What Bush and Batman Have in Common

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.

"The Dark Knight," then, is a conservative movie about the war on terror. And like another such film, last year's "300," "The Dark Knight" is making a fortune depicting the values and necessities that the Bush administration cannot seem to articulate for beans.

Conversely, time after time, left-wing films about the war on terror -- films like "In The Valley of Elah," "Rendition" and "Redacted" -- which preach moral equivalence and advocate surrender, that disrespect the military and their mission, that seem unable to distinguish the difference between America and Islamo-fascism, have bombed more spectacularly than Operation Shock and Awe.

Why is it then that left-wingers feel free to make their films direct and realistic, whereas Hollywood conservatives have to put on a mask in order to speak what they know to be the truth? Why is it, indeed, that the conservative values that power our defense -- values like morality, faith, self-sacrifice and the nobility of fighting for the right -- only appear in fantasy or comic-inspired films like "300," "Lord of the Rings," "Narnia," "Spiderman 3" and now "The Dark Knight"?

The moment filmmakers take on the problem of Islamic terrorism in realistic films, suddenly those values vanish. The good guys become indistinguishable from the bad guys, and we end up denigrating the very heroes who defend us. Why should this be?

The answers to these questions seem to me to be embedded in the story of "The Dark Knight" itself: Doing what's right is hard, and speaking the truth is dangerous. Many have been abhorred for it, some killed, one crucified.

Leftists frequently complain that right-wing morality is simplistic. Morality is relative, they say; nuanced, complex. They're wrong, of course, even on their own terms.

Left and right, all Americans know that freedom is better than slavery, that love is better than hate, kindness better than cruelty, tolerance better than bigotry. We don't always know how we know these things, and yet mysteriously we know them nonetheless.

The true complexity arises when we must defend these values in a world that does not universally embrace them -- when we reach the place where we must be intolerant in order to defend tolerance, or unkind in order to defend kindness, or hateful in order to defend what we love.

When heroes arise who take those difficult duties on themselves, it is tempting for the rest of us to turn our backs on them, to vilify them in order to protect our own appearance of righteousness. We prosecute and execrate the violent soldier or the cruel interrogator in order to parade ourselves as paragons of the peaceful values they preserve. As Gary Oldman's Commissioner Gordon says of the hated and hunted Batman, "He has to run away -- because we have to chase him."

That's real moral complexity. And when our artistic community is ready to show that sometimes men must kill in order to preserve life; that sometimes they must violate their values in order to maintain those values; and that while movie stars may strut in the bright light of our adulation for pretending to be heroes, true heroes often must slink in the shadows, slump-shouldered and despised -- then and only then will we be able to pay President Bush his due and make good and true films about the war on terror.

Perhaps that's when Hollywood conservatives will be able to take off their masks and speak plainly in the light of day.

Mr. Klavan has won two Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America. His new novel, "Empire of Lies" (An Otto Penzler Book, Harcourt), is about an ordinary man confronting the war on terror.

 

Like W, Batman is vilified and despised for confronting terrorists in the only terms they understand.

Actually, Batman isn't despised like Bush at all.  Poll for approval ratings of each    Looks like people's moral fiber is doing just fine, actually.

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.

ha ha

But the emergency is never past, I thought.   Isn't that what you all tell me?   Or you plan to stop wiretapping when Osama apologizes?

 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.

The former has not been cherished, the latter has not been hounded.  Quiet the opposite.

"The Dark Knight," then, is a conservative movie about the war on terror. And like another such film, last year's "300," "The Dark Knight" is making a fortune depicting the values and necessities that the Bush administration cannot seem to articulate for beans.

Not to defend the administrations PR skills, but perhaps its the subject matter, not the approach?

Just something to think about, while "reestablishing civil rights"

Why is it then that left-wingers feel free to make their films direct and realistic, whereas Hollywood conservatives have to put on a mask in order to speak what they know to be the truth?

Wait a second, this is a conservative movie now?  Did someone at leats notify the people who made the movie?  Or is this guy just full of sh*t?  Hmmm.. i wonder which.

Why is it, indeed, that the conservative values that power our defense -- values like morality, faith, self-sacrifice and the nobility of fighting for the right -- only appear in fantasy or comic-inspired films like "300," "Lord of the Rings," "Narnia," "Spiderman 3" and now "The Dark Knight"?

That's easy.  Because they are written for entertainment of imbiciles and children.  I am surprised the muppets aren't mentioned.

Left and right, all Americans know that freedom is better than slavery, that love is better than hate, kindness better than cruelty, tolerance better than bigotry. We don't always know how we know these things, and yet mysteriously we know them nonetheless.

Son of a *** .  Pretending he doesn't know how "we know these things".  Maybe he should ask someone.. Poor guy.

 

The true complexity arises when we must defend these values in a world that does not universally embrace them -- when we reach the place where we must be intolerant in order to defend tolerance, or unkind in order to defend kindness, or hateful in order to defend what we love.

And this guy is accusing someone of having "nuances"?  I thought he just said all was simple?  We are moral "when he says so", is only valid when the one who says it is in agreement with the reader.  Interesting view.

When heroes arise who take those difficult duties on themselves, it is tempting for the rest of us to turn our backs on them, to vilify them in order to protect our own appearance of righteousness.

He obviously does not fall under "us", so he is straight lying here.  It is not tempting for him at all.  In fact, quiet the opposite. 

We prosecute and execrate the violent soldier or the cruel interrogator in order to parade ourselves as paragons of the peaceful values they preserve.

Those of us whose morals do not come for a  "sometimes mysterious place", know that the best manifestation of these morals is self-judgement.  For instance - when a black jury convicts a black criminal.  That's HUGE, that is when a boundary is crossed into a morality that humanity can actually strive for an uphold.

What I just said, doesn't need to be explained to normal civilized people.  Only to those who take a sense of morality "from a mysterious place".

Batman = Obama.  Summary from the Sarkowzy press conference with American Batman just today -

Although Washington DC (Gotham City ) has been completely out of touch with reality, and the politicians have been acting in a criminal way, we have a new international crimefighter (Obama Batman) on the scene to push out the old stagnant politico ways of DC and usher in a new brave world - the new USA Batman for Peace campaign.

I love it.

Obama, with those big ears of his, can swoop down and help displace Iranian evil-doers, and we can all eat French Fries instead of Freedome Fries.

Come on people.  Jump on the Bat-mobile of Change - register to vote, and let's restore America to it's rightful place in the world. 

Obama IS the new Batman.  Love it.

You know what's really wrong with Washington DC?  There aren't 2 political parties.  They are all in the pockets of the lobbyists.  I think Ron Paul had it right.

I was thinking voting for Obama was voting for a change - but now I realize I was falling for what is really just more of the same.  The rest of the world sees the US Gov't for what it is - an ineffective lobbyist owned organization that fights against each other to make it seem like there are 2 parties.  IN reality they all fall into the middle of the political spectrum.

What I realized today is that we are missing somebody like Jean-Marie Le Pen - a far right politician that adds real depth to the political spectrum.  The whacko left is somewhat represented by Obama, but not really.

There is no morality in DC - it's just a veil of deception to keep those that run the show in power - and they hope the rest of us won't matter.  Sure, I'll vote for Obama, but only because I hope he screws things up so bad, that more people like me can finally swing to the far right in 2012 and see a real change.  Yep, I mistakenly headed toward the left, but I kept on going until I popped out on the far right.

Interesting week.  I'll be looking for somebody to come on to the political stage and start representing what I hope is more than just me.  Just an 'Army of One' right now.  But maybe things will change.  Real change. 

I want to know how much the USA spends on Foreign Aid (ALL types)

I want to know how much it costs us to maintain military bases around the World.  To subsidize the UN. 

Where is the politician that even talks to these issues?  Ron Paul hinted at them.  But he's too weak of a figure to make a serious candidate.

There can only be one Alpha dog.  WE all know that.  American press/politicians do everything in their power to neuter our ability to be the Alpha dog.

Hurray for KGBman having an alpha dictator.

I want one.

The American Media leads the way in this world in Free Speech.  We show everybody else how it's down.

KGBman - you can come here and evangelize Mother Russia.  That's what the American press has allowed you to do through Free Speech.

Likewise, I love the intellectual freedom to criticize my gov't for being a neutered political animal - compared to your Hero of the State.

You can thank American Media for coming here and criticizing the USA.  Remind me again why you left R\ussia?

lol

it's strange, really, yes, US media is often very free when they speak about local things.... they can even some times uncover corruption scandals and some major sleeping with someone else's husband...but when it comes to talking about world - somehow US media present's unified front, where everything looks like it's been writen by one person, somewhere in the basement 

And it's not american media who allowed me to speak freely - it's me, my education, my parents.

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"Эти русские варвары еще в 1945 году непропорционально применили силу, грубо нарушили территоральную целостность Германии и довели до самоубийства ее законно избранного канцлера."