The Death of Truth, The Horrors of Now and Mon Mothma's Bad A** Speech.
World Building Wednesdays #8 The Death of Truth: Andor portrays the horrors of what is and what's to come.
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This past weekend, Star Wars fans across the galaxy celebrated May 4th- the unofficial, very official fan-made holiday born from the iconic “May the Force be with you.” And listen I’ve been a Star Wars fan before I knew what a bill was. I know the difference between BBY and ABY without searching. I have an Ewok tattoo inked on my arm like a badge of honor. My first car? Named Endor. And yes, on a work trip to Tunis, I made a pilgrimage to the Tunisian desert just to stand where they filmed Tatooine-because when you love something, you go all in.
So imagine my rage-full Sith level fury-when my best friend Zack sent me this…..
As you can see, The White House - or whatever social manager is running an AI chaos machine over there - posted an image of Donald J. Trump looking like he's been on WWE level steroids, flexing muscles he’s never had, flanked by eagles, cloaked in what I think is supposed to be Jedi robes, and wielding a red lightsaber. And in the same breath, they wish everyone a Happy May 4th - including and I quote to “radical left lunatics”, who they blame are not the rebellion (which if we’re decoding, means we absolutely tf are).
To say I was confused is an understatement. First off, the Empire- the people with red lightsabers and the force chokeholds, are literally the ones in charge. They’re authoritarian. They crush dissent. They’re the ones who say “this is how life must be lived” while stomping over democracy. Second - let’s be clear: red lightsabers are made because they bleed red when the user has bent the crystal to their will and has chosen the dark side. It’s the Sith, bro. And finally - not to be rude - but the Sith are often villains, yes, but they’re also hot. Darth Maul? Kylo Ren? The Stranger? Anakin in Revenge of the Sith. Sorry but DJT? No no, not even close.
But I knew something was coming this week that would remind me exactly why I do this work. Why I call myself an organizer. Why I wear the title “rebel scum” like it’s a badge of honor. And that something? The drop of Episodes 7 through 9 - the penultimate arc - of the second and final season of Andor.
This is the moment Star Wars fans have been bracing for: the event that catalyzes the formation of the Rebel Alliance. The Ghorman Massacre. A tragedy so brutal, so inhumane, that it rips away the last shred of illusion that the Empire has any interest in peace, or the greater good.
Watching it unfold was painful,. But honestly? It was the build-up to the genocide that rattled me to my core. It was eerily familiar. The moment we first see the news coverage of the Ghormans, it’s not from their communities. The reporters aren’t in the neighborhoods, not talking to organizers, peaceful protesters or anyone living under the increase siege. They’re posted up comfortable near Empire HQ, parroting the state’s line. Talking about Ghorman’s, not with them. Talking about their traditions - of so-called violence- without getting to know about their society that is actually built on fashion and textiles. Sound familiar?
When Carro Rylanz rallies the Ghormans to decide what to do with the increased militarization, you can feel the friction- the deep, gut-wrenching tension- between those who believe in nonviolent resistance and those who are ready to fight fire with fire. How do you stay nonviolent when they’re willing to burn down your entire bloodline? How do you choose violence when they’ve got blasters, warships and the full weight of the Empire’s military machine?
It’s not a clean debate. There’s no “correct” stance - not on-screen, and definitely not in real life. Every liberation movement, from every corner of history, has wrestled with this impossible question. And this moment in Andor doesn’t offer easy answers. It just sits in that tension, and makes you hold it.
What struck me, though, was the way the galaxy- and by extension, our own world - is so quick to judge how the oppressed choose to resist. As if the oppressed were ever offered a fair menu of options to begin with. We can’t always understand someone’s lived experience - but we can meet them with empathy. That’s what these episodes gave me. A deep reminder: empathy is not neutrality. Empathy is choosing to see the full humanity of those who’ve been crushed under the boot.
I think about the lack of empathy in the United States currently towards immigrants, I feel the lack of empathy for Palestinians, I feel the lack of empathy towards the LGBTQ community, for women like myself that had to get abortions because I had no choice. I question how can you not? How can you not see it? When it’s right in front of your eyes and our so-called elected leaders can’t take a stand.
But speaking of taking a stand - what Mon Mothma does, with the quiet but crucial support of Senator Bail Organa, is the kind of political courage we are starving for in our real world. Bail yields his time, and Mon Mothma floats with her Senate podium and does not flinch. She doesn’t waver, doesn’t temper her words, she only speaks the truth - she publicly calls out the monsters: the Empire, Emperor Palpatine, the rot that’s infected every inch of their so called order.
Now, in Star Wars canon, we already knew she would give the speech that formally launches the Rebel Alliance. We’ve seen it in Rebels. We know where it leads to - Rogue One, to A New Hope. But that’s not what this moment is about. This wasn’t about history and canon. This was about right now. In a time where global fascism is clawing away at civic life - in the courts, in the streets, on our screens - we needed this speech. A clear, moral declaration from someone with power, saying enough. Because complicity has a body count. And silence? Silence is the Empire’s favorite weapon.
So, as we are seeing the Death of Truth right in front of our very eyes, ask yourself, what am I going to do in this moment? Read Mon Mothma’s speech below and find a way to fight. It won’t be the same fight for everyone but we must work together - for we don’t need to guess what a real life Emperor Palpatine will do, he is embodied by leaders across the globe and it’s time for our Rebel Alliance to rise.
And don’t forget to check out Project Fulcrum a newsletter, guide and campaign that has some useful lessons from Andor in this moment.
“Fellow senators, friends, colleagues, allies, adversaries, I stand before you this morning with a heavy heart. I stand this morning with a difficult message. I believe we are in crisis. The distance between what is said today and what is known to be true has become an abyss. Of all the things at risk, the loss of an objective reality is perhaps the most dangerous. The death of truth is the ultimate victory of evil. When truth leaves us, when we let it slip away, when it is ripped from our hands, we become vulnerable to the appetite of whatever monster screams the loudest. What took place yesterday… was unprovoked genocide. Yes, genocide! And the monster screaming the loudest, that we helped create, the monster who will come for us all, soon enough, is Emperor Palpatine.” - Mon Mothma, Episode 9, Andor Season 2.
This is so good really wanted to process this speech and how the massacre build up was screaming parallels to Gaza thank you Nelini
Want to discuss Andor Season 2 in the comments 👀👀👀