Beltway Banthas
187 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 months ago - ★★★★★ - 111 ratingsBeltway Banthas is a monthly Star Wars podcast about the intersection of Star Wars and politics. Host, Stephen Kent, draws from politics IRL and connects the big problems we face to lessons in the Star Wars universe. Whether it be discourse about redemption, empathy, humility or hot button topics ranging from racial justice to cancel culture, Beltway Banthas takes it all on.
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Episodes
Beltway Banthas Interview: Dan Wallace of The Rebel Files
March 08, 2018 17:00 - 1 hour - 73.4 MBDan Wallace is the author of beloved Star Wars books "The Jedi Path" "Book of the Sith" and "Imperial Handbook". Now he has penned another behind the scenes manuel for the Rebellion and joins the show to talk about it. John Liang interviewed Wallace last week and got the scoop on what the book reveals about the rebellion, galactic politics and more. Stephen and Swara also convene in the start of this episode to review the finale of Star Wars Rebels on Disney XD.
Ep #51: Rey, Kylo and Political Force Discourse
March 01, 2018 17:00 - 1 hour - 81.9 MBRey and Kylo are seemingly total opposites...until the events of The Last Jedi. Through the Force and circumstance, these two foes connect in a way they never expected. Turns out - they have a lot in common. This week we are joined by Caitlin and Charlotte of the Skytalkers Podcasts to discuss "Reylo" and how it might relate to our own worlds broken politics
Kristen Soltis Anderson on The Last Jedi, Reviews & Trolling
February 22, 2018 17:00 - 56 minutes - 65 MBLet's get political! This week on Beltway Banthas we are rejoined by Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson of The Pollsters Podcast. Kristen is a huge Star Wars fan and came on to talk with Stephen about Rotten Tomatoes scores and how trolls factor into public perception of a movie.
Ep #50: Celebrating Chancellor's Day
February 15, 2018 17:00 - 56 minutes - 64.2 MBSwara and guest host Heath Williams of Rogue Podron discuss parallels between US presidents throughout American history and the various chief executives of Star Wars. From Chancellors Vallorum to Villecham, we trace the trends of executive leadership and how they compare to various occupants of the White House.
Beltway Banthas Interview: Stu Burguiere of The Glenn Beck Program
February 08, 2018 17:00 - 1 hour - 74 MBHello Banthas! This week we are joined by radio producer and head writer for Glenn Beck, Mr. Stu Burguiere. Stu is a big time Star Wars fan and all around enjoyable radio personality. We thought you'd enjoy this behind the curtain conversation with a notable conservative radio personality and fan. Stephen and Stu discuss his career trajectory, working with Beck, Star Wars role in his life and how the theme of the new films is exposing frauds. Every other week we try to introduce our list...
Ep #49: The People's Star Wars ft. Anthony Breznican
February 01, 2018 17:00 - 59 minutes - 67.9 MBIn our latest episode delving into the politics of The Last Jedi, we are joined by Entertainment Weekly's Anthony Breznican to discuss populism in the film! Do we use this term correctly? Are we actually seeing what is traditionally known as "populism" in the film? What does it really mean for common people to rise to power? We tackle all these questions and more!
Beltway Banthas Interview: Star Wars author Ken Liu
January 25, 2018 17:00 - 51 minutes - 59.2 MBHello Banthas! This week we are excited to be joined by renowned science-fiction and fantasy author Ken Liu. His short stories have appeared in F&SF, Asimov's, Analog, Lightspeed, Clarkesworld and he recently debuted in Star Wars canon helming The Legends of Luke Skywalker. Ken joined our producer John Liang for a call where they discuss his background, Asian themes in Star Wars and the experience of adding to the new universe.
Ep #47: Wealth, War and Canto Bight
January 18, 2018 17:00 - 1 hour - 77.7 MBIt's the first of our in-depth discussion on The Last Jedi. This week we discuss the politics of Canto Bight! Joining us to discuss is political scientist Seth Masket! We discuss war profiteering, socioeconomic inequality, whether we think the sequence carries apt allegories, partisan interpretations of the sequence, and much more!
Beltway Banthas Interview: Emperor Trumpatine
January 11, 2018 17:00 - 43 minutes - 49.3 MBHello Banthas and welcome to our first interview of 2018! This week we had the distinct honor of meeting the real humans behind the curtain of @RealTrumpatine, Twitters most prolific Star Wars and politics account. Every day the Emperor Trumpatine account pumps out amazing comedic content echoing whatever President Trump is Tweeting that day. It has kept us laughing from 2015 to today. This has been a year in the making, so meet Dan Udell and Tom Hunt, the two halves of the Trumpatine brain....
Beltway Banthas Interview: Emperor Trumpatine
January 11, 2018 17:00 - 43 minutes - 49.3 MBHello Banthas and welcome to our first interview of 2018! This week we had the distinct honor of meeting the real humans behind the curtain of @RealTrumpatine, Twitters most prolific Star Wars and politics account. Every day the Emperor Trumpatine account pumps out amazing comedic content echoing whatever President Trump is Tweeting that day. It has kept us laughing from 2015 to today. This has been a year in the making, so meet Dan Udell and Tom Hunt, the two halves of the Trumpatine brain.
Ep #46: OMG The Last Jedi
January 04, 2018 17:00 - 1 hour - 68.7 MBWe’re back from our holiday hiatus! Stephen and Swara FINALLY offer their first spoiler-filled thoughts on The Last Jedi. This is the first of many episodes we’ll be having on this deeply layered film. In this episode, we touch all our favorite parts and hangups. We also overview its many political themes and list out what we’ll be talking about in the coming weeks. In this episodes Bantha Fodder segment, we kick off our new Patreon Bantha Fodder series patron Isaiah Leslie, who sent in h...
Ep #46: OMG The Last Jedi
January 04, 2018 17:00 - 1 hour - 68.7 MBWe’re back from our holiday hiatus! Stephen and Swara FINALLY offer their first spoiler-filled thoughts on The Last Jedi. This is the first of many episodes we’ll be having on this deeply layered film. In this episode, we touch all our favorite parts and hangups. We also overview its many political themes and list out what we’ll be talking about in the coming weeks. In this episodes Bantha Fodder segment, we kick off our new Patreon Bantha Fodder series patron Isaiah Leslie, who sent in h...
Beltway Banthas & Friends: Live Show in Arlington
December 14, 2017 18:00 - 1 hour - 81 MBBeltway Banthas is all about bringing people together - so this week we did just that. Past guests of the show, GOP pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson (host of The Pollsters Podcast), Ben Domenech (The Federalist), Tamara Keith & Scott Detrow (NPR Politics) gathered at the Arlington library in Virginia to share their love of Star Wars.
Ep #45: Operation Cinder & Star Wars Polls
December 07, 2017 17:00 - 59 minutes - 68.4 MBWhat did the Empire do in the days and weeks following Return of the Jedi? It's not a simple happy ending. The Emperor left orders for Operation Cinder, a brutal campaign that would leave countless dead and the groundwork laid for the First Order. This week we discuss Operation Cinder and real world parallels.
Ep #44: The Last Jedi's Political Intrigue
November 30, 2017 17:00 - 53 minutes - 61.5 MBThe galaxy is total upheaval! The events of Episode VII left the political order of Star Wars in a fascinating state of disarray. This week on Beltway Banthas the crew looks at The Last Jedi and it's political questions. This is an episode of speculation, intrigue and analysis about a movie we are all dying to see.
Ep #44: The Last Jedi's Political Intrigue
November 30, 2017 17:00 - 53 minutes - 61.5 MBThe galaxy is total upheaval! The events of Episode VII left the political order of Star Wars in a fascinating state of disarray. This week on Beltway Banthas the crew looks at The Last Jedi and it's political questions. This is an episode of speculation, intrigue and analysis about a movie we are all dying to see. Swara, Stephen and John Liang also banter about Thanksgiving, Star Wars Battlefront 2, EA Games big controversy and much more! Want to support the show? Visit us on Patreon a...
An Important Message From Beltway Banthas
November 23, 2017 17:00 - 22 minutes - 25.4 MBHappy Thanksgiving! Beltway Banthas is taking this week off to connect with family & friends, but we did want to speak to you on this holiday. First, we want to thank you! This audience is amazing. We also share things we are thankful for in Star Wars and politics, as well as read your Tweets. Finally...some important announcements about the future of the show. Stick around for those in this holiday broadcast.
Interview: Clayton Sandell of ABC News
November 18, 2017 20:00 - 53 minutes - 61.1 MBClayton Sandell is a digital news reporter and correspondent for ABC News. You may know his work during the launch of Rogue One: A Story Wars Story when ABC went behind the scenes to see how Tarkin was brought back to life.
Ep #43: Palpatine, Manafort & Treason
November 09, 2017 17:00 - 1 hour - 83.6 MBIt's treason then! This week we discuss how the Jedi botched the removal of Chancellor Palpatine. Had they done it more carefully, maybe the Empire would have never risen. Stephen is joined by guests Josh Gilliland of The Legal Geeks and Kate Sanchez of the But Why Tho Podcast.
Ep #42: Princess of Alderaan
October 26, 2017 13:00 - 1 hour - 87.9 MBIn this episode, Tricia Barr (@fangirlcantina) of the Fangirls Going Rogue podcast and founder of Fangirlblog, along with contributor John Liang (@juanjohnjedi), joins Beltway Banthas for a spoiler-filled discussion of one of the most recently released novels: Claudia Gray’s Leia: Princess of Alderaan, and what we learn about the politics of the Rebellion.
Interview: Looking for Leia (Dr. Annalise Ophelian)
October 19, 2017 14:00 - 1 hour - 129 MBDr. Annalise Ophelian, the driving force behind Looking for Leia, joins us for a discussion on women in fandom, sexism, social movements, how to ensure fandom is inclusive.
Episode #41: I Will Make It Legal
October 12, 2017 16:00 - 1 hour - 88.7 MBIn this jam packed episode, we seek wise counsel from The Legal Geeks podcast. Jessica Mederson and Josh Gilliland run The Legal Geeks blog and podcast, where they break down the burning questions of law in sci-fi. They joined Beltway Banthas to address droids rights, liability for the Death Star, Han's right to stand his ground and much more.
Ep #40: The New Republic Era ft. Chuck Wendig
September 28, 2017 16:00 - 52 minutes - 95.9 MBChuck Wendig is author of The Aftermath Trilogy, a series of stories that take place in the tumultuous time after Return of the Jedi. For our 40th episode, we chatted with Wendig about the politics of the era and how a Star Wars author learns about the galaxy in which they are writing.
Holy Star Wars: Vader, Christ, Hate & Redemption
September 21, 2017 01:28 - 59 minutes - 68.1 MBHoly Star Wars Batman! Stephen was interviewed by Jason Flatt about defining redemption through the lens of Christianity. Together they apply this conversation to Star Wars and also our worlds nastiest politics - the politics of hate. This interview originally appeared on the Holy Star Wars podcast. We felt it was an awesome enough conversation on relevant topics to Beltway Banthas to share with you. Jason and Stephen go through the definition and cultural understanding of redemption. Nex...
Ep #39: Lessons from Inferno Squad
September 14, 2017 14:00 - 1 hour - 74.7 MBThis week on Beltway Banthas we discuss Inferno Squad, the new Star Wars book by Christie Golden. The story takes us inside a faction of Saw Gerrera's Partisans with Iden Versio, an undercover Imperial with the elite - Inferno Squad. We talk about political violence, legitimate forms of resistance and how it's not always if you fight that matters - but how you fight. This was a timely book to say the least. It took us to talking about groups like Antifa and how they play into the #resist m...
Ep #39: Lessons from Inferno Squad
September 14, 2017 14:00 - 1 hour - 74.7 MBThis week on Beltway Banthas we discuss Inferno Squad, the new Star Wars book by Christie Golden. The story takes us inside a faction of Saw Gerrera's Partisans with Iden Versio, an undercover Imperial with the elite - Inferno Squad.
Interview: Mike Cooper of Eleven-ThirtyEight
September 07, 2017 11:48 - 1 hour - 74.2 MBEleven-ThirtyEight is a living journal of news and opinion dedicated to producing analytical pieces on all things Star Wars. In this week's interview episode, we talk to the creator and Editor-in-Chief of the site, Mike Cooper! We talk about the political message of the prequels, the creative process for Star Wars, his vision behind the website and much more!
Ep #38: Galactic Peacekeepers ft. Steele Saunders
August 31, 2017 12:30 - 1 hour - 135 MB"For over a thousand generations the Jedi were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic." Were the Jedi effective were they as galactic peacekeepers? Should they have been so beholden to Republic law? This week with guests Steele Saunders of the Steele Wars podcast and Mark Eldridge of the Jedi Archives podcast and ElevenThirtyEight, we discuss this topic and much more!
Interview: Vince Houghton of the International Spy Museum
August 24, 2017 12:00 - 47 minutes - 54.6 MBIn our latest interview episode, John Liang speaks with Vince Houghton, historian and curator at the International Spy Museum. He's a massive Star Wars fan. They talk about how he he fell in love with Star Wars, why he thinks Princess Leia is the most famous fictional rebel spy in history, and all the great lies and deceptions in Star Wars spy craft!
Ep #37: The First Order's Fire & Fury
August 17, 2017 13:00 - 1 hour - 81.4 MBThe First Order are an ideological and vicious military organization dedicated to one thing: making the galaxy great again. But for whom? This week with guest Ross Brown of FanGirlBlog.com we look at how the First Order rose to be such a threat to the galaxy.
Return of the Masket: Amusing Ourselves Into Tyranny
August 10, 2017 16:00 - 30 minutes - 35.4 MBSeth Masket, political scientist and professor at the University of Denver, sees something ominous in the background of the Star Wars Holiday Special. He wrote about the politics of the campy Star Wars program in Mischiefs of Faction, a blog for Vox. The piece is called Amusing Ourselves Into Tyranny, sound familiar?
Return of the Masket: Amusing Ourselves Into Tyranny
August 10, 2017 16:00 - 30 minutes - 35.4 MBSeth Masket, political scientist and professor at the University of Denver, sees something ominous in the background of the Star Wars Holiday Special. He wrote about the politics of the campy Star Wars program in Mischiefs of Faction, a blog for Vox. The piece is called Amusing Ourselves Into Tyranny, sound familiar? Before the interview, Swara and Stephen react to news of Disney pulling out of their deal with Netflix and the promise of a Disney streaming service. Is this capitalism run a...
Ep #36: Race, Representation & Reconciliation
August 03, 2017 15:30 - 1 hour - 84.5 MBToday on Beltway Banthas, Swara and Stephen reconcile a dispute. Representation and diversity on screen is the hot topic of the day and it's more charged than ever. We discuss a disagreement had off the air in total transparency. Our goal was to better understand some feelings about identity politics in pop-culture. The reason we say feelings, and not arguments, is because there is a time for for both. People seek to be understood, listened to and not disparaged for the feelings they are...
Ep #36: Race, Representation & Reconciliation
August 03, 2017 15:30 - 1 hour - 84.5 MBToday on Beltway Banthas, Swara and Stephen reconcile a dispute. Representation and diversity on screen is the hot topic of the day and it's more charged than ever. We discuss a disagreement had off the show in total transparency and seek to better understand some feelings about identity politics in pop-culture.
Interview: David Barnes (Generation Opportunity) & Al Downs (Americans for Prosperity)
July 27, 2017 12:30 - 50 minutes - 57.8 MBAl Downs and David Barnes dissect the Republic's deregulation of the banks and whether or not that is an accurate reflection of how government handles crisis, and they also share their favorite moments in the saga.
Ep #35: Politician Profile of Leia Organa
July 20, 2017 13:00 - 1 hour - 88.2 MBToday on Beltway Banthas we shine our politician spotlight on the greatest politician the Star Wars universe has ever known, the beloved Princess, Senator and General...Leia Organa. Our very special guests are Charlotte Errity and Caitlin Plesher of the Skytalkers Podcast and show producer John Liang. Together we discuss the history, politics and power of Star Wars most iconic politician/princess. Obviously with the loss of our beloved Carrie Fisher this was a difficult episode to record....
Interview: Graham Vyse (New Republic)
July 13, 2017 12:00 - 50 minutes - 92.9 MBThe latest in our interview series! Swara interviews staff writer at the New Republic magazine, Graham Vyse! We cover everything from his fandom, to Virginia politics, national politics, Star Wars parallels and more! The New Republic is one of the oldest progressive publications in the U.S., and Graham is one of their best new writers. We had a great discussion about the origin of his fandom, how Star Wars informed his politics, and cover state and national politics. Later we go into what ...
Ep #34: Defining Freedom in Star Wars
July 06, 2017 12:30 - 1 hour - 72.6 MBTo welcome July 4th, Stephen, Swara, and Brittany Elisa discuss the concept of freedom in the Star Wars universe. We discuss what it might mean to different characters such as Luke, Rey, Jyn Erso, and even Emperor Palpatine! In the spirit of our Independence Day celebrating freedom, this is a free-flowing discussion touching upon all things from freedom of opportunity, economic freedom, the ability to pursue your dreams and much more. We also answer your emails asking about all things polit...
Interview: Andrew Heaton (Reason)
June 29, 2017 21:00 - 38 minutes - 44.1 MBAndrew Heaton is a comedian in NYC who is a growing staple of libertarian media. He worked with John Stossel at Fox Business and now at Reason Magazine working on The Mostly Weekly Show. Andrew is an incredibly funny guy and uniquely deep Star Wars fan that go on and on with anyone about the politics, philosophy and humor at length. He has a voice for radio and TV that could have only been made by Zeus himself and it was really great to get his take on Star Wars humor and more. Andrew shar...
Ep #33: The Politics of Thrawn
June 22, 2017 12:30 - 1 hour - 76.7 MBThis week, Stephen and Swara are joined by good friend of the show, blogger at BrownsReview.com and Fangirlblog.com, Ross Brown! We discuss the politics of Timothy Zahn's novel Thrawn. The Banthas discuss insights into Imperial social hierarchy, the Empire's alien policy, the meteoric rise of Grand Admiral Thrawn and Governor Pryce and much more! We also discuss what we think of Colin Trevorrow directing episode IX after his latest film has been trashed by critics, delve into our Bantha F...
Interview: Dave Summers (Americans For Prosperity)
June 16, 2017 12:00 - 43 minutes - 50.1 MBThis weeks interview is with Dave Summers of Americans for Prosperity, a grassroots organization affiliated with the Koch brothers. Dave is a huge Star Wars fan and a Governor Tarkin enthusiast. Stephen and Dave talk about his fandoms roots, why Tarkin is so awesome and how a strong corporate culture like that of the Koch's could have helped Tarkin succeed in his most desperate hour. If you enjoyed this interview check out our back catalogue of amazing politico Star Wars fans. Do you know ...
Ep #32: The Politics of Disney (ft. Amy Ratcliffe)
June 08, 2017 13:00 - 59 minutes - 67.9 MBIs Star Wars different in the era of Disney? In this episode we look at how the internal politics of Disney impact creative and business choices for Star Wars. Amy Ratcliffe of Lattes With Leia joins us for the discussion and shares her insights on how Disney functions and what motivates their thinking on issues of the day. This is a fun conversation you don't want to miss. Stay up to date with Beltway Banthas by subscribing on iTunes or Google Play. Also follow us on Facebook to catch ou...
Bonus Episode: AdmiralNick22 on Star Wars Political Cartography
June 01, 2017 12:00 - 37 minutes - 42.6 MBBONUS EPISODE! Today on this special release of Beltway Banthas Stephen & Swara talk about the Vanity Fair Star Wars spread, are joined by Stephen's daughter and discuss fan theorizing. Next, AdmiralNick22 (follow him on Twitter) of the ElevenThirtyEight blog joins Stephen to talk about his recent piece outlining the political cartography of the galaxy after Return of the Jedi. It's a fascinating and in-depth piece of work we highly recommend you go check out for peak Star Wars nerdom. Re...
Ep #31: Money In Galactic Politics (Part I)
May 25, 2017 13:00 - 1 hour - 70.5 MBStephen and Swara discuss the role of money in politics in the Star Wars universe. The discussion covers the role of the Trade Federation in The Phantom Menace, and how the concern of money in politics is plays out in our own world. George Lucas' message in prequel trilogy on the dangers of money in politics was pretty clear. We discuss the roots of that message and how average Americans feel about this issue. Stephen and Swara also touch upon some real world political news, read a listene...
Interview: Ben Domenech (The Federalist)
May 18, 2017 13:00 - 48 minutes - 55.8 MBThis week on Beltway Banthas we continue our interview series, where one of our hosts interview someone of note who works in or around politics about their fandom of Star Wars. Stephen went to Hillsdale College's Kirby Center to chat with Ben Domenech, host of The Federalist Radio Hour and publisher of The Federalist. We talk about Ben's deep Star Wars roots, why Star Wars continues to be culturally compelling and also a bit about The Federalist's approach to content and Star Wars. I ask ...
Ep #30: Mon Mothma - A Life of Public Service
May 10, 2017 23:45 - 1 hour - 160 MBIt's time again form Star Wars politics! This week Swara and guest host Carly Lane (Nerdist, Syfywire, Supergirl Radio) delve into the history, political philosophy and escapades of the leader of the Rebel Alliance, Mon Mothma. Senator/Chancellor/Commander-in-Chief Mon Mothma has been through and seen it all in the Star Wars universe. From her time in the Old Republic, denouncing Palpatine’s authority and to her leadership of the Rebellion to founding the New Republic, Mon Mothma’s life pr...
Ep #29: Star Wars Military (Live panel from SWCO)
April 27, 2017 12:10 - 1 hour - 90.8 MBOur good friend John Liang (@JuanJohnJedi) was in Orlando for Star Wars Celebration (SWCO), where he was part of a panel discussing the military history of the Star Wars universe. He joined Thomas Harper, who led the panel, and Jason Fry to discuss the galaxy's history of military engagement, background on weapons and armaments, military justice in the Star Wars universe, and more! Follow these panelists on Twitter for more insight on the military history of Star Wars! John Liang @JuanJohnJed...
Beltway Banthas Special: Swara's Round Table (Live from Star Wars Celebration)
April 20, 2017 02:52 - 42 minutes - 78.9 MBLike so many Star Wars fans, Swara of Beltway Banthas was Orlando last weekend for Star Wars Celebration (SWCO)! It goes without saying that the Force was strong there, and so was a love of politics. Huddled together in a hotel room in Orlando, Swara brought together a group of friends and fans to talk about Star Wars, politics and escapism. Swara's round table featured Carly Lane (Supergirl Radio, Nerdist), Dennis Keithly (Starships, Sabers & Scoundrels) and Joe Tavano (Retrozap, Brews & Bla...
Ep #28: Budgets, Bombs & Bankers
April 11, 2017 17:14 - 1 hour - 88.2 MBThis week we’re discussing the most exciting and most invigorating you could think of: budgets! Specifically, military appropriations and government spending in the Star Wars universe! We’re joined by our friend John Liang, military journalist and mega Star Wars fan, to discuss how fiscal battles played out during the Clone Wars, and how we see that in our own politics. We also discuss John and Swara’s upcoming trip to STAR WARS CELEBRATION ORLANDO (!!!), Rogue One playing on Air Force One, P...
Ep #27 : The Powerful Politics Of Padmé
March 30, 2017 00:25 - 1 hour - 162 MBNo character captures intergalactic and real world politics better than Padme Amidala Naberrie of Naboo. This week we dive into the political ideals of Padme and also her legacy with fans. Allyson Gronowitz (The Mary Sue, Polygon) joins the show to help break down why Padme is beloved, but also divisive for so many fans. Spoiler: It has something to do with politics. Perfect for an episode of Beltway Banthas! We also review some Star Wars themed political ads out of a Congressional race in Ge...