Okay, question: Why do I see so many grown adults saying they don't understand politics of The Phantom Menace? I can understand thinking the politics are too complicated for children, or that they're boring, or that they're too complicated for the other aspects to be given proper screentime... But confusing for adults?
There are some weird issues with the politics in TPM, which is that they never explain
why Sidious wants the Trade Federation to invade Naboo and get a treaty signed or what that would really accomplish for the Neimoidians, or why a dispute over the taxation of trade routes would lead to the TF blockading Naboo. It all makes sense when you remember that Palpatine's goal is to get himself into the chancellorship, but by itself it seems wonky.
Palpatine didn't plan on Amidala escaping and pleading with the Senate - he just turned that around and used it to his advantage. His original plan was to show just how corrupt the Senate was by creating a scenario where the TF pulled off an outrageously illegal stunt and the weak chancellor would be forced to recognize it; he could then call for a vote of no confidence and get himself elected. Instead, one Amidala escaped, he just had her do the plea for him before suzerainty could be recognized in the first place, and it all worked out. Presumably the TF just went along with whatever Sidious told them to do because they were greedy and he convinced them it would somehow be to their benefit. The EU came up with a good explanation about how the taxation of trade routes was a political crisis relating to the Stark Hyperspace War and how Naboo had a lot of plasma that the TF could control the trade of, but unfortunately that's all wiped out now. It would've been helpful if this stuff had been in the movie but then people would probably be even more bored.
I think George didn't really care about the reason behind the dispute because frankly it's not important. What's important is that Palpatine was manipulating the bureaucracy. It's like, nobody really cares to remember that Obamacare got passed through the weird arcane laws that Congress has set up (reconciliation), they just remember that it got passed. George probably felt like he didn't need to actually explain the trade dispute and processes behind everything so long as people understood "Hey Palpatine is controlling everything", but a lot of people just ended up confused. Just like people get confused over something as simple the New Republic/Resistance relationship.
This is why streamlining things isn't always a good thing.
E, might buy the Ahsoka/Anakin Pack
