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: The Tibetan struggle and the Force’s threat to tyrants

by RetroZap Staff April 30, 2020

The Force is a threat. Ashwin Verghese of the International Campaign for Tibet sees this struggle playing out between the Tibetan people and the Chinese government.

Mayor Betsy Hodges on surviving, governing and escaping to Tatooine

by RetroZap Staff April 16, 2020

Beyond Hodge’s personal story, which is a remarkable one, Stephen Kent and Betsy Hodges trace how Star Wars explains redemption and why that matters for the world we live in.

Beltway Banthas Interview: Ben Domenech of The Federalist

by RetroZap Staff April 2, 2020

To supplement your social distancing we have a bonus episode with Ben Domenech, publisher of The Federalist. Ben and Stephen review the ending of the sequel trilogy and the case for The Mandalorian as the future of Star Wars storytelling.

Beltway Banthas #82: The Clone Wars and the politics of starving

by RetroZap Staff March 26, 2020

Characters in Star Wars: The Clone Wars have to make real hard moral choices given the constraints of their economic status, which is the making of a great Beltway Banthas episode.

Beltway Banthas Interview: Gene Park of the Washington Post

by RetroZap Staff March 19, 2020

Gene Park may have been the very first Star Wars fan to buy a ticket for Episode I: The Phantom Menace. It’s true! In this special Bantha interview, Washington Post gaming reporter Gene Park talks about his Star Wars fandom and how storytelling methods from video games have crept in and out of blockbuster films

Beltway Banthas #81: Can the Force fix America? ft. Maggie Lovitt

by RetroZap Staff March 12, 2020

Maggie and Stephen discuss the principles of Star Wars that improve American politics and life. “Hope” and “Redemption” is what we get into and it’s one of the best conversations yet on Beltway Banthas

Beltway Banthas #80: ReleaseTheJJCut: Star Wars and Conspiracy Theory

by RetroZap Staff January 9, 2020

Buzzfeed’s Ryan Broderick wrote The “Star Wars” Misinformation Hell Is The New Future Of Everything” and he couldn’t be more right.

Beltway Banthas #79: A Rise of Skywalker Review Spectacular!

by RetroZap Staff December 28, 2019

Stephen is joined by friends of the show to look at how The Rise of Skywalker does as a conclusion to STAR WARS, the good, the great, the bad and the ugly.

Beltway Banthas #78: The Rise of Andrew Heaton and the Case for Empire

by RetroZap Staff December 17, 2019

The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters this week! To discuss the hype and stakes for the film, comedian and baritone geek Andrew Heaton joins Beltway Banthas. We get into the return of Emperor Palpatine, Rey, fanboys vs The Last Jedi and Heaton’s recent interview of Jonathan Last, who notoriously penned “The Case For Empire” in the Weekly Standard