nerdy[17:09] <Sparks> Only a Sith deals in absolutes.
[17:09] <KesKittaur> Sparks, but isn't that an absolutist statement in and of itself
[17:10] <KesKittaur> doesn't this mean that jedi themselves are sith?
[17:09] <KesKittaur> Sparks, but isn't that an absolutist statement in and of itself
[17:10] <KesKittaur> doesn't this mean that jedi themselves are sith?
This was something the original series hinted at a few times, but never really overtly said. The prequels on the other hand used this as a hammer in several places and eliminates any sympathy one may have for the supposed heroes, which I think was what killed the franchise there.
Warning: Heresy
The same heavy handedness is also why I didn't like Empire Strikes Back. It felt too...well...too heavy handed in the attempts to be Serious Science Fiction. Lucas is wonderful at the concept of Technicolor Space Opera -- bright, colorful, not too serious, epic space scenes, etc. However, much like technicolor, the subtlety gets lost somewhere along the way. The depth, the shadows, the unevenness of characters are what makes things wonderful and dark; I just have never felt that Empire had those things.
They were right when they got scared of Anakin being 'the one that will bring balance to the Force', since the scales were kinda tipped... And one kid supposedly being The Balance means either all of them would be gone except for the kid, or the kid would oppose them, all by himself. Which he mostly did.
In my opinion, the Jedi and the Sith are the same coin, and not neccesarily opposite sides. I'd even go as far as to call the Jedi the more dangerous evil.
Just look here...
Sith: "Hey mister planet leader. I think I know better than you and you should do what I say."
Leader: "And what if I don't?"
Sith: "We'll kill you and then blow up your planet. Simple as that."
Leader: "Oh, well, I better do what you say."
Sith: "Good boy."
OR
Jedi: "Hey mister planet leader. I think I know better than you and you should do what I say."
Leader: "And what if I don't?"
Jedi: "I know better than you and you should do what I say." *handwave*
Leader: "You know better than me and I will do what you say."
Jedi: "Good boy."
Jedi = Sith = Jedi = Sith = Just some buggers with Real Ultimate Power, both use it to control people, governments and/or planets. One of them's just more forwards in it than the other.