The Jedi not doing a damn thing to stop the slavery trade on Tattooine just show how singleminded they were during that time, concentrating only on what missions the council deemed "necessary". I think it shows the weakness of the Order and why they were destined to fall. It's a similar fate that the Order is facing once again in the Legacy of the Force books that recently have been coming out.
The thing is, I don't think it's an intentional thing, a well-crafted story element. I think the whole slavery thing was written for Ep 1, then quickly forgotten.
It's one thing for the Jedi Knights to have become a bloated political entity that might ignore the plight of a few slaves in the Outer Rim, but who are the heroes/protagonists of the PT? Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Padme. How are we supposed to get involved with these characters & care about their fates if they are the type of people who would intentionally ignore the plight of slaves?
I think it was just a matter of some dramatic debt that was incurred in Ep 1, and Lucas & Co. didn't deem it necessary to address it in later episodes. That's an easier explanation for me to swallow than:
1. The wise & kind Obi-Wan Kenobi decides to ignore people in need
2. The noble & politically active Padme to ignore slavery, especially when her own people suffered a military occupation and she was willing to die to fight that
3. Anakin, whose entire PT character arc is based upon the fact that he loves his loved ones too much, is willing to ignore his mother's slavery for a decade.
The STAR WARS universe isn't dramatically water-tight. Even within the OT, there are plot holes and character aberrations that stem from 11th hour story changes and plot overhauls. As fans, our first course is to come up with rationalizations to caulk up the plot holes.
My point was, the main characters of the PT (not the Jedi council, but the heroes) ignoring slavery is something that even I, a STAR WARS loyalista, have a hard time concocting a good excuse for.
That's all!
-Adam
