WSJ Editorial: Batman Is President Bush

Via TNR, the Wall Street Journal publishes an editorial by Andrew Klavan declaring "The Dark Knight" really depicts our fearless leader:

A cry for help goes out from a city beleaguered by violence and fear: A beam of light flashed into the night sky, the dark symbol of a bat projected onto the surface of the racing clouds . . .

Oh, wait a minute. That's not a bat, actually. In fact, when you trace the outline with your finger, it looks kind of like . . . a "W."

There seems to me no question that the Batman film "The Dark Knight," currently breaking every box office record in history, is at some level a paean of praise to the fortitude and moral courage that has been shown by George W. Bush in this time of terror and war. Like W, Batman is vilified and despised for confronting terrorists in the only terms they understand. Like W, Batman sometimes has to push the boundaries of civil rights to deal with an emergency, certain that he will re-establish those boundaries when the emergency is past.

And like W, Batman understands that there is no moral equivalence between a free society -- in which people sometimes make the wrong choices -- and a criminal sect bent on destruction. The former must be cherished even in its moments of folly; the latter must be hounded to the gates of Hell.

No word yet on what Patrick Leahy thinks.

Comments

[eXcommunicate]

This article is complete bull$h!t. "The Dark Knight" is full of moral ambivalence, and that's what makes it an amazing movie.

[sugarmoes]

so... like... where is duhbyuh gonna make an appearance swooping down in his spankin new codpiece-laden batman suit?

[davism97]

You're seriously comparing W (a complete failure) to Batman (a comic book hero)?! I think you're a little batty yourself. W should be compared to Yo Sammity Sam the stupid gun swinging cowboy instead.

[swift goat pet for truth]

Shooting while yammering nonsensical diatribes.

I like the image

[JadedAggie]

Wow the Wall Street Journal must have gotten one bad batch of brownies.

[swift goat pet for truth]

No.

A REALLY GOOD one. ;-)

[DennyCrane]

Thanks for twisting the intent of the movie, which was to show men with good intentions can so easily bend the rules and break laws to achieve their goals. This Batman isn't being held up as a role model and his methods aren't being endorsed. If anything, the movie is trying to show the opposite, that this is not someone to admire, but in fact, deplore. Makes for a great character study, but please, PLEASE stop taking this movie and using it to support Bush's agenda.

[axt113]

Not true, Batman doesn't kill and is willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good, not to mention he doesn't abuse his powers; he isn't someone to deplore, however he is not a shining beacon either, he is a Dark Knight.

However trying to say Batman is anything like Bush is false, if Batman was the kind to kill or to abuse his powers you could make an argument, but the fact is whenever he gets close to that edge he always steps back from it. He stopped a monster without becoming a monster

[bikerdude]

When we refer to Bu sh as batty, we didn't mean as in Batman.

[96Bravo]

In THE DARK KNIGHT, Batman does perform certain ethically questionable actions like rendition (kidnapping a suspect out of Hong Kong), torture (strong arm interrogation of the Joker) and warrantless wiretapping (using sonar technology to listen in on cell phones)! But he's not entirely successful. His sonar surveillance system is ultimately destroyed by an ally. And his strong-arm tactics against the Joker only lead to false information.

Nonetheless, Batman bends and sometimes breaks the rules so government and law enforcement officials don't have to. His butler Alfred tells Batman/Bruce Wayne to "endure"...continue on as Batman to do what other people can't. Even if it makes him the outcast.

Because when someone virtuous like District Attorney Harvey Dent goes too far...when he breaks the very laws he swore to uphold...society edges closer to chaos.

[axt113]

Actually Batman built the self destruct in, he told Lucius to key in his name, that was what set it off. Batman had already intended to destroy it before hand.

Now as for the other stuff, yes Batman does bend the rules, however he has a code of ethics that he doesn't cross, even Superman has killed, but Batman hasn't.

[Budokan]

I wish Batman were president. He'd be better than the freak show we've got now.

[Marlyn]

IMPEACHMENT TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

[McLacy]

This just shows how deluded people can be and that they are still passing the koolaid around and it's as strong as ever. To equate Bush with anyone is to drag the equivalent into the dregs of society and to insult them.

To quote Stephanie Miller, "I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit..."

[Andman0121]

HAHAHAHA I challenge ONE conservative troll to actually support this ludicrous WSJ assertion. G.W. is sort of like the Batman???? REALLY?

[GlennHar]

Batman in the new movie is portrayed as being like President Bush? I had no idea. I probably won't go see it, then. I have no interest in seeing Batman portrayed as a pathetic idiot.

[kissmygrits]

uhhhhhhhhhhhh, WHAT? I mean, WTF are you smoking over there at the WSJ... must be some seriously strong sh*t.

[Bendersky]

As I read, I kept waiting for the punchline. I have no idea why, but I'm still amazed that there are even a handful of people who are able to ignore all evidence to the contrary and see exactly what they want to see in this administration. "Noble" Mr. Klavan? George Bush "fighting terrorism"? Is that what you call the man who has become the recruiting poster boy for Al Qaeda, the man who resolutely decided to respond to 9/11 by asking people to go shopping and by invading a country that had nothing to do with the attacks? Talk about republican revisionism. I wonder if even 12 years from now they'll be trying to paint W. out as nobley as they're trying to do with Reagan.

[NickNas]

I was going to see that Movie this weekend. With this image in my head I can no longer go. The Makers of this movie can count 2 less tickets. Thank the WSJ