• Euergetes [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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    8 days ago

    uh like naboo disputed something, in some way, and that necessitated a blockade for reasons

    it’s so funny how the phantom menace has this rep of being too dry from political minutiae when there are literally no concrete details on the inciting events for the plot. not even in the expanded universe materials!

    • I googled it and if the ai summary can be believed i guess the TF was motivated by new taxes on outer rim trade routes, so it was a tax thing, but it was ultimately engineered by Palpatine to “garner sympathy in the Senate” so he was made chancellor

      I forget that he was supposed to be from naboo lol

      • Euergetes [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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        8 days ago

        we don’t even know which jurisdiction levies taxes, it shouldn’t be naboo ir else why would it be a galactic issue, but then why would you blockade a random planet over taxes across a wide area like the outer rim???

        the amount of autonomy republic members had is never pinned down, some of them have (elected!!!) royalty like naboo, others seem to be hereditary, many have independent militaries, but the crux of the issue is either naboo specifically pissed off the federation within their rights–then the federation’s response is probably somewhat fair play–or the republic actually governs interplanetary trade and there’s no explanation for why it ought to be naboo.

        • WizardOfLoneliness [they/them, comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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          8 days ago

          I think naboo was targeted just because it was vulnerable? and the TF wanted to force them into terms that would make them their puppet? implying resource extraction rights etc etc etc. And I guess the tax stuff was just what prompted the TF to make that maneuver? idk

          there’s no explanation for why it ought to be naboo.

          i mean ultimately it’s “a space wizard did it” if it was something Palpatine wanted, someone else said Nute Gunray owed his viceroyship to Palpatine? maybe palpatine got him his seat and then “betrayed” the TF by supporting the tax stuff, so the TF targeted naboo to get back at its senator? again idk we’re probably putting more effort into thinking about it than george lucas did