Jar Jar Economics

"Yeah, well I blame George Lucas."

"Oh for... Well you seem to have been consistantly blaming Lucas for everything bad the last few years.  Do tell - how has this creator of fiction caused the current economic crisis?"

"You say that, but the economy itself is a fiction."

"Ok, a Frank Capra angel."

"Yeah, was going to stretch a metaphor around the Force or maybe people not believing in faries, but... nice Darmok.  Anyway, you see these guys on the trading floors, high ups in the investment banks.  Lot of guys in their 30s."

"Ok, go on."

"So, back in the 90s most of the previous guys in those positions were of cinema attending age in 1977 - when the original Star Wars was released.  But a lot of the guys today were either not born or two young to see Star Wars in the cinema.  Empire came out in 1980, Jedi in 1983."

"Oh, god.  Is this like when you openly mock people for believing in star signs, but then go on to contend that people's attitudes can be determined by who their first Doctor Who was?"

"Your close-minded attitude clearly marks you out as Tom Baker's, but yes, it's very much like that.  If you came to Star Wars between 77 and 80, or after 83, you had a very different perspective.  Those people had hope - new hope.  Their story ended in a very visibly defeated enemy, celebrations, medals, dancing teddy bears, whatever.  But for those years between Empire and Jedi...  You found out you were adopted and your real dad was a dick, had your hand cut off, your best friend flash frozen.  Bleak.  Precious little hope ahead. It's got to have some impact.  If you were a Star Wars obsessed 12-year-old in 1982, you're a 38-year-old today.  And hey, maybe you are managing pension funds or something.  It's not even a curve - it's high in 77, drops rapidly in 1980, then shoots back up in 83.  Not movie quality, mind you - just the perception on how well the fictional war was going for the good guys."

"Well, three years is a long time in war.  Even a star war."

"It's an even longer time in economics."