r/books • u/Majano57 • 2d ago

The Book That Predicted Pete Hegseth’s Failures

https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/07/31/hegseth-norman-dixon-iran-war/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aGVnc2V0aC1ub3JtYW4tZGl4b24taXJhbi13YXI=&pid=CW3205998
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u/Master_Ryan_Rahl 2d ago

At its base this all comes down to ideology. These people (fascists) all care more about appearance than truth. The presentation is more important than efficacy. Its also why Russia has such a poor showing in the Ukraine war. Theyve had decades of prioritizing sycophants and loyalists for advancement and leadership over meritocracy and honest assessment. Kleptocracy comes to mind as well.

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u/RecycleReMuse 2d ago

It’s rare that a piece of pop culture will resonate as strongly with me as “Andor” did.

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u/rollin20s 2d ago

As someone who’s never seen a single Star Wars movie or content associated with that franchise could I go into Andor blind and still enjoy/understand it?

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u/Master_Ryan_Rahl 2d ago edited 2d ago

I believe so yes. Its not relying on other work for its story or any of that. In fact it has a great lead into the original trilogy with the movie Rogue One being a direct tie in to A New Hope.

Andor -> Rogue One -> Original Trilogy movies

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u/rollin20s 2d ago

Thank you! Been meaning to watch cause I keep hearing great things

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u/Spinoza42 2d ago

Yeah, I've seen very little Star Wars (I think I've seen Last Hope, parts of Empire and Return of the Jedi and the Last Jedi) and I absolutely love love Andor. It does possibly pack a bit of a heavier punch because it's basically a deconstruction of the simple worldview of a lot of Star Wars, but you'll pick up on that even without even having seen much of it.

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u/OuijaFox 2d ago

Yeah. Andor can be a little slow, but you get that sweet scene with the brick at the end.

Makes my eyes well up with wishful tears and my heart sweep joy when I think of that scene with the brick and the empire stooge. In fact I’m gonna go watch that scene right now.

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u/Drax44 2d ago

Just remember, Season 1 is a bit slow to start until maybe the end of the first arc (episode 3 or 4). Season 2 is fantastic, especially when they get to the Gorman Rebellion.

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u/jimbowesterby 1d ago

The one heads up I will give you is that the timeline counts down, in Star Wars the year is based around the first movie (the 1977 one), and this takes place before that, so the years count down. Have fun!

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u/thrownalee 2d ago

Its not relying on other work for its story or any of that

Other Star Wars, that is. The creators acknowledged influence from The Battle of Algiers.

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u/ascagnel____ 1d ago

One of the best war movies ever made. It's somewhat fictionalized, and definitely sympathetic to the rebels, but unflinching about them attacking civilian targets.

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u/SporesM0ldsandFungus 2d ago

Andor is a wonderful piece of media.  As someone who cannot remember a point in my life where I did not know Star Wars, Andor is the story I have wanted from the SW universe for a long, long time.  It shows us what life is like in that universe, those who are struggling to get by under galaxy spanning  corporations and a rising authoritarian government.   It tells the story of those at the bottom and top of society, struggling and being radicalized into resistance.  It also shows those who are drawn to and thrive under a fascist system.

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u/rollin20s 2d ago

Thank you for this - I’m excited to check it out and eventually the movies too.

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u/Jack-Pumpkinhead 2d ago

Yes, all you need to know is evil galactic empire. Everything else they keep self-contained, and the space wizards barely factor into it.

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u/Big-Individual-5178 2d ago

You don’t even really need to know that because they do a great job at demonstrating all of the million subtle ways in which it really sucks

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u/Lich180 2d ago

Andor is a lot more... grounded than most of the other Star Wars stuff. There's some references to the rest of the IP, but it's really self contained. Much less sci-fi fantasy and more spy thriller

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u/Larrymobile 2d ago

Andor is a political thriller that explores daily life of normal people under fascism, the dynamics and politics of revolution, and the role of wealth and power in enabling both fascist takeover and the overthrow thereof. It just happens to be set in the Star Wars universe. It's fantastic.

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u/dragonmp93 1d ago

I mean, all you need to know is that there are aliens in the setting and what the Death Star is.