If anything in the preceding paragraph turns out to be even partially true, billions of us humans will need to figure out how to handle real power in a responsible fashion comparatively quickly, even though we haven't done so well at this in the past. I'm convinced that Star Wars, notwithstanding its fairy tale elements and its elitism (inherently necessary, though they may be), could help. By watching and participating vicariously, every viewer becomes a Luke, a Leia, an Obiwan, and even an Anakin--including his Darth Vader aspects--in imagination in order to grapple with the big questions of power and responsibility, and to learn really important lessons of decision-making, self control, and love, lessons that go far beyond the ones delineated by David Brin. And, I must admit, in order to have some fun.
But, if Lucas didn't have the courage to create his characters, his galactic society, and his story as he did, reviewers, critics, and fans would have been thoroughly justified in writing the series off as an amusing exercies in Political Correctness, instead of honoring it as the honest depiction of the dangers and thrills of living in a magic universe that it is. I'm glad he did what he did. I consider myself lucky to be his contemporary.
Perhaps I'm wrong and Brin is right. Perhaps Lucas really intended to produce an inherently anti-democratic paen to the glories of natural elitism. If so, he chose a rather strange vehicle in which to carry his message--a magic universe with psi powers that could not possibly work in our universe. No midi-chlorians here for our would-be elites.
The Star Wars universe is not a nice universe. I wouldn't want to go there on vacation. But Lucas' worldbuilding is reasonably sound and his instincts for what may well be the most important things for us to know at this time are unerring. When I consider the magic universe the Star Wars movies portray, the ancient and very modern story that thrills us so, and the message I believe Lucas is trying to deliver--well, sorry David Brin, but with a few minor exceptions, I wouldn't change a thing.