Empire Strikes Back Isn’t the End of the Series

When Luke Skywalker fired the ion torpedoes that blew up the Death Star in the first Star Wars, theatergoers didn’t know that was only the beginning of the story. In hindsight, we know that the Empire would strike back, building an even bigger Death Star and continuing to terrorize the galaxy.

Empire Strikes Back was bleak. Despite an early win, the Rebellion knew what they were up against. The fight to overturn tyranny and free the galaxy wouldn’t be easy. It would require some to learn new skills, give up allegiances, and stand for justice.

The Rebellion was built on hope, a hope that all sentient beings in the galaxy would have peace and freedom from oppression. This hope fueled the Skywalker Saga and continues to power Star Wars stories today.

Yet, here in the real world, hope can often be difficult to find.

Last week’s election was brutal. There will be countless think-pieces about what went wrong, but this isn’t one of them. Frankly, I chalk the loss up to apathy. Over 20 million fewer people voted in 2024 than in 2020. But, again, I’m not here to look back. Instead, I want to look forward.

Things are going to be worse than they were in Trump 1.0.

Back then, the people surrounding Trump still considered him a typical government figure. Despite the nonsense policies, most people around him acted like most people in Washington and tried to keep him in check.

Now, we all know the truth: Trump is easily manipulated by wealthy and powerful people. These wannabe oligarchs will exploit their proximity to Trump, getting what they want until he gets tired of them or finds a shinier objective. Real people are going to get hurt, and as oppressive as Trump 1.0 was, Trump 2.0 is likely going to be way worse.

Despite all of this, I still have hope for our country. The Empire is striking back, but the Rebellion isn’t done. A brighter future is possible — one where we care for each other rather than only focusing on ourselves. A future where tyranny is put to bed once and for all.

I honestly don’t know what the next steps are yet, but I do know that the Empire never wins.

Post Script

Practically every writer I follow lamented the election this week. Garbage Day discussed how last week’s results will likely spread throughout the world, Platformer looked at why all the billionaires were quick to kiss the ring, and McSweeney’s even played the same second Death Star angle. While all of these were good reads, no one captured the reality better than Molly White.

Molly’s Wind the Clock issue explores what happened, how feeling is ok, and how to prepare for Trump 2.0. There are practical suggestions, like exploring VPNs and avoiding billionaire-owned social media. But Molly also provides a great look at how to fight. Rebellions are built on hope, and Molly delivers it in spades.

For anyone feeling like you don’t know what to do, I urge you to think hard about what matters most to you, and look for ways to fight for those things — particularly if you have specific skills that you can put to use. Are you a good writer? Tech savvy? A compelling leader? Good at coming up with new ideas? Find things that play to your strengths. And most importantly, find people who are members of communities under threat and/or experienced organizers doing this work already, and ask them what they need. Help the people around you. Be there for the people you love.