From: wggray@rodan.acs.syr.edu (William G. Gray)
Subject: Re: Luke's lightsaber
Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 92 16:06:47 EST

In article <1eee4qINN6av@gap.caltech.edu> keith@cco.caltech.edu (Keith Allan Schneider) writes:
>flowerpt@coos.dartmouth.edu (Bill McGonigle) writes:
>
>>In article <1e9k4qINNqsc@gap.caltech.edu> keith@cco.caltech.edu (Keith Allan Schneider) writes:
>>>flowerpt@coos.dartmouth.edu (Bill McGonigle) writes:
>>>
         (...Snip...)>
>
>No, I still disagree.  For example, the wind can propel a clipper ship, but
>this does not mean that the same wind can propel a bullet at muzzle
>velocity.  Do you see the difference?  The force can not cause the desired
>local intensity, but it can apply a small force on a large scale.  Again,
>while the wind can move a ship, it can't stop a cannonball-type projectile.
>
Actually, the wind CAN propel objects faster than a bullet: tornadoes have been known to propel pieces of straw through telephone poles. Besides, I think that
you are comparing the Force with the wrong type of idea. The force is nothing
like the wind. It is more like using your will and your mind to accomplish
whatever tasks you set it to do. Therefore, the stronger your resolve and your
concentration (not to mention your natural talent for using the force) anything
is possible. That's why Yoda tells Luke that you can only DO things--the force
will only let you accomplish what you really believe you can accomplish.
>>Yoda knows that size matters not, but I don't think that Vader knows that.  It
>>seems like he's a pretty mediocre Jedi.  Left his training early, and filled
>>in the blanks with Dark Side tricks.  And the emperor didn't need to do anything
>>to make the rebels get destroyed.  He figured that there was no way they
>>could get the shield down, and the DS was going to pick off the ships one by
>>one.  
>
>It always seemed to me that the Emperor's Force abilities were an afterthought,
>anyway.
>
Afterthought??!! Then why did george Lucas make it obvious that Palpatine
was himself a (dark) master of the force in TESB, by showing Vader grovelling
to him? Surely, if Vader was the only Force-wielding Imperial, then HE would
have been Emperor!
>
>>>But the point is that there weren't any intricate actions.  You couldn't pinch
>>>my nose closed with the Force...
>
>>How about your throat?  "I find your lack of faith disturbing."
>
>Well, someone could easily manipulate my mind to cause me to gag, but since
>I have little control over my nose...
>
I have my doubts as to whether or not the force is causing you to gag yourself,
it seems to be more likely that your own willpower can stop the force from
affecting you, but it is the power of the force itself that acts in the manner
directed by the user.
>
>>>However, it is clear from the movies that Jedis AREN'T invincible.  Remeber
>>>that the Jedi were all but exterminated before Star Wars too place.
>
>>True, but it took another Jedi to help destroy them.
>
>Oh?  Who was that?
>
We don't know too much about the clone wars (when the Jedi were destroyed)
except that, like the evil Jedi in Dark Force Rising (his name eludes me at
the moment), it seems Jedi were being cloned to fight other Jedi, and
subsequently, almost all of them died.
>--Wild Bill