In my class titled "On (non)Violence," we practice "thinking peace into existence" as Virginia Woolf did. But it's hard. It's hard to picture a nonviolent society.
The other day I re-watched Star Wars: The Phantom Menace with my friend Nia. (Spring break... idle time... there's no excuse.) One particularly interesting detail of the (terrible) movie is this: the people under attack are a pacifist people. Wookieepedia reveals a bit about the ideology of the Naboo:
"They decided to place pacifism and rationalism above all other values, and they elected a woman to become their queen. The Naboo had changed from a group of greedy adventurers to a pacific society with a tradition of selecting their rulers based on intelligence rather than might."
Since the Naboo have no army, they make an easy target for the Trade Federation's droid army. They initially receive no assistance from the Gungan people who live underwater. Let's take apart the pacifist society and see what flaws could have ruined their chances at true peace.
Flaw #1- Attitude of Superiority
BOSS NASS: Wesa no like da Naboo! Un dey no like uss-ens. Da Naboo tink day so smarty den us-ens. Day tink day brains so big.
Know this: Violence is oppression. Prejudices are violent. A truly peaceful society rejects and works to squelch the perpetuation of violent thought patterns, recognizing the fact that action will eventually flow from those beliefs.
The Naboo have not actually lived "in peace" with their Gungan neighbors for years, as Queen Amidala later states. Why? Because they have not addressed the rift between the cultures, the moral failure of Naboo people feeling superior.
The real Queen comes out of her disguise as a handmaiden to humble herself before the Gungan leader, Boss Nass, when times get SUPERdesperate and the Naboo SUPERneed an army. It is very generous of Boss Nass to accept this plea.
PADME: We are your humble servants... our fate is in your hands.
BOSS NASS: Yousa no tinken yousa greater den da Gungans... Mesa like dis. Maybe wesa bein friends.
Flaw #2- Distance from a Center of Law
BIBBLE: Your negotiations seem to have failed, Ambassador.
QUI-GON: The negotiations never took place. Your Highness, we must make contact with the Republic.
The Naboo trade with planets in the Republic; the Naboo have a representative in the Republic. So they think they are protected by the Republic's dedication to peace and justice.
However, the planet of Naboo is so distant from the central planet of Coruscant (where galactic politics take place) that when it is attacked by another member of the Republic, (the Trade Federation), no one on Coruscant can confirm the event.
The Republic moves at a glacial pace to solve such distant problems. They send Jedi ambassadors to the scene; the ambassadors receive no respect because the Republic has no real power in the far reaches of the Outer Rim. They listen to Queen Amidala, but do not send aid because of a technical rule... they lack any compassion for the faceless, nameless deaths of the Naboo.
Perhaps in a successful pacifist society, there would be a strong web connecting different groups all dedicated to the same peaceful cause. If the Republic were stronger, maybe the Trade Federation would have never overstepped.
Are these flaws relevant?
Well, you probably never thought that Star Wars: The Phantom Menace would bring you anything but grief... and this ridiculous candy:
But maybe it can! From observing the Naboo, we learned that a peaceful society must condemn patterns of oppression and work towards membership in a strong network of peace-seeking allies. I know of one country that can do better on both of those counts...
P.S. Also, the Naboo produced Palpatine- the eventual Supreme Chancellor and then later Emperor also called Darth Sidious! What a great influence on the galaxy. You go, Naboo.
