The Jedi Knights are Like the Taliban

So as I mentioned previously, there's an ongoing discussion among some political bloggers about the ideological affiliation of the Jedi. Are they libertarian, socialist, or centrist? The discussion has continued with further suggestions. Adam Serwer of The American Prospect seems to think (if I understand him correctly) that the Jedi had a problem with effective government. Jonathan Bernstein thinks that the struggles of the Jedi relate to decentralized governance. But Seth Masket offers this inflammatory view:

There are no great analogues for the Jedi in modern American society. They are a secretive, powerful religious sect contracted by the Republic to do vital governing tasks that include policing and diplomacy. Perhaps the Knights Templar were similar in some ways, although I don't think the Knights had any real authority within European society. Their jurisdiction was the Holy Land. In some ways, the Jedi sound more like the Taliban than anything we've got going in the U.S.

Link via reddit | Image: Lucasfilm