Interestingly, the majority leader has changed a few times since then. Different parties have controlled the senate since then. Interestingly, the parliamentarian has not changed over 11 years in which the senate majority has switched party a few times. Deep state parliamentarian? Liz personally is great at her job? Dunno
14:12 I get the point he's making, but as a South Korean, I do have to say that the U.S.'s "controversial" decision to enter the Korean War saved our country. I know it's technically a ceasefire and thus can't be considered an overwhelming victory like the Gulf War, but we can't deny the fact that my country was able to develop into what it is today because of Truman and MacArthur's intervention...
THIS is why I love this channel so much. Taking the Star Wars galaxy we all know and love, and showing how to make our own tiny world a better, kinder place by learning from fiction. It's precisely why science fiction was created in the first place: to be an allegory of contemporary issues.
Yup, the guy has been using Star Wars as an excuse to do some suprisingly good sneaky education about the real world. Ten years from now you'll have thousands of people coming bakc to those videos to talk about how Generation Tech helped shape their worldview.
The main problem of bureaucracy is always corruption and the fact that, after a few years, a group of people forms who help each other. One hand washes the other. Instead of keeping the needs of the citizens in mind, they want to increase their own advantage. That's why there should be the Transparent Bureaucrat. Everyone can see what each bureaucrat is doing. If corruption is identified, in my view, it is an attack on the state itself and should be accordingly punished.
Not so much corruption, but that administrators need to justify their existence and create even more regulation and bureaucracy to save their jobs and increase their power (e.g. number of officials in a department)
@@mattthemouse1 It completely depends on the structure of the bureaucracy and it's original intent. One built on autocratic principles will produce fiat rule while those built around mistrust and mutual accountability will produce transparency (at best; at worst gridlock). It's a balancing act. Falling too far in either direction will result in social unrest and collapse.
I like how he didn't even define what a bureaucrat is. A non-elected government official. The mail carriers, the person that works at DHHR. None of the people actually make life harder, it's the elected politicians that set the rules for these places.
Yes, politicians are ultimately responsible for the way our bureaucracies operate. However, most people would not use the word "bureaucrat" to describe every government employee, even if it's technically accurate. Just the ones whose roles are primarily administrative.
Bureaucrats need power. Elected politicians give them power. A slight nudge you may say. Such as, having a rigged election or taking some of the budget using bureaucrats. Thus they turn a blind eye when Bureaucrats help themselves using corruption.
@@theliato3809 A public or civil servant is merely a bureaucrat who specifically works in a government agency. Both are still bureaucrats. Civil servants provide service to citizens. They need to be educated, skilled, and know detailed aspects of the law. A few examples: the DMV, running prisons or reform programs, pensions, medical benefits, and employment services. Public servants provide serves to all, regardless of citizenship. They don't necessarily need a special skill or higher education. Many are volunteers. Examples of public servants include your mail carriers, crossing guards, animal control, correctional officers, ICE officers, police, fire fighters, EMTs, nurses, doctors, teachers, and the military. Yes.... a teacher and a soldier are TECHNICALLY bureaucrats. Ask any lieutenant who has to deal with the red tape that goes all the way up the chain of command, or a band teacher desperately trying to get funding for music, and they won't even question this statement.
I always wondered why 2 jedi (Qui Gon and Obi Wan) could not testify to the senate that the invasion was happening as the queen said. At that time their testimony would have meant a lot.
Well it was likely a very preliminary stage in the investigation. They have to establish an independent investigative unit first, which would take the data and testimonies into their report to the senate. It's like a how in the british parliament you cant accuse someone of lying. There is a process for this, to avoid accusations being thrown around without basis.
I'm reminded of Robert Bolt's great stageplay, "A Man For All Seasons", where he writes Thomas Moore the line, "What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down, and you're just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then?
"Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time..."
It's right about 17:00 where Alan talks about the government necessity that I can hear Dedra Meero, Alecia Beck, and Wolf Yularen cackling in the background... Good episode, Alan...
no, there is not 87,000 armed IRS agents deployed to bang down the doors of American taxpayers. Less than 1% of new hires will be in the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) area, which currently has a total of maybe 2,100 special agents and is hiring about 300 more. Additionally, the gun thing is absolutely false, they don’t plan on strapping upcoming new agents (because why would someone manning an IRS phone bank need a gun?); less than 3% of IRS employees carry weapons. Staffing has been in a deep decline for many years. More than 50,000 employees will retire in the next few years, leaving the foundation of the tax system that the nation relies on at risk. They've effectively been losing 10,000 employees a year. Will enforcement go up? Yeah, probably. But the IRS has a helluva backlog to get through first anyway. In reality for the power people suspect the IRS has is crippled. If they really had power they'd be able to go after wealthier individuals, but they can't because it's a lot more costlier to go after them and patch up the tax loopholes they're exploiting when they lose funding constantly and in fact they want to make it easier for Americans to Simply pay their taxes and not harass them. But companies like TurboTax love to gouge you my man, if anything you likely heard SWAT teams from some lobbying group or something. Those kind of companies love to hear when people believe crap like that. If anything it's similar to the USPS, which I would argue even more crippled. Tell me how the USPS needs to make a profit unlike any other governmental Bureau and the moment you start working there they need to start saving up for your retirement decades in advance. Has John Oliver said the IRS is just the government's anus, it's constantly getting fucked, we don't like talking about it, it has an important role but it isn't all powerful.
I'm actually glad that you're covering the Star Wars content that you are. Don't ever change! I stopped watching some of the other Star Wars UA-camrs because they change to keep up their views. You never betrayed the fandom and I love you for it!
I'm a lawyer by trade so I deal with bureaucrats far more than the average person does. Yes, you run into people who are incompetent, apathetic, and potentially corrupt, but in my experience they tend to actually be a pretty small minority. Most of the bureaucrats I have worked with over the years have actually been very helpful and I would say they tend to be more civic minded than the average person which is why they work in government even thought they could most likely make considerably more in the private sector. From my experiences and what I have observed watching people try to handle these interactions on their own, I think the problems fall into two broad buckets. The first being that many of these services are often underfunded when compared to the need that exists within the community. The second is that most people have very unrealistic exceptions when it comes to such matters. Most people understandably when they interact with an institution like a government or business want to feel like they are being treated as an individual, they do not like feeling as if they are just a number or a file. The problem is that bureaucracies by their nature have to be pretty cold and unfeeling because they have limited resources and a virtually unlimited to demand they have to fill. A lot of these people are going through great personal difficulties which is why they are there in the first place which often gets in the way of their ability to effectively communicate what they actually need or to understand what they need to actually do to get their issue resolved. A lot of people in my experience tend to think like Anakin Skywalker in Episode II. The reason for this in most cases is not that people are stupid, but rather that most of them never received a good education from our school system (quite possibly the single most underfunded service in the US) particularly in the areas of political science. As a result a very large percentage of the population tend to carry very simplistic and unrealistic expectations towards government like Anakin. These attitudes combined with the stress of whatever problems they are facing leave them ill-prepared to navigate the system effectively.
Whether it is in Star Wars or the real world, bureaucracies prey on people's lack of responsibility. Naboo did not prepare or did not do what they should have to protect themselves and not need to defer to a higher government. In this world, people do not contribute or pay the proper taxes like they should. If people took responsibility for their actions or lack of action, then there would not be the need to step in or get bureaucratic and drag things out when it does become a need. Then maybe SSA or other government won't look like or feel like a ponsie scheme or let down. To many people cheating the system, not government theft. Looking at it in another point of view, you could say that is what Naboo did. Seems like they had the money and did not want to get dirty with having military and denied the Gungans......They could have had their own Sith(JarJar) running interference.
After watching this video, I recommend reading: The United States Declaration of Independence, The United States Constitution, The Federalist Papers (or The Federalist Papers in Modern Language), 1984, Animal Farm, Fahrenheit 451, The Communist Manifesto, The Capitalist Manifesto, How Capitalism Saved America, Economics in One Lesson, The Black Book of Communism, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. Reading even several of these books and documents will give a much more complete view of what constitutes good government, and what constitutes necessary bureaucracy.
Bureaucracy isn't the problem. Public corruption is. When the populace views government as corrupt, its easy for an opportunist demagogue to move in offering easy solutions and promises to eliminate such corruption. The irony is this leads to authoritarian rule and even more corruption than existed before.
Hey Allen, I have always wanted to know how exactly the “queen” of a local government, who is NOT a senator has legal standing to call a vote in the senate in the first place??? It’d be like the governor of Wyoming showing up in the Senate and calling a vote even though they are not even close to being part of that body or allowed to do that. So…..?
Remember Chancellor Valorum heard the plea of the Naboo and secretly sent the Jedi in the first place. Eventually there was a senior and junior senator from Naboo (Padme and Jar Jar).
Oh yeah, to finish: yeah that call for a vote was just BS. Though perhaps the sovereign status afforded them something, just as it created a channel to Valorum himself.
@@mr.boomguy I know this is a very late reply but Hermes is the greek god of travel and many other things. He was kind of a jack of all trades and I'm pretty sure he was one of the better gods in greek mythology
another wonderfully informative and mature topic using fantasy a a backdrop. feels like something Sir Terry Pratchett would write about...oh wait: "going postal" and "making money" come to mind
I'm really learning a lot from these videos too. It helps me break down my own "Anakin" and reconnice that bureaucracy is a necessary 'evil' to keep the system running
I think the best depiction of bureacracy is done in Mando (the professor) and Andor (Bureau of Standards). Truly powerful but abysmal environments in which you become a cog.
I agree, as much as the U.S. government can be a pain, it's a stable-enough system with routine and relatively peaceful transitions of power. Looking at countries where some of my military relatives serve-the countries with little to no government-we all can't be like Tatooine with the complexity of Coruscant or Lothal and have stability plus freedoms. Have a government that is confident and gives voices to some people is better than no government, no infrastructure, and no say at all. For as nasty as the last few transitions of power in the executive branch was in the U.S., some governments start wars over those transitions of power. I see the Republic in Star Wars closely resemble the U.S. Congress but on a galactic scale. Yes there are too many seats and too many voices shadowing over other voices, but it is better than not having a say at all. And let his not forget, some people don't know what they really want or know what they are asking for. You can't magically build a school or a fighter jet without someone allocating the budget for the jet plus the pilot that flies that jet.
Palpatine wasn't terrified of bureaucrats lol. He was talking about Mas Amedda and saying he was on the payroll of the Trade Federation, which he as Darth Sidious controlled at that time, which means on his payroll. Lucas made sure we noted this by keeping Amedda on as Palpatine's right hand as he hand been Valorum's before. He loved bureaucracy, he just wanted control of it. "Neither larger nor smaller, but better" is an overly simplistic slogan in its own right and usually just means more opaque and less democratic whenever its ever been spoken irl. Everybody wants bureaucracy to be "better", "larger" or "smaller" are prescriptions derived from diagnoses of what the structural problems are. They may be wrong, and sometimes size might not actually be the fundamental problem either way, but they are at least actionable prescriptions. Your slogan is actually even more vague and hand wavey than any "populist" "anti government" view. And this has a direct link to it being the last desperate pitch of technocrats to trust the experts - vague and handwavey reform agendas like "better" bureaucracy means ensuring that the diagnoses and prescriptions are kept deliberately obscure so nobody outside the system can assess whether or not its working. Its the worst of both worlds.
The problem with Star Wars is that the Republic allows its democracy to become corrupt, which makes it easier for it to transition into an Empire (dictatorship). Later, a rebellion must be fought to revert to a Republic, only for the cycle to repeat. The transition from Republic to Empire is easier than the transition in the opposite direction. Education and access to accurate information are crucial for a Republic to run effectively, while a dictatorship only requires less education and deceptive news. Well done Allen, your videos on topics such as this should be viewed in High School Civic classes.
When you're convinced God is on your side and the Devil is supporting the other side, compromise becomes heresy. That's part of the problem we're facing now. Compromise is unacceptable to one side because they think their religion puts them above the law.
Bureaucrats are unelected officials who operate government agencies.... usually under the executive branch. And, when those agencies can arbitrarily make and enforce rules that carry the weight of law, then the representative power of the legislative branch and the rights of the citizens are undermined. The executive branch becomes a de facto dictator. And that's why bureaucracy must be held accountable. Also, that's why having a constitutional that holds the government accountable is vital.
.....and Kathleen Kennedy isn't evil. She's just misguided, incompetent, and unprofitable. She ran Lucasfilm into the ground, and Disney's only hope is to sell off the wreckage to recoup their losses.
It is about incentive structures. Our current political class is insulated from their bad decisions. They are the anywheres, not the somewheres, and will leave with their families for some sunny tax haven if things go tits up, whereas you or I are left behind and have to live with the consequences. If you have ever been in a committee, you know that they are ineffective and even hellish to participate in. What you need a strong executive who stands to suffer great personal loss when they make bad decisions, and who broadly align with the population they oversee and want them to flourish (noblesse oblige), with advice and oversight by the legislature and judiciary.
This is why I've subscripted to Generation Tech. Sure, he criticizes everything from the Empire to the Jedi, but then he gives out gems like this. A reminder like Padme does, to embrace the chaos, but fight for the good
I absolutely agree, Alan... But I also disagree. A little bit. The issue is that, sometimes, those people have a point. Sometimes we need to change things a bit, to fix whatever isn't working well. And the inability to see it is exactly what creates opportunities for those kind of people.
Most people who claim to be anarchists actually are not. Those same people will tell you this must be done, that is not allowed. No it's not anarchy they seek, they just want the rules they want, then not have them apply to them if they choose to color outside the lines they themselves put in place. This is also how most leadership, no matter what political alliance they represent, operates. This why the US constitution spends most of its wording outlining what the government can not do to the people. US politicians are supposed represent the people that put them in office not those outside of their voting districts. Most of all they are not there to decide what's best for their people, the people tell them what they think is best for themselves, by voting based on the platforms the politicians put forth when they run for office. Many people complain when the government does nothing but for the most part, I prefer it that way. Every new law they pass takes more rights and or money from the people. The important laws were passed long ago. Mostly do not harm others unless they try to harm you and do not steal from others. It's quite simple but they keep trying to over complicate everything. Outside of that US law was supposed to facilitate commerce between the states and provide a general defense, against outside invaders. Most everything else was supposed to be handled at the state and local levels unless they did something the constitution did not allow them to do to the people. That's it.
UA-cam needs to add a heart react option or allow me to drop a double like! Great video and tons of excellent points. From some of the things you say, I'm sure we disagree wildly on political matters, but it seems we disagree on how to answer them. You lay out many problems whilst doing a great job at explaining why it matters! As always, great content Allen. One of the best UA-camrs out here rn!
At 5:36 you're ignoring the fact that the government funds almost all technological advancements that private companies then take the advancements without the added cost of R&D. Meaning they are allowed to make more spur of the moment changes because they aren't bearing the upfront cost that tax payers are.
I agree that alot of the time negative stuff like talking about the terrible management of the franchise, can draw more attention from people and the algorithm. However I would argue there is a large percentage of people who just want interesting, entertaining, and informative content based around the star wars universe, and just really dislike the drama and negativity. So I think it goes both ways
Man for some reason Max Weber came to mind. Off the top of my memory from sociology 5 years ago, he talked about the bureaucratisation and rationalisation of the modern world, ie how everything had become part of a vast machinery of bureaucracy. One of the big thinkers in social science. He's also famous for talking about the Protestant Work Ethic, the disenchantment of the world (meaning secularization/no more magic/spirits/gods in the natural world in our modern times unlike premmodern folks), and probably other stuff I can't remember.
Viewer from Chile here! I study "Public Administration" in College: I am becoming a Bureaucrat by definition. You may not like socialism as it presented itself in Russia, but marxist concepts are the main tool they gave us to make sense of the state and bureaucracy. They taught us that bureaucracy is inherently oppressive and the only things that can change are who is being oppressed, how they are being oppressed and why they are being oppressed. It's so interesting seeing these topics being discussed in the context of the Star Wars universe! Cheers!
Something I feel worth mentioning too is that authoritarian entities like the Empire, tend to be bureaucratic nightmares, even more than democratic entities such as the Old Republic. But only for 'the little guys'. For the people at the top of the Empire those constrictions did not exist at all. If you were a nobody moisture farmer on Tatooine who wanted to leave and go elsewhere, it was probably a nightmare-load of paperwork to get the permits to leave under the Empire. But if you were a Moff? You pretty much had cart blanche to do anything you wanted, as long as you did not otherwise go against the greater goals of the Empire or were a failure at what little *was* expected of you. The problem really arises with the fact that in the Old Republic, that sort of dynamic already existed as well: Private entities like the Trade Federation were basically able to get away with literal invasions and genocide because they had a seat in the Senate (which, goddamn, just imagine a corporation getting to do that IRL), but also were literally paying off everyone who *could* put a stop to them (bribery that I'm sure was labeled as "campaign contributions"). And Palpatine knew all that, because he was the one behind the scenes pulling the strings to *make it happen* to begin with!. But as such it's no wonder so many would feel disheartened at such a system. However, and here's where populism *can* do good: Those within and without the system who might actually be wanting that system to continue, yet simply critique and want the system to be better, are demonized to be 'as bad as' those who use populist rhetoric to destroy the system. "Both sides are equally bad!" type narratives. Because you can't just start dumping deep political concepts and such onto a person who knows nothing about politics from the get-go. It isn't 'dumbing down' to start people off in bite-sized chunks of simplified information, that allows them a chance to grasp the foundations, and then work up from there. Not everyone is a poli-sci major. Unfortunately what also tends to happen in governments, real and fictional alike, is that they get filled with people who get into office/in power who have ZERO interest from the get-go in regards to any sort of 'middle ground' on anything. Contrarian for the sake of *being* contrarian, and rather than actually arguing in good faith, their only desire is "Give me everything I want, I give you nothing you want, and then I expect you to thank me for the privilege." Those types also are the ones most often intentionally wanting to destroy any governmental oversight or accountability for themselves and others on their side. You can't compromise or work with that, because fundamentally they have no interest in even attempting it. Sadly far too often in politics the politicians cave to these types of people and then gaslight all of us into thinking that this was the best they could do, even though nothing of actual benefit was had for the people themselves.
two thoughts... (1) The US declared war on Japan in 1941, not 1942. In 1942, the US declared war on Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria, then later Vichy France. (2) as to taxes, a certain party refers to its political foes as 'tax and spend', yet the US constitution by interpretation, "tax and spend" is the mechanism set up by our founding politicians. Even borrowed money needs to be repaid and if loan A is paid off by loan B, its like using one credit card to pay off another.....which will lead to eventual bankruptcy.
The dark underbelly of the bureaucracy has been shown many times in star wars.... Whether you are monitoring the decommissioning of the republic fleet, Requesting access to restricted genesplicing technologies, Directing the Vogon construction fleets to manufacturer hyperspace bypass, it takes the dedicated work of unsung Heroes like Hermes Conrad CBGr34 ( When he got his Groove back ) To keep the space trains running at all much less on time.
Deferring to committee, would surely have seen Naboo defaulting and becoming a possession of the Trade Federation. Naboo was only about 10 hours drive from Coruscant, Jedi had already been sent and had brought back the Queen. The hole is that the Jedi's testimony was somehow not good enough, despite their role and ordeal.
A better way to do foreign aid would be to give scholarships to people in your homeland to become doctors and teachers on the condition that they spend a certain amount of years overseas to help people in poor countries. This would prevent the money from being stolen and have the added benefit of improving overall infrastructure when they come back.
Alan, I really enjoy your sober and insightful discussion about the Star Wars universe and its parallels to ours. I'm not interested in the Disney drama.
Hyperspace takes you out of "real" space to move you from one point to another. There's no speed involved. If that was the case, the people you just left behind would die from old age while you are traveling faster than light. This is why the hyperspace ramming in TLJ broke both cannon and physics.
On top of the fact that everyone doesn't always agree in a Democratic Republic, there's the fact that political corruption corrodes governments; which is accelerated when the population is ignorant of its own laws because of poor education.
People want to be told what they want to believe is right, facts and reality don't have to play into it. Politicians are experts at manipulating this to their advantage. What a politician says may even change from one group of people to the next, depending on what they believe that group wants to hear. Ultimately what a politician says is window dressing to the actions they do.
At least you can elect politicians, bureaucrats and their agencies are unelected so they don't have to answer to the people at all but has the power to create regulations that rule over the populace.
9:15 the thing to remember about the US why it's great is it has had the same stable government for nearly 300 years not it's just ruled by people who may see office for 60 years like every other nation... Which ask anyone who worked for the government and they'll say the civilian leadership is bad not the government... Which I think a "simple" solution to the problem is have the government the burecrates, the genrels, the diractors people who serve the costuntion, the americain experment and the entire people of the US not just their few thusend voters into a 4th pillar of leadership...
The problem with bureaucracy is when its grown so big that they see the people their servants not the other way around. Bernie Sanders may love our system (which cannot be transformed into a us version) but its far from perfect.
Bernie Sanders isn't a bureaucrat, though. Bureaucrats are non-elected officials. Bureaucracy is, by definition, a system of government in which important decisions are made by unelected local (city, county, and state level) officials rather than by elected representatives. People who say they "hate big government" and want more power at the local levels would need to support a bigger reliance on bureaucracy, whereas people who don't like the idea of power in the hands of people who were not chosen by the people would need to vote for more power being in the hands of elected representatives. Both options have pitfalls.
Except sanders has bowed and given in to the establishment, allowed himself to be cheated, and sat down, shut up, and parroted the same points he was told to.
The specific issue of the Naboo blockade should have been alot more cut and dry. The Chancellor dispatched two Jedi, who would have been unimpeachable representatives of the Republic, in a diplomatic starship, they verified the existence of the blockade, and the Trade Federation tried to kill them multiple times, simply their report and the backing of numerous witnesses, plus R2's records should have been more than sufficient
USA and other countries haven't declared war on anyone since after WW2 people thought that wars will be things of the past. So declaring war on someone will be met with sanctions. But since human nature can't be changed, there were still wars after WW2 but without declarations.
The fact that your channel isn't like the others mongering negativity, that you respect the intelligence of your audience, and you use your platform to teach your viewers about how politics functions, how economics and socioeconomics affects multiple areas of life, and how it's all interconnected by filtering it through the lense of Star Wars - something more people will actively be interested in and pay attention to - is why I prefer to watch your channel over all others. You're not infantilizing your viewers, talking down to us, insulting us, or criticizing those with different viewpoints. i.e. you respect that some of your viewers like the sequels. I feel like I learn something from you, whereas with other channels, I feel a well of negativity. The only point you are vocal against are dolphins. The uprising is coming. You leading the way is an important porpoise to the cause. You actually talk about minute details in the Star Wars universe that no one else really does. Like the weapons manufacturing, the design elements of ships (mmm starship porn), the details of the Jedi, and of the galaxy's history. You don't just share lore, you compare it to real world similarities, which allows the viewer to relate to the topic more personally, and gain a better understanding of the workings of a galaxy far far away, using our own, and thus learning more about our own. I remember more about what you've said regarding politics than from my high school econ class. If my teacher had used Star Wars, I'd have been more interested. I've said it before, but I pay attention to how you're explaining things so I can apply that knowledge to my own science fiction story. I've learned what to look for, and have fixed a number of issues I never noticed before. As a result, the actions of the political powers, the companies, and the characters in my story make more logical sense. And the interwoven logistics of the galaxy make more sense in regards to weapons and ship manufacturing, economics for the species that use money and for the ones that don't, to how dirty a corporation can be hiding its nasty deeds under a political skirt. It's science fiction/fantasy (soft sci-fi like Star Wars - which is also soft sci-fi). But there has to be a certain level of practical science and realism involved in order for the fantasy element to work. Thank you for helping me become a better worldbuilder. :)
A galaxy wide government is a mind boggling concept and I liked how the prequels and now some of the streaming shows are illustrating that. Bureaucracy is a necessary part of any government even authoritarian ones like the Empire. Setting up a viable infrastructure for just a local government that will properly allocate resources is not something the average person doesn't think of unless it directly affects them in some way.
Bureaucracy Is a common political kicking bag . Yet when political ire is taken out on bureaucracy n bureaucrats . Governments far apart fast . Since Bureaucrats are the ones who know how to keep the lights on . Specialization of skill n knowledge Is how himan societies store knowledge and experience. It is also how economies work n inovate n grow . Bureaucracy is one more clog in society. Allen is doing a good job here .
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Money in politics is only a bad thing if the billionaires don't fundamentally hate humanity
Kinda reminds us of our push against the World Economic Forum
1:15 Not long, I just walk to the store in my smol home city, buy some stuff, walk back and cook not much/ often, so like max 2 hours. Its frigging good to live by your parents while you have a job.
Those meal kits are quite well made, typically average like $11USD per serving, apparently. Good for bachelors/bachelorettes who don't mind trading $$ for a little more time and some healthy food choices. Once you got like 3+ people to cook a meal for, the $$ value shifts back towards better to make it yourself.
I love how Allen is trying to educate the Star Wars Fandom by little brush strokes, on contemporary issues. This stuff might not get as many views as the other viral Star Wars channels but it's why I watch every Generation Tech upload.
Star Wars fans have conniptions if they smell real world politics in their Vietnam war allegory.
Believe it or not, some of these contemporary sprinklings have helped me grad level classes lmao
I said the same thing, I'm glad we'all agree 😁
What I most like is the philosophical part of it. It's applicable to all sides of today's politics.
I agree 💯👍 I love how Allen breaks down the the less but very important issues with star wars and relate them to real world issues he really knows his stuff... Plus everyone who knows star wars already knows about the kk issues these days anyway!
The true villain of the piece was the Parliamentarian who failed to keep the Trade Federation from shouting down Queen Amidala while she was making her case.
The plot is strong with her
Genuinely good point, and for Americans who don't know, the role of "parliamentarian" is roughly equivalent to the roles of speaker of the house for the house and vice president for the senate. It sounds a lot like it should mean any member of a parliament, but it signifies a jointly respected leadership position in one.
Thanks for the UK perspective!
In the past few years, I learned that the US senate does have a role called parliamentarian. They don't have a vote, though they have a say on if a bill can be presented to a vote. The office is appointed by the senate majority leader and serves at their please.
The current parliamentarian is Elizabeth MacDonaugh appointed in 2012 by dem Chuck Schumer. Interestingly, the majority leader has changed a few times since then. Different parties have controlled the senate since then. Interestingly, the parliamentarian has not changed over 11 years in which the senate majority has switched party a few times.
Deep state parliamentarian?
Liz personally is great at her job?
Dunno
@@BillyBasd that's what I was probably thinking of, more than half talking out of my ass, so thanks for doing the research!
The speaker was in the employ of palpatine mos ameida.
14:12 I get the point he's making, but as a South Korean, I do have to say that the U.S.'s "controversial" decision to enter the Korean War saved our country. I know it's technically a ceasefire and thus can't be considered an overwhelming victory like the Gulf War, but we can't deny the fact that my country was able to develop into what it is today because of Truman and MacArthur's intervention...
THIS is why I love this channel so much. Taking the Star Wars galaxy we all know and love, and showing how to make our own tiny world a better, kinder place by learning from fiction. It's precisely why science fiction was created in the first place: to be an allegory of contemporary issues.
Yup, the guy has been using Star Wars as an excuse to do some suprisingly good sneaky education about the real world.
Ten years from now you'll have thousands of people coming bakc to those videos to talk about how Generation Tech helped shape their worldview.
The main problem of bureaucracy is always corruption and the fact that, after a few years, a group of people forms who help each other. One hand washes the other. Instead of keeping the needs of the citizens in mind, they want to increase their own advantage. That's why there should be the Transparent Bureaucrat. Everyone can see what each bureaucrat is doing. If corruption is identified, in my view, it is an attack on the state itself and should be accordingly punished.
Not so much corruption, but that administrators need to justify their existence and create even more regulation and bureaucracy to save their jobs and increase their power (e.g. number of officials in a department)
@@ravanpee1325Someone has seen Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister.
We need a Star Wars show on that side of the galaxy.
The more regulation you have, the easier it is to rule by executive fiat.
@@mattthemouse1 It completely depends on the structure of the bureaucracy and it's original intent. One built on autocratic principles will produce fiat rule while those built around mistrust and mutual accountability will produce transparency (at best; at worst gridlock). It's a balancing act. Falling too far in either direction will result in social unrest and collapse.
@@ravanpee1325 Its both really.
Andor, “I’m just a tourist!”
Desk Clerk, “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to take that to the Emperor.”
Shoretroopers, “OOOOHH!”
I like how he didn't even define what a bureaucrat is. A non-elected government official. The mail carriers, the person that works at DHHR. None of the people actually make life harder, it's the elected politicians that set the rules for these places.
A mailman isn’t what most consider a buerocrat.
They’re a public servant.
Yes, politicians are ultimately responsible for the way our bureaucracies operate. However, most people would not use the word "bureaucrat" to describe every government employee, even if it's technically accurate. Just the ones whose roles are primarily administrative.
@@theliato3809 All government employees are public servants.
Bureaucrats need power. Elected politicians give them power. A slight nudge you may say. Such as, having a rigged election or taking some of the budget using bureaucrats. Thus they turn a blind eye when Bureaucrats help themselves using corruption.
@@theliato3809 A public or civil servant is merely a bureaucrat who specifically works in a government agency. Both are still bureaucrats. Civil servants provide service to citizens. They need to be educated, skilled, and know detailed aspects of the law. A few examples: the DMV, running prisons or reform programs, pensions, medical benefits, and employment services.
Public servants provide serves to all, regardless of citizenship. They don't necessarily need a special skill or higher education. Many are volunteers. Examples of public servants include your mail carriers, crossing guards, animal control, correctional officers, ICE officers, police, fire fighters, EMTs, nurses, doctors, teachers, and the military.
Yes.... a teacher and a soldier are TECHNICALLY bureaucrats. Ask any lieutenant who has to deal with the red tape that goes all the way up the chain of command, or a band teacher desperately trying to get funding for music, and they won't even question this statement.
I always wondered why 2 jedi (Qui Gon and Obi Wan) could not testify to the senate that the invasion was happening as the queen said. At that time their testimony would have meant a lot.
They were sent to naboo on a secret mission they couldn't testify without revealing the mission.
Or Scanner logs from the Queen's ship.
Well it was likely a very preliminary stage in the investigation.
They have to establish an independent investigative unit first, which would take the data and testimonies into their report to the senate.
It's like a how in the british parliament you cant accuse someone of lying. There is a process for this, to avoid accusations being thrown around without basis.
It was a secret mission without approval of the senate.
I'm reminded of Robert Bolt's great stageplay, "A Man For All Seasons", where he writes Thomas Moore the line, "What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down, and you're just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then?
Biggest problem is the corruption inside most bureaucracies
Now think about the fact that they have the power to make regulations but are not elected by the people.
This is why I love gen tech
My thoughts as well 😁
"Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time..."
Churchill
“The gum that clogs the gears of every human endeavor...” all hail bureaucracy!
It's right about 17:00 where Alan talks about the government necessity that I can hear Dedra Meero, Alecia Beck, and Wolf Yularen cackling in the background... Good episode, Alan...
Sure, we need an IRS. But does that IRS need its own SWAT teams, when it's already the world's most powerful collection agency?
no, there is not 87,000 armed IRS agents deployed to bang down the doors of American taxpayers.
Less than 1% of new hires will be in the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) area, which currently has a total of maybe 2,100 special agents and is hiring about 300 more. Additionally, the gun thing is absolutely false, they don’t plan on strapping upcoming new agents (because why would someone manning an IRS phone bank need a gun?); less than 3% of IRS employees carry weapons.
Staffing has been in a deep decline for many years. More than 50,000 employees will retire in the next few years, leaving the foundation of the tax system that the nation relies on at risk. They've effectively been losing 10,000 employees a year.
Will enforcement go up? Yeah, probably. But the IRS has a helluva backlog to get through first anyway.
In reality for the power people suspect the IRS has is crippled. If they really had power they'd be able to go after wealthier individuals, but they can't because it's a lot more costlier to go after them and patch up the tax loopholes they're exploiting when they lose funding constantly and in fact they want to make it easier for Americans to Simply pay their taxes and not harass them. But companies like TurboTax love to gouge you my man, if anything you likely heard SWAT teams from some lobbying group or something. Those kind of companies love to hear when people believe crap like that. If anything it's similar to the USPS, which I would argue even more crippled. Tell me how the USPS needs to make a profit unlike any other governmental Bureau and the moment you start working there they need to start saving up for your retirement decades in advance.
Has John Oliver said the IRS is just the government's anus, it's constantly getting fucked, we don't like talking about it, it has an important role but it isn't all powerful.
The problem arises when the bureaucrats decide they don't care what the legislature or chief exec says, they're going to push their own solutions.
Same thing about Ashoka. The "asian dude" wasn't idiot, what if Twilek was lying. Don't remember the names, I am a Legends guy.
Alan isn't really talking about Palpatine here. It's what makes this channel great despite what the algorithm wants.
I'm actually glad that you're covering the Star Wars content that you are. Don't ever change! I stopped watching some of the other Star Wars UA-camrs because they change to keep up their views. You never betrayed the fandom and I love you for it!
GenTech using real life as a lens to view star wars is why he is the best star wars lore channel
I'm a lawyer by trade so I deal with bureaucrats far more than the average person does. Yes, you run into people who are incompetent, apathetic, and potentially corrupt, but in my experience they tend to actually be a pretty small minority. Most of the bureaucrats I have worked with over the years have actually been very helpful and I would say they tend to be more civic minded than the average person which is why they work in government even thought they could most likely make considerably more in the private sector.
From my experiences and what I have observed watching people try to handle these interactions on their own, I think the problems fall into two broad buckets. The first being that many of these services are often underfunded when compared to the need that exists within the community. The second is that most people have very unrealistic exceptions when it comes to such matters.
Most people understandably when they interact with an institution like a government or business want to feel like they are being treated as an individual, they do not like feeling as if they are just a number or a file. The problem is that bureaucracies by their nature have to be pretty cold and unfeeling because they have limited resources and a virtually unlimited to demand they have to fill. A lot of these people are going through great personal difficulties which is why they are there in the first place which often gets in the way of their ability to effectively communicate what they actually need or to understand what they need to actually do to get their issue resolved. A lot of people in my experience tend to think like Anakin Skywalker in Episode II.
The reason for this in most cases is not that people are stupid, but rather that most of them never received a good education from our school system (quite possibly the single most underfunded service in the US) particularly in the areas of political science. As a result a very large percentage of the population tend to carry very simplistic and unrealistic expectations towards government like Anakin. These attitudes combined with the stress of whatever problems they are facing leave them ill-prepared to navigate the system effectively.
Cool Zuko vid on your channel! Pre-law perhaps? In a tort class? Perhaps AI response.
Whether it is in Star Wars or the real world, bureaucracies prey on people's lack of responsibility. Naboo did not prepare or did not do what they should have to protect themselves and not need to defer to a higher government. In this world, people do not contribute or pay the proper taxes like they should. If people took responsibility for their actions or lack of action, then there would not be the need to step in or get bureaucratic and drag things out when it does become a need. Then maybe SSA or other government won't look like or feel like a ponsie scheme or let down. To many people cheating the system, not government theft. Looking at it in another point of view, you could say that is what Naboo did. Seems like they had the money and did not want to get dirty with having military and denied the Gungans......They could have had their own Sith(JarJar) running interference.
After watching this video, I recommend reading: The United States Declaration of Independence, The United States Constitution, The Federalist Papers (or The Federalist Papers in Modern Language), 1984, Animal Farm, Fahrenheit 451, The Communist Manifesto, The Capitalist Manifesto, How Capitalism Saved America, Economics in One Lesson, The Black Book of Communism, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. Reading even several of these books and documents will give a much more complete view of what constitutes good government, and what constitutes necessary bureaucracy.
Your political science vids are often good viewing. Keep it up!
Bureaucracy isn't the problem. Public corruption is. When the populace views government as corrupt, its easy for an opportunist demagogue to move in offering easy solutions and promises to eliminate such corruption. The irony is this leads to authoritarian rule and even more corruption than existed before.
Hey Allen, I have always wanted to know how exactly the “queen” of a local government, who is NOT a senator has legal standing to call a vote in the senate in the first place???
It’d be like the governor of Wyoming showing up in the Senate and calling a vote even though they are not even close to being part of that body or allowed to do that.
So…..?
Remember Chancellor Valorum heard the plea of the Naboo and secretly sent the Jedi in the first place.
Eventually there was a senior and junior senator from Naboo (Padme and Jar Jar).
Oh yeah, to finish: yeah that call for a vote was just BS. Though perhaps the sovereign status afforded them something, just as it created a channel to Valorum himself.
Hermes is still my favorite bureaucrat. Plus loves limbo too!
Want to tell me more? What is he about, this Hermes?
@@mr.boomguy I know this is a very late reply but Hermes is the greek god of travel and many other things. He was kind of a jack of all trades and I'm pretty sure he was one of the better gods in greek mythology
Good burecrates are forgotten. Bad burecrates are loathes.
another wonderfully informative and mature topic using fantasy a a backdrop.
feels like something Sir Terry Pratchett would write about...oh wait: "going postal" and "making money" come to mind
I'm really learning a lot from these videos too.
It helps me break down my own "Anakin" and reconnice that bureaucracy is a necessary 'evil' to keep the system running
I think the best depiction of bureacracy is done in Mando (the professor) and Andor (Bureau of Standards). Truly powerful but abysmal environments in which you become a cog.
Nothing beats "Adeptus Administratum" from Warhammer 40K
I agree, as much as the U.S. government can be a pain, it's a stable-enough system with routine and relatively peaceful transitions of power. Looking at countries where some of my military relatives serve-the countries with little to no government-we all can't be like Tatooine with the complexity of Coruscant or Lothal and have stability plus freedoms. Have a government that is confident and gives voices to some people is better than no government, no infrastructure, and no say at all. For as nasty as the last few transitions of power in the executive branch was in the U.S., some governments start wars over those transitions of power. I see the Republic in Star Wars closely resemble the U.S. Congress but on a galactic scale. Yes there are too many seats and too many voices shadowing over other voices, but it is better than not having a say at all. And let his not forget, some people don't know what they really want or know what they are asking for. You can't magically build a school or a fighter jet without someone allocating the budget for the jet plus the pilot that flies that jet.
Palpatine wasn't terrified of bureaucrats lol. He was talking about Mas Amedda and saying he was on the payroll of the Trade Federation, which he as Darth Sidious controlled at that time, which means on his payroll. Lucas made sure we noted this by keeping Amedda on as Palpatine's right hand as he hand been Valorum's before. He loved bureaucracy, he just wanted control of it. "Neither larger nor smaller, but better" is an overly simplistic slogan in its own right and usually just means more opaque and less democratic whenever its ever been spoken irl. Everybody wants bureaucracy to be "better", "larger" or "smaller" are prescriptions derived from diagnoses of what the structural problems are. They may be wrong, and sometimes size might not actually be the fundamental problem either way, but they are at least actionable prescriptions. Your slogan is actually even more vague and hand wavey than any "populist" "anti government" view. And this has a direct link to it being the last desperate pitch of technocrats to trust the experts - vague and handwavey reform agendas like "better" bureaucracy means ensuring that the diagnoses and prescriptions are kept deliberately obscure so nobody outside the system can assess whether or not its working. Its the worst of both worlds.
The problem with Star Wars is that the Republic allows its democracy to become corrupt, which makes it easier for it to transition into an Empire (dictatorship). Later, a rebellion must be fought to revert to a Republic, only for the cycle to repeat. The transition from Republic to Empire is easier than the transition in the opposite direction. Education and access to accurate information are crucial for a Republic to run effectively, while a dictatorship only requires less education and deceptive news.
Well done Allen, your videos on topics such as this should be viewed in High School Civic classes.
When you're convinced God is on your side and the Devil is supporting the other side, compromise becomes heresy. That's part of the problem we're facing now. Compromise is unacceptable to one side because they think their religion puts them above the law.
I love the depth of these videos.
Thanks Gen Tech
The best kind of government is the one you never think about.
Bureaucrats are unelected officials who operate government agencies.... usually under the executive branch. And, when those agencies can arbitrarily make and enforce rules that carry the weight of law, then the representative power of the legislative branch and the rights of the citizens are undermined. The executive branch becomes a de facto dictator. And that's why bureaucracy must be held accountable. Also, that's why having a constitutional that holds the government accountable is vital.
.....and Kathleen Kennedy isn't evil. She's just misguided, incompetent, and unprofitable. She ran Lucasfilm into the ground, and Disney's only hope is to sell off the wreckage to recoup their losses.
Never trust unelected people who have power to make laws to rule dictate your life.
I really appreciate that you're teaching people how to think, not what to think. Respect.
It is about incentive structures. Our current political class is insulated from their bad decisions. They are the anywheres, not the somewheres, and will leave with their families for some sunny tax haven if things go tits up, whereas you or I are left behind and have to live with the consequences.
If you have ever been in a committee, you know that they are ineffective and even hellish to participate in. What you need a strong executive who stands to suffer great personal loss when they make bad decisions, and who broadly align with the population they oversee and want them to flourish (noblesse oblige), with advice and oversight by the legislature and judiciary.
This is why I've subscripted to Generation Tech. Sure, he criticizes everything from the Empire to the Jedi, but then he gives out gems like this. A reminder like Padme does, to embrace the chaos, but fight for the good
I absolutely agree, Alan... But I also disagree. A little bit.
The issue is that, sometimes, those people have a point. Sometimes we need to change things a bit, to fix whatever isn't working well. And the inability to see it is exactly what creates opportunities for those kind of people.
Star Wars bureaucracy honestly got nothing I can think of one galaxy spending empire that has a truly nightmarish and Grimdark bureaucracy
Most people who claim to be anarchists actually are not. Those same people will tell you this must be done, that is not allowed.
No it's not anarchy they seek, they just want the rules they want, then not have them apply to them if they choose to color outside the lines they themselves put in place. This is also how most leadership, no matter what political alliance they represent, operates.
This why the US constitution spends most of its wording outlining what the government can not do to the people. US politicians are supposed represent the people that put them in office not those outside of their voting districts. Most of all they are not there to decide what's best for their people, the people tell them what they think is best for themselves, by voting based on the platforms the politicians put forth when they run for office.
Many people complain when the government does nothing but for the most part, I prefer it that way. Every new law they pass takes more rights and or money from the people. The important laws were passed long ago. Mostly do not harm others unless they try to harm you and do not steal from others. It's quite simple but they keep trying to over complicate everything.
Outside of that US law was supposed to facilitate commerce between the states and provide a general defense, against outside invaders. Most everything else was supposed to be handled at the state and local levels unless they did something the constitution did not allow them to do to the people. That's it.
I love Allen’s discerning demeanor. He has great insights, I always look forward to every upload!
In theory, I know you are right. But if you've seen Yes Minister you know that blind faith in any sort of government institution is naive.
Nice one, Allen!
UA-cam needs to add a heart react option or allow me to drop a double like! Great video and tons of excellent points. From some of the things you say, I'm sure we disagree wildly on political matters, but it seems we disagree on how to answer them. You lay out many problems whilst doing a great job at explaining why it matters! As always, great content Allen. One of the best UA-camrs out here rn!
At 5:36 you're ignoring the fact that the government funds almost all technological advancements that private companies then take the advancements without the added cost of R&D. Meaning they are allowed to make more spur of the moment changes because they aren't bearing the upfront cost that tax payers are.
He tends to have a pro "free-market" bias in his videos.
There’s no separation of private and public sector. It’s all one big mass of think tanks
Bro is gona start a warzone in the comments
Keep up the good work, man. Too bad more people hadn't seen this video pre-Nov. Blessings.
I agree that alot of the time negative stuff like talking about the terrible management of the franchise, can draw more attention from people and the algorithm. However I would argue there is a large percentage of people who just want interesting, entertaining, and informative content based around the star wars universe, and just really dislike the drama and negativity. So I think it goes both ways
Day 212 PLEASE DO MORE TACTICS VIDEOS AND STRUCTURES LIKE THE CIS NAVY STRUCTURE AND RANKS
I’ve come to really appreciate how you weave in real world political realities into your analysis of the Star Wars universe. Keep up the great content
“Every kingdom divided against itself comes to ruin, and a house divided against itself falls.”-Luke 11:17
Man for some reason Max Weber came to mind. Off the top of my memory from sociology 5 years ago, he talked about the bureaucratisation and rationalisation of the modern world, ie how everything had become part of a vast machinery of bureaucracy. One of the big thinkers in social science. He's also famous for talking about the Protestant Work Ethic, the disenchantment of the world (meaning secularization/no more magic/spirits/gods in the natural world in our modern times unlike premmodern folks), and probably other stuff I can't remember.
Viewer from Chile here! I study "Public Administration" in College: I am becoming a Bureaucrat by definition.
You may not like socialism as it presented itself in Russia, but marxist concepts are the main tool they gave us to make sense of the state and bureaucracy. They taught us that bureaucracy is inherently oppressive and the only things that can change are who is being oppressed, how they are being oppressed and why they are being oppressed.
It's so interesting seeing these topics being discussed in the context of the Star Wars universe! Cheers!
Something I feel worth mentioning too is that authoritarian entities like the Empire, tend to be bureaucratic nightmares, even more than democratic entities such as the Old Republic. But only for 'the little guys'. For the people at the top of the Empire those constrictions did not exist at all. If you were a nobody moisture farmer on Tatooine who wanted to leave and go elsewhere, it was probably a nightmare-load of paperwork to get the permits to leave under the Empire. But if you were a Moff? You pretty much had cart blanche to do anything you wanted, as long as you did not otherwise go against the greater goals of the Empire or were a failure at what little *was* expected of you.
The problem really arises with the fact that in the Old Republic, that sort of dynamic already existed as well: Private entities like the Trade Federation were basically able to get away with literal invasions and genocide because they had a seat in the Senate (which, goddamn, just imagine a corporation getting to do that IRL), but also were literally paying off everyone who *could* put a stop to them (bribery that I'm sure was labeled as "campaign contributions"). And Palpatine knew all that, because he was the one behind the scenes pulling the strings to *make it happen* to begin with!.
But as such it's no wonder so many would feel disheartened at such a system. However, and here's where populism *can* do good: Those within and without the system who might actually be wanting that system to continue, yet simply critique and want the system to be better, are demonized to be 'as bad as' those who use populist rhetoric to destroy the system. "Both sides are equally bad!" type narratives.
Because you can't just start dumping deep political concepts and such onto a person who knows nothing about politics from the get-go. It isn't 'dumbing down' to start people off in bite-sized chunks of simplified information, that allows them a chance to grasp the foundations, and then work up from there. Not everyone is a poli-sci major.
Unfortunately what also tends to happen in governments, real and fictional alike, is that they get filled with people who get into office/in power who have ZERO interest from the get-go in regards to any sort of 'middle ground' on anything. Contrarian for the sake of *being* contrarian, and rather than actually arguing in good faith, their only desire is "Give me everything I want, I give you nothing you want, and then I expect you to thank me for the privilege." Those types also are the ones most often intentionally wanting to destroy any governmental oversight or accountability for themselves and others on their side. You can't compromise or work with that, because fundamentally they have no interest in even attempting it. Sadly far too often in politics the politicians cave to these types of people and then gaslight all of us into thinking that this was the best they could do, even though nothing of actual benefit was had for the people themselves.
Image Emperor Palpatine and Darth Plaguies in the IRS office explaining all there expenses
This is why Allan is better then sw theory....great video.
two thoughts...
(1) The US declared war on Japan in 1941, not 1942. In 1942, the US declared war on Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria, then later Vichy France.
(2) as to taxes, a certain party refers to its political foes as 'tax and spend', yet the US constitution by interpretation, "tax and spend" is the mechanism set up by our founding politicians. Even borrowed money needs to be repaid and if loan A is paid off by loan B, its like using one credit card to pay off another.....which will lead to eventual bankruptcy.
Man I agree with you about the negativity. That’s why I watch this channel loyally.
The dark underbelly of the bureaucracy has been shown many times in star wars.... Whether you are monitoring the decommissioning of the republic fleet, Requesting access to restricted genesplicing technologies, Directing the Vogon construction fleets to manufacturer hyperspace bypass, it takes the dedicated work of unsung Heroes like Hermes Conrad CBGr34 ( When he got his Groove back ) To keep the space trains running at all much less on time.
All this reminds me why one of my favorite AU's are Padme just straight-up leaving the Republic.
Deferring to committee, would surely have seen Naboo defaulting and becoming a possession of the Trade Federation.
Naboo was only about 10 hours drive from Coruscant, Jedi had already been sent and had brought back the Queen. The hole is that the Jedi's testimony was somehow not good enough, despite their role and ordeal.
A better way to do foreign aid would be to give scholarships to people in your homeland to become doctors and teachers on the condition that they spend a certain amount of years overseas to help people in poor countries. This would prevent the money from being stolen and have the added benefit of improving overall infrastructure when they come back.
Alan, I really enjoy your sober and insightful discussion about the Star Wars universe and its parallels to ours. I'm not interested in the Disney drama.
Good goooood As a bureaucrat myself I am glad you are feeling the pull of the dark side.
Hyperspace takes you out of "real" space to move you from one point to another. There's no speed involved. If that was the case, the people you just left behind would die from old age while you are traveling faster than light. This is why the hyperspace ramming in TLJ broke both cannon and physics.
Okay, I'm confused. Is this a fandom channel or is he trying to teach us RL politics? Asking for a friend.
Yes.
George based star wars on rl politics. And history
Yes
Well said Allen. I was surprised with how much you talked about real world politics
On top of the fact that everyone doesn't always agree in a Democratic Republic, there's the fact that political corruption corrodes governments; which is accelerated when the population is ignorant of its own laws because of poor education.
Goes to show that even evil super villains can't escape the horrifying monster that is paperwork.
Yoda should've just pulled up and showed Palpatine a starship registration form. He literally would've keeled over.
Well said.
Never thought I'd get solid, well-thought out political commentary from a Star Wars video. Well done.
Well said Allen. You’re a champion.
People want to be told what they want to believe is right, facts and reality don't have to play into it. Politicians are experts at manipulating this to their advantage. What a politician says may even change from one group of people to the next, depending on what they believe that group wants to hear. Ultimately what a politician says is window dressing to the actions they do.
At least you can elect politicians, bureaucrats and their agencies are unelected so they don't have to answer to the people at all but has the power to create regulations that rule over the populace.
9:15 the thing to remember about the US why it's great is it has had the same stable government for nearly 300 years not it's just ruled by people who may see office for 60 years like every other nation... Which ask anyone who worked for the government and they'll say the civilian leadership is bad not the government... Which I think a "simple" solution to the problem is have the government the burecrates, the genrels, the diractors people who serve the costuntion, the americain experment and the entire people of the US not just their few thusend voters into a 4th pillar of leadership...
The problem with bureaucracy is when its grown so big that they see the people their servants not the other way around. Bernie Sanders may love our system (which cannot be transformed into a us version) but its far from perfect.
what do you mean by "our system", where are you from?
Im from Denmark @@deathsinger1192
Bernie Sanders isn't a bureaucrat, though. Bureaucrats are non-elected officials. Bureaucracy is, by definition, a system of government in which important decisions are made by unelected local (city, county, and state level) officials rather than by elected representatives. People who say they "hate big government" and want more power at the local levels would need to support a bigger reliance on bureaucracy, whereas people who don't like the idea of power in the hands of people who were not chosen by the people would need to vote for more power being in the hands of elected representatives. Both options have pitfalls.
Except sanders has bowed and given in to the establishment, allowed himself to be cheated, and sat down, shut up, and parroted the same points he was told to.
8:20 Star Wars UA-cam rn in a nutshell, thank you for not constantly doing that!
"Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the other ones."
This was directed at vivek 😂
Thank god you are not a RWBY Critic. Their negativity, their hate....it eclipses anything i've ever seen
Seems technologies Should restrict some technologies
Life and government are always going to have complications.
An Empire of action not words ruled by strength not committee.
I like this video. Very informative I learned alot I can say.
The specific issue of the Naboo blockade should have been alot more cut and dry. The Chancellor dispatched two Jedi, who would have been unimpeachable representatives of the Republic, in a diplomatic starship, they verified the existence of the blockade, and the Trade Federation tried to kill them multiple times, simply their report and the backing of numerous witnesses, plus R2's records should have been more than sufficient
What I don't understand is why so many people hate paying taxes, how else would the government theoretically get the funds to administrate?
Bureaucrats Must Never be Loyal to Only to One Political party.
Social security os less that 20 years away from bankruptcy
USA and other countries haven't declared war on anyone since after WW2 people thought that wars will be things of the past.
So declaring war on someone will be met with sanctions. But since human nature can't be changed, there were still wars after WW2 but without declarations.
Well said Alan, well said. I hope that your many Star Wars fans will take this to heart, especially with the upcoming presidential election.
Yes! Enjoyed!
Apparently, making politics actually interesting and educational is another one of Allen's secret super powers. Neat
The fact that your channel isn't like the others mongering negativity, that you respect the intelligence of your audience, and you use your platform to teach your viewers about how politics functions, how economics and socioeconomics affects multiple areas of life, and how it's all interconnected by filtering it through the lense of Star Wars - something more people will actively be interested in and pay attention to - is why I prefer to watch your channel over all others.
You're not infantilizing your viewers, talking down to us, insulting us, or criticizing those with different viewpoints. i.e. you respect that some of your viewers like the sequels.
I feel like I learn something from you, whereas with other channels, I feel a well of negativity.
The only point you are vocal against are dolphins. The uprising is coming. You leading the way is an important porpoise to the cause.
You actually talk about minute details in the Star Wars universe that no one else really does. Like the weapons manufacturing, the design elements of ships (mmm starship porn), the details of the Jedi, and of the galaxy's history. You don't just share lore, you compare it to real world similarities, which allows the viewer to relate to the topic more personally, and gain a better understanding of the workings of a galaxy far far away, using our own, and thus learning more about our own.
I remember more about what you've said regarding politics than from my high school econ class. If my teacher had used Star Wars, I'd have been more interested.
I've said it before, but I pay attention to how you're explaining things so I can apply that knowledge to my own science fiction story. I've learned what to look for, and have fixed a number of issues I never noticed before. As a result, the actions of the political powers, the companies, and the characters in my story make more logical sense. And the interwoven logistics of the galaxy make more sense in regards to weapons and ship manufacturing, economics for the species that use money and for the ones that don't, to how dirty a corporation can be hiding its nasty deeds under a political skirt.
It's science fiction/fantasy (soft sci-fi like Star Wars - which is also soft sci-fi). But there has to be a certain level of practical science and realism involved in order for the fantasy element to work.
Thank you for helping me become a better worldbuilder. :)
I agree with this video it’s a good point
A galaxy wide government is a mind boggling concept and I liked how the prequels and now some of the streaming shows are illustrating that. Bureaucracy is a necessary part of any government even authoritarian ones like the Empire. Setting up a viable infrastructure for just a local government that will properly allocate resources is not something the average person doesn't think of unless it directly affects them in some way.
Sir you do not have Earth, Country, Federal, State, Local and Municipal I-32124 forms. Please turn back to Pluto
Bureaucracy
Is a common political kicking bag .
Yet when political ire is taken out on bureaucracy n bureaucrats .
Governments far apart fast .
Since
Bureaucrats are the ones who know how to keep the lights on .
Specialization of skill n knowledge
Is how himan societies store knowledge and experience.
It is also how economies work n inovate n grow .
Bureaucracy is one more clog in society.
Allen is doing a good job here .