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

[faust2001]

So Batman is a fascist, too?
Well, he does where a black shirt . . . .
Oh, and did Batman allow terrorists to kill 3000 people?
Why is it that W seems more like the Joker?

[Grunty1]

Bush: A smirking sociopath who harms others for fun and takes whatever he wants.
That's not Batman, that's the Joker.

Besides, there is photographic evidence that the B'ush Adminstration make up the Batman villians:
B'ush = Joker
C'ondi = Catwoman
R'umsfeld = Riddler (a known unknown)
C'heney = Penguin
Mc'Cain = Two Face
R'ove = King Tut
Man on Dog = ManBat

[speeddeeps]

True lol

[bronceye]

Batman in the bellfryman.

[kpb]

this is just dumb. plain dumb. batman chose to put his panopticon in the hands of a trusted mentor who then destroyed it. meanwhile in real time, presidential powers expand like the michelin man.

[axt113]

in fact Batman built the self destruct in

[swift goat pet for truth]

Batman, personally, went out to fight.

Bush sends others to fight, bleed and die for him.

Batman also does not make up lies in order to do things.

And lastly, Batman is as nuts as the people he fights.
I mean, putting on a bat costume? Putting his physical safety in danger on a daily basis?

[neocon666]

Good point -W actually putting his life in danger? That's a laugh.
W's Batman would hire someone to do the fighting for him.

[AustinCynic]

You've got it exactly right. The only way Bush is Batman is if we're on Bizarro World.

If you want to compare Bush to a comic book figure, go with The Comedian from Watchmen. They're both amoral men willing work for whoever will give them the most license. Except that's a little unfair to The Comedian, since he (in the world of Watchmen) fought in both WWII and Vietnam.

[thegreatgiginthesky]

Yea I'm sure this bumbling fool is the same as a suave Bruce Wayne.

[levibatgirl]

I wonder if batman had a bunch of cronies in the wings making big money as long as he fought certain 'bad guys' sitting on a bunch of oil?

[flymic]

After seven years, everybody knows Dubya is at BEST a side kick. i would even say its an insult to R-obin to compare him to an the inept "CIC".

[TRex86]

The bat should should sue. Being compared to the worst president in history is slanderous.

[lincat]

Geez , what crap.

[biglith]

Who is the Joker?

[Peteyman]

I'd bet it's Obama.

It's a load of s**t

[TRex86]

I would recommend pre-medicating with Zofran and Compazine before reading that ditzy editorial. I just puked up my morning coffee.
God save us from the neo-Nazis on the WSJ editorial board and their comic book world view.

[zendem1]

Does this mean McCain is Alfred?

[zendem1]

Goofy.

[larry278]

Yeah, the WSJ says W is Batman. How about Cheney as Batman & W as Robin? Hey, Cheney's middle name is Bruce too. W's life & legacy are a sure thing for a graphic [comic book] format.