STAR WARS

Using Force against authorities

On to Mos Eisley spaceport. Per Kenobi, "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy". How is it you know this, old hermit Ben? Come to Mos Eisley often, do you?

Okay, couple things to note about Ben's use of the Force with the Stormtroopers. First, the troopers actually seem pretty polite. We don't see them roughing up any motorists or pedestrians, knocking over any fruit stands, rounding up innocents just to persecute them - nothing of the sort. Second, watch how easily Kenobi manipulates the trooper. Relaxed, confident, he disuades the trooper almost casually. Makes you wonder what he could do if he really concentrated, eh? Like, say if he thought the fate of the galaxy was at stake. Oh, wait... Run, Luke, run!

That little display of the Force with the troopers shows us how it can be used to influence the thoughts and actions of others. He tells Luke that "the Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded". A subtle joke at Luke�s expense? Is he so confident at this point that he's telling Luke that he's controlling his mind?

I question everything about this saga, so I had to figure out if the Force could be used at all to control others or if this was just another lie. Jedi mind tricks are commonly discussed however, and this trait is commonly accepted within the Star Wars universe, so it gets a lot of validation. It�s not too extraordinary to imagine that a meditation/philosophy/training could produce Rasputin-like charisma. An intergalactic school of Mesmerism, if you will. We don't hear the term "Jedi mind trick" until Return of the Jedi, when we're also introduced to the idea that some folks are immune to said tricks. Kenobi himself says the Force can be effective on the "weak-minded", and criminals seem to be immune (Jabba, Han, Lando are good examples. In the new trilogy Watto is immune and an opportunistic business man - in other words, a criminal:). Successful criminals are (usually) fairly sharp individuals. Is this why the royals employ criminals so readily, to have people on hand who can't be swayed by the Jedi? Seems to be the case. Solo and Calrissian are active criminals who are recruited by the rebels and then promoted to generals. I see.