Quote Originally Posted by The MunchKING View Post
But in that case say they are aristocratic, seems a bit like Zim is exaghgerating to try to discredit the Rebellion since of the two people with aristocratic titles, both are said to be ceremonial/meaningless and the leader's own skill in diplomacy is how they got their position in the Old Republic, and their willingness to fight (and fact that they owned ships) was what got them into the rebellion.
The persistence of aristocratic titles is only one indication of the reactionary nature of the ARR - a far better one, as you point out, are its incorporation into itself of virtually private armies. It's also telling that from the earliest points had its power base in the Senate. The Senate gets conflated with a democratic chamber because Lucas doesn't know anything about anything, but it isn't. It doesn't represent populations, but individual worlds regardless of population, as well as groups like the Trade Federation and Techno Union. It is more like a medieval Estate than anything else.

Quote Originally Posted by Clistenes View Post
Sometimes a king decides he is so awesome that he really needs a fancier title and starts calling himself "Emperor", even if he hasn't conquered anything. There are a few examples in the real world. I remember the case of a king whose parents and grandparents had unified several kingdoms through marriage, and who tried to have the Pope grant him an imperial title... In other cases, the monarch just wanted a title as fancy or fancier than his neighbors (I can remember at least two examples of monarchies doing that...).
Do you want help with that whitewash, Tom?

By the way, the Ironborn are a perfect example of a despicable "Resistance" that is way worse than the "Empire..."
Aren't the Greyjoys supporting the Iron Throne at this point? Or is that just in the show?