Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Could Batman Be Bush?

The two are 'vilified' for their crusades against terror

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 25, 2008 10:42 AM CDT
Email

(Newser) – They actually have a lot in common, the beleaguered president and the superhero currently smashing box office records, writes Andrew Klavan in the Wall Street Journal.  In The Dark Knight, Batman, like Bush, is "vilified and despised for confronting terrorists in the only terms they understand." He's also willing to "push the boundaries of civil rights to deal with an emergency," knowing they can be restored when the crisis is past. Under cover of a mask, he writes, the film praises Bush’s “fortitude and moral courage.” 

“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,” Klavan notes. He wonders why films that champion conservative values always seem to be cloaked in fantasy while left-wing takes on war on terror are realistic—though he notes with some satisfaction that the latter are usually box-office bombs.


In this image released by Warner Bros., Heath Ledger and Christian Bale are shown in 'The Dark Knight.'
In this image released by Warner Bros., Heath Ledger and Christian Bale are shown in 'The Dark Knight.'   (AP Photo/Stephen Vaughan)
In this image released by Warner Bros., Christian Bale is shown as Batman in a scene from 'The Dark Knight.'
In this image released by Warner Bros., Christian Bale is shown as Batman in a scene from 'The Dark Knight.'   (AP Photo/Warner Bros.)
U.S. President George W. Bush delivers a statement following his attendance at the G8 summit, Wednesday, July 9, 2008 in the lakeside resort of Toyako on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido.
U.S. President George W. Bush delivers a statement following his attendance at the G8 summit, Wednesday, July 9, 2008 in the lakeside resort of Toyako on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido.   (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment on this story.

A response to Klavan's 'surreal stupidity'
The Atlantic

 
War on Terror • terrorism • Batman • The Dark Knight • George W. Bush

More Newser Stories

Obama, Tell W You're Sorry for Mocking His Policies

'War on Terror' Phrase Fading Under Obama

'Joker Teens' Nabbed in 'Terror Plot'

Cheney Should TiVo 'Heroes'

Bush Details Bin Laden Plot
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne