Kenobi: A New Lie

Obi Wan Kenobi is manipulative and a liar. 

My Background

I loved Star Wars (SW) growing up. Star Wars was a big part of my childhood, but now it's hard to care. Click here for a longer version of my background. Because Star Wars is a global empire, I'm often called to action in a Star Wars discussions. Thus, this rant.

Introduction

The World According to Star Wars, by Cass R. Sunstein, provides excellent Star Wars commentary. Sunstein's passion and intellectualism inspired me to rewatch the Prequel Trilogy (PT) and the Original Trilogy (OT) in chronological order, episodes 1-6. A few friends joined me and we discussed, mostly argued, about the movies. I was mostly complaining about logical inconsistencies and the childish parts. Watching the movies became more like work than fun. Most of the time, I would have preferred to do something else. There are a lot of great scenes and shots, but the non great aspects distract me so much from the story.

This time, it is blatantly obvious that the Jedi are wrong about most important issues addressed in the Star Wars trilogies. This topic inspired a three part series titled The Jedi Suck:

• Kenobi: A New Lie - Obi-Wan Kenobi sucks.
• Yoda: The Empire Tells the Truth - Yoda's mistakes highlight how Jedi suck
  
• Jedi Suck: Return of the Same - not sure yet, but it needs a 3rd essay.

The Jedi Suck series will sum why the Jedi suck by focusing on the errors of the two remaining Jedi in the OT. (don't get me wrong the Sith suck too, but no essay required for that).

Master of Manipulation

Shortly after Obi Wan Kenobi saved Luke Skywalker and the droids from Sandpeople, the camera shoots to Luke and Kenobi discussing Anakin Skywalker. Kenobi uses Anakin Skywalker to manipulate Luke against Uncle Owen: (click here to read or watch the full scene within the original context)

"That's what your uncle told you. He didn't hold with your father's ideals. Thought he should have stayed here and not gotten involved."

This sets up Uncle Owen as the opposition. According to the Prequel Trilogy, Uncle Owen is a step sibling with next to zero interactions with Anakin. Kenobi insinuates Uncle Own choose to lie about Luke's father. But Kenobi was the one who delivered Luke to Owen. Kenobi most likely instructed Owen to raise the newborn and hide his identity. Why not tell Luke more of the truth? Why not give Luke a clearer and more complete version of the story? Luke is with Owen because of Kenobi and the Jedi! Not because of Luke's parents or Uncle Owen. Kenobi and Yoda decided to hide Luke and keep the truth from Luke. Owen has been the father to Luke, not Kenobi. Kenobi has been a strange old hermit. You could argue Owen is more concerned with Luke's well being than Kenobi. For these reasons, Kenobi manipulates Luke. Kenobi adds:

"I have something here for you. Your father wanted you to have this {light saber] when you were old enough, but your uncle wouldn't allow it. He feared you might follow old Obi-Wan on some damned-fool idealistic crusade like your father did."

Straight lie. Anakin Skywalker didn't tell Kenobi about his wife's pregnancy, not to mention leaving a light saber for a child. Kenobi further pits Luke against his Owen. Kenobi implies that it's Owen who prevented Luke from training, fighting, and adventures.

Luke asks Kenobi how his father died. Kenobi says:

"A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights. He betrayed and murdered your father. Now the Jedi are all but extinct. Vader was seduced by the dark side of the Force."

This is the most acceptable lie in the conversation, but still a lie, and questionably acceptable. 

After Leia's message, Kenobi wants Luke to join him on a mission. Luke says no. Kenobi says:

"That's your uncle talking;"

Kenobi is constructing Owen as the manipulator. According to Kenobi's reasoning and information provided, Owen holds Luke back from Anakin's wants and desires.

Recap of manipulation, Kenobi creates an opposition between Luke and Owen by describing differences  between Anakin and Owen (the accuracy of these claims are questionable). As far as Luke knows, Kenobi reveals the truth about Luke's father (although Kenobi intentionally didn't). This exposes Uncle Owen as untrustworthy (but Kenobi is as, if not more, untrustworthy). In conclusion, Kenobi links Luke's ideas with Uncle Owen's lies.

Finally Kenobi reminds Luke that the choice is Luke's, not Uncle Owen's. Kenobi says:

"You must do what you feel is right, of course."

Of course! Kenobi gives Luke the illusion of agency. Luke is free to choose. Except, Luke can not properly" feel" what is right because he isn't well informed.  Kenobi is well informed, and he could have better informed Luke. Yet, Kenobi plays the "you must do what you feel is right, of course" card.

This is text book manipulation. The scene structurally parallels how Palpatine deceives Anakin in Revenge of the Sith. Palpatine draws attention to insecurities of Anakin's. Palpatine uses those insecurities to cast doubt on the Jedi, Senator Amidala, and Kenobi. Palpatine's manipulation is more blatant, but Kenobi is doing the same thing. He's lying or bending the truth to manipulate Luke against the inevitable argument with Uncle Owen about leaving home. Kenobi doesn't know Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru are dead. So he needs to distance Luke from Owen and create reasons to build credibility of Owen. Kenobi does this by using Luke's attachment to his biological father (more on this to come in parts two and three). Kenobi is building his authority and argument by aligning himself with Anakin, the jedi. Kenobi ignores Anakin's fall to the dark side and the responsibility Kenobi feels about his role in Anakin's fall. Kenobi leaves out all the parts about the jedi being incompetent and misguided which would be very important for a person considering following an old hermit on a suicide mission.

Luke isn't informed enough to "do what he feels is right." Owen doesn't get the chance refute what Kenobi says, and Kenobi controls the flow of information. After Owen's death, Luke is left with few if any alternatives options than to follow Kenobi. 

(I'm going to note, but not expand, that Luke could have and would have banged his sister because of Kenobi's lies)

Was Kenobi Right?

Hell no.

Kenobi is controlling Luke's decision by not giving Luke more information. I doubt many Star Wars fans would want to be treated that way by a mentor. I doubt many education, psychology, or economic studies find that being less informed makes for preferable decision making.

Kenobi is the school district that only teaches abstinence only sexual education. It's ineffective, but even if it was effective, it'd be questionable because it doesn't help students make informed choices. It doesn't help students understand the complexities of sex, sexual relations, biology, etc. It's a manipulative approach to education that attempts to control young people. Abstinence only policy makers may have the students best interest in their minds, but that doesn't make it right. Kenobi isn't being selfish, but that doesn't make him right either.

Kenobi doesn't trust people because of the fall of Anakin and the Republic. Kenobi doesn't trust Luke to make the right choice. Kenobi thinks he knows what's best for Luke because he learned from his and the jedi's failures with Anakin. As usual, Kenobi and the Jedi learned the wrong lesson. Luke restores balance to the galaxy because of his attachments, not because of old jedi living in isolation. More to these ideas in the next essays.

Conclusion

Don't be like Kenobi! (Luke eventually makes similar mistakes with Ben Solo)

Teach your children, students, mentees, etc by educating them. Education isn't and shouldn't be a selection bias to protect students. Students and young people are resilient. Don't let the Darth Vaders of the world earn credibility by telling or teaching young people "the truth." The truth about topics that teachers/parents avoided for someone's protection. Tell your Lukes yourself. They can handle it and learn from it. Teach them to think critically and attempt to make rational choices. Teach them a variety of systems of thinking. They'll be able to use the force better with the more tools and knowledge they have.