Beltway Banthas

The only Star Wars podcast dedicated to exploring the politics of a galaxy far, far away and why they matter.

Beltway Banthas is a podcast about the intersection of Star Wars and politics. For host Stephen Kent, one of those things is politics. Star Wars draws from our world’s politics just as much as it contributes to it by influencing policymakers, journalists and thought leaders. On this podcast, we seek to understand how Star Wars impacts the world we live in, while also covering the Star Wars news, gossip and hype of the day.

Beltway Banthas: General Leia, Marcus Aurelius and the state of the Beltway Banthas podcast

by RetroZap Staff March 25, 2022

Beltway Banthas is in a new season of it’s life called ‘This Is The Way,’ a run of episodes focused on taking Star Wars wisdom and turning it out onto real life.

Beltway Banthas: Yoda, being prepared and a prayer for Ukraine

by RetroZap Staff March 16, 2022

Introducing THIS IS THE WAY, a new series from Beltway Banthas focused on putting the virtues and lessons on living from Star Wars into action. From the Stoics such as Seneca all the way to Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars, we have profound lessons on focus on preparedness.

How The Force Can Fix The World: How Kylo Ren, Rey and love brought balance to the Force

by RetroZap Staff November 5, 2021

This episode is an explainer on how Rey and Kylo Ren eventually brought balance to the Force, and why the Jedi and Sith both fail when it comes to having a healthy relationship with the emotion of LOVE. This reflection is a new line of episodes leading up to the release of How The Force Can Fix The World

How The Force Can Fix The World: Rey Skywalker & your power to choose

by RetroZap Staff November 4, 2021

Do we have free will and the power to choose our own destiny? Star Wars is clear eyed about both the power and reality of choice, but also the gravity of choices that were made FOR us. How have you had choices in your life limited by circumstance for the actions of others? How The Force Can Fix The World by Stephen Kent holds an answer.

Beltway Banthas: How Star Wars Mirrors The American Culture Wars ft Tom Luongo

by RetroZap Staff September 19, 2021

Star Wars, like any worthwhile piece of art, will always reflect the tensions of trials of the time in which it was created. This was the case for the original trilogy in a post-Vietnam America, and it was for the prequels during the Bush years and the War on Terror. Star Wars clicked with the mood of the times, because the mood impacted the films while they were made.

Beltway Banthas: In Star Wars and in life, Empathy is a dangerous necessity

by RetroZap Staff September 12, 2021

Combining elements of French’s post on his Substack, FrenchPress and my upcoming book, How The Force Can Fix The World, this episode lays out why Empathy can be dangerous, but exactly the kind of danger we need to face head on.

Beltway Banthas: Making “How The Force Can Fix The World” into an audiobook

by RetroZap Staff August 14, 2021

In this Beltway Banthas, check out what’s going on with the making of How The Force Can Fix The World for Audible + Bad Batch review

Beltway Banthas: Empathy is a gift to yourself, Star Wars can help you find it

by RetroZap Staff August 2, 2021

This show is about empathy, and what Star Wars helps to teach us about this valuable principle and how it can be part of our lives

Beltway Banthas: Tyrants love your despair, but Star Wars is fighting for hope

by RetroZap Staff July 11, 2021

This week on Beltway Banthas, some thoughts on why the struggle for hope is hopeless times is the good fight. Logan Albright joins the show to talk about his recent op-ed on the problem of hopelessness & rising deaths of despair, and what it means for our politics and relationships

Beltway Banthas: How the FORCE can fix the world, weekly listener hangouts and Star Wars life lessons

by RetroZap Staff May 27, 2021

Banthas! We’re back and up and running after a brief disturbance in the Force. On this episode, Stephen Kent breaks down the latest in the journey toward publishing a book based on this very podcast and the life lessons embedded in Star Wars. Here you can listen to Stephen read the draft Introduction to the book: How The Force Can Fix The World: Lessons on Life, Liberty, and Happiness From a Galaxy Far, Far Away.