Click HERE to see this thread with all of the graphics, features, and links.

Are there similarities between the ruling ideology of Palpatine (and other Sith) and Chinese Legalism?

Legalism, at least the aspects Han Fei Tzu introduced as those are the ones I'm familiar with, calls for complete obedience to the state and not marching to a different drummer.

Palpatine just instills fear and tells people do to what he tells them or face his wrath.

Some surface level similarities might be the militarization. The Empire wanted infinite stormtroopers and the Han dynasty wanted a large army/slave workers/peasants ready to die for the government. So they instilled similar tactics. But the Empire was largely okay with things that weren't entwined with its own workings, long as it didn't hurt them, whereas legalism called for complete obedience from everyone. Individuality wasn't allowed. Also, legalism cared for education, so that more people could serve the government. The Empire...didn't. It was ruled by aristocrats and nobles, mirroring the history of Japan and Europe a lot more closely than that of China.

Palpatine is a commie

Originally posted by Freedon Nadd
Palpatine is a commie
Nah he's not retarded enough to be a commie

Yeah. He is. . .

He is just a commie troll. His empire did exactly what Communism did. He is Stalin and Anakin is Hitler.

Originally posted by Freedon Nadd
Yeah. He is. . .

He is just a commie troll. His empire did exactly what Communism did. He is Stalin and Anakin is Hitler.

The Empire is feudal. Communism would be nationalizing everything. Companies still existed during the Empire and so did nobility. That's not communistic at all. Maybe close to Russian communism, which isn't so much communism as "Ivan the Terrible-ism," but still idealogically very different.

Palpatine wanted to turn the galaxy into a Dark Side nexus and achieve a state of godhood. Seems pretty Communism-ish too me.

COMMUNism is about the people ruling the land. Palpatine wanted the complete opposite, he wanted himself to be the only person with power over everything else.

If anything, he was the polar opposite of communist.

I know Stalin ruled as a dictator under the guise of "communism," but even he nationalized food, education, and every important industry. Palpatine let it exist as its own thing, long as it kept in check with the Empire's guidelines. The line seems a little blurry, especially because of what some people have tried to pass "communism" off as in their regimes, but Palpatine's actions were those of dictator, not necesarily a communist dictator.

Even in Communism there is a party(a head) And Stalin wanted everyone to fall under Communism.

In "Anarcho-Marxist" Communism, which was the first use of the word "communism," there is no political party. There is no government. Societies are the way they were during the era of proto-cities, except with advanced technology.

In Leninist communism, the party exists only to "speed up" the process of communism, eventually dissolving itself after all industry has been nationalized, and no strong culture of opposition exists.

In Stalinist "communism," it's just a totalitarian dictatorship, except industry (for the most part) is nationalized.

There is "Maoist" communism, where there are elements of trade and exchange involved distribution is controlled by the authoritarian government, but let's be real, that was even more far removed from "communism" than Stalin was.

Palpatine is literally the exact opposite of "nationalization." It's feudalism. Nothing belongs to anyone except him. He is the beginning and the end. The people are an extention of him.

Sci-fi politica doesn't end up well with real life politics. And I am pretty sure had Stalin been a Force sensitive, he would use his powers to subjugate everyone to his will.

You seem to think Stalin is the perfect representation of communism, where really, he was communist in name only.
Regardless, if he was in Palpatine's place, he would not structure the empire the way it was structured, not would he allow independant industry the way the Empire did. Slavery would not be a thing, the wealthy would not be a thing, and all people would suffer equally.

You just said Stalin is not a communist. A better reason why Palpatine is SW Stalin.

Okay, it's true that extreme narcissism was a central aspect of the personality of both dictators.






But Palpatine's still not communist

Originally posted by Zentrex
Okay, it's true that extreme narcissism was a central aspect of the personality of both dictators.






But Palpatine's still not communist Of course

Originally posted by Zentrex
Okay, it's true that extreme narcissism was a central aspect of the personality of both dictators.






But Palpatine's still not communist
not a communist, but is similar.