Bush vs. Batman

Glenn Beck recently echoed the GOP talking point that the Dark Knight was really about Bush-era politics. And of course Beck sees Batman as a justification for the evils of rendition, torture, etc.

The parallels are definitely there, and there’s nothing wrong with looking to a piece of popular fiction for allegories to real politics. But Beck (as usual — and consistent with the rest of the right wing ignorazzis) is afraid to take the allegory to its conclusion. In the movie, Batman knew full well that what he was doing was wrong. And he VOLUNTARILY paid the price for it. He took responsibility for the things he felt he needed to do by giving up his position of public trust and living, from then on, on the run from the law. The moral of the Dark Knight is that extreme measures have extreme consequences. If you grab authority (torture, rendition) you have to accept accountability along with it. Beck doesn’t get that.

If Bush REALLY had to torture someone to save lives, or kidnap someone and bring them back to the USA — again, to save lives — I’d be OK with that IF and ONLY IF he then took responsibility for what had to be done by stepping down and surrendering himself to be tried for his crimes. Chances are, he’d be acquitted. But he’d have acknowledged the rule of law and accepted responsibility for his decisions. Sadly, a cartoon character has more substance than our President.