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Beltway Banthas

Beltway Banthas

Stephen Kent

Beltway 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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Top 10 Beltway Banthas Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Beltway Banthas episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Beltway Banthas for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Beltway Banthas episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Beltway Banthas - Ep #68: The Not So Phantom Menace
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01/24/19 • 49 min

This week on Beltway Banthas, Robby Soave of Reason Magazine joins the show to talk the politics of Episode I: The Phantom Menace. We cover trade disputes, slavery on Tatooine, the aloof Jedi Order and Vladimir Putin.
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Beltway Banthas - Ep #51: Rey, Kylo and Political Force Discourse
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03/01/18 • 71 min

Rey 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
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Beltway Banthas - Interview: Mike Cooper of Eleven-ThirtyEight
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09/07/17 • 64 min

Eleven-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!
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Beltway Banthas - Ep #34: Defining Freedom in Star Wars
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07/06/17 • 63 min

To 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 politics and Star Wars!

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Beltway Banthas - Interview: Dave Summers (Americans For Prosperity)
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06/16/17 • 43 min

This 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 someone in the DC area who needs to be on this show? Tell us about them. Tweet us @BeltwayBanthas or @Stephen_Kent89.

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Ever wanted to peek behind the curtain of the making of an Audiobook? Now you can! In this episode of Beltway Banthas, check out what's going on with the making of How The Force Can Fix The World for Audible. Stick around for a preview of Stephen Kent's appearance on the Around The Galaxy podcast to talk about the politics of Star Wars fandom, and a review of the Bad Batch season one finale.

Get the book! HOW THE FORCE CAN FIX THE WORLD by Stephen Kent: https://www.centerstreet.com/titles/stephen-kent/how-the-force-can-fix-the-world/9781546000488/

Listen to Around the Galaxy ft. Stephen Kent: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/126-stephen-kent-this-war-represents-a-failure-to-listen/id1460815340?i=1000530039034

Join the newsletter: https://politicizeme.substack.com/

If you like politics, check out Stephen Kent's new show: https://www.youtube.com/c/rightlyaj/

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Beltway Banthas - Ep #13: One Horny Politician
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09/22/16 • 53 min

This week, we will have order! In this episode we delve into the character of Mas Amedda, that horned blue guy who lingers behind Palpatine throughout the prequels. Yes he is important. Yes he is powerful. His political career is meteoric and something fascinating that we discuss with Mike DeRose of the "You Seek Knowledge" podcast. Mike was an Amedda fan before it was cool. Connect with Mike on Twitter @LiveTheForce Tirso and Stephen also discuss Mark Hamill backing California legislation, Star Wars Rebels and dish bantha fodder. Our audience is amazing and so is this project. #WearStarWarsEveryDay founder James Floyd has a GoFundMe up to benefit the Collateral Repair Project, which helps urban refugees with emergency aid, education, and community building in Amman, Jordan. Please consider checking out this project and giving ON Force Friday, Sept 30th, that is ON Friday the 30th. Cite Beltway Banthas in the description of your donation! Let's show the Star Wars universe that the Force is strong with our audience. Link: https://www.gofundme.com/WearStarWars2016 Find Tirso Perez on Twitter @ItsJustTirso Stephen Kent @Stephen_Kent89 Please do leave us a review on iTunes and shoot us email! We'd love to hear your thoughts on the topics and get your feedback. May the Force be with you this week
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Beltway Banthas - Ep #9: The World According to Star Wars
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07/28/16 • 53 min

What a crazy month. In the world of Star Wars we all just experienced in person or through the power of Internet, Star Wars Celebration. Here in the world of current events and politics, lots has changed as well. In this weeks episode the Beltway Banthas share with you some audio from AEI's book talk on "The World According to Star Wars", a love letter to Star Wars by Cass Sunstein (former head of regulatory affairs in the White House under the Obama Admin). Cass talks through the chapters of his book, offering a broad view of why Star Wars was successful, and what lessons we can take away from it as observers of politics. This is a book we highly recommend..for a larger view of the Force. We are also joined by Zuri Davis (Rare Politics) for a dissection of the shooting in Dallas, and the deep & worsening racial divide in America today. This is a part of our developing series "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." The dynamic between people of color and police can be looked at through the prism of Yoda's warning to Anakin, so we dive into this tough topic. Thanks for coming on this wild ride of Star Wars + Politics with us! Drop us a review on iTunes and connect with the show on Twitter. @BeltwayBanthas @Stephen_Kent89 @ItsJustTirso @Zuri_Davis
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Beltway Banthas - Star Wars on hope, fear and a much needed New Year
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12/31/20 • 35 min

Star Wars is all about conquering fear. Naming it. Facing it. It's the destiny of a Jedi after all. This episode is a reflection on fear, attachment and the search for hope beyond 2020. It's okay if you don't feel hope. This year has been hard. But nevertheless, "hope is like the sun...if you only believe in it when you see it, you'll never make it through the night." Happy New Years everyone. May the Force be with you.
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Beltway Banthas - The Clone Wars and the politics of starving
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03/26/20 • 65 min

Season 7 of The Clone Wars is live on Disney+ and it's as political as ever. Characters have to make real hard moral choices given their economic status, which is the making of a great Beltway Banthas episode. Bernie Sanders organizer Mohammed Shakibnia joins the show to dissect The Clone Wars political themes. Plus! Herb Scribner of the Deseret News makes a guest appearance to reflect on the messages of "The Bad Batch" episodes, and what they say about war, trauma and fandom.
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FAQ

How many episodes does Beltway Banthas have?

Beltway Banthas currently has 158 episodes available.

What topics does Beltway Banthas cover?

The podcast is about Podcasts and Tv & Film.

What is the most popular episode on Beltway Banthas?

The episode title 'E.K. Johnston on Padme, Trade Wars and the politics of Naboo' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Beltway Banthas?

The average episode length on Beltway Banthas is 55 minutes.

How often are episodes of Beltway Banthas released?

Episodes of Beltway Banthas are typically released every 7 days, 8 hours.

When was the first episode of Beltway Banthas?

The first episode of Beltway Banthas was released on May 1, 2016.

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