Why more policing does not solve the problem
Matpat argues the Joker is the only one able to bring peace to Gotham. While Batman, Gordon and Dent try to reduce crime on the surface, it is the Joker who though maniacally perverts the system takes down the crime lords and brings peace. This film theory says a lot about intent and misunderstood villains.
Joker’s violence and kill count are to be condemned, yet his strategic genius is the sole way to protect Gotham. Gordon and Batman spend too much time stopping individual crime acts but fail to erase the system. Thwarting the villain’s actions but the crime lords live another day. Joker manipulates them as an ally and then burns all their money. He bankrupts them ceasing their leverage over corrupt cops and elaborate ploys. Joker’s actions are less than ethical but he is the only one able to thwart the perpetuated chaos.
Joker acted alone as a spy. He is never acclaimed as a hero. He is a villain who is out to destroy everything. In grave irony, he is the true saviour of Gotham. He routs out the problem unethically but successfully. Following the normative routine does not always reach the desired result. Sometimes getting hands dirty is the sole way of defeating foes. You have to play by their rules. Batman had a boiling point which refused murder. He is blamed time and time again for allowing these criminals to wreak havoc. He is unwilling to end their terror for good. To be fair it is not fair to him to be haunted by the ghosts of the countless criminals he has murdered. That is a burden undeserved to anyone trying to maintain a pure spirit in the peaceful truth. It is this limit that prevents him putting the criminals behind bars.
Batman’s strong sense of justice is careful and calculated. He plays by the law in some twisted order. Joker does not. He openly commits crimes to dig out the criminal. He acts with sincerity and cunning deviousness. He thinks like a criminal playing the necessary character to save Gotham. Joker deceptively pins the crime lords against Batman placing them as their saviour. If they are to succeed they need him. He demonstrates his trustworthy skill by outwitting Batman. He must become the devil to stop the demons. He must rise as their leader to quash them where they stand. He is a spy, infiltrates the enemy to destroy them from the inside. He sneakily overpowers the crime lords. Batman could never do this as the knight. Only Joker is capable of this, the jester in disguise.
Is a spy the only way of ridding the crime lords? Batman is synonymous with materialised police. He is a skilled vigilante for justice. Yet he fails. He is an outcast. Dent is the beacon of hope. He brings people hope to route out criminals. His death leads to a peaceful city. His ultimate death was due to internal betrayal. Both detectives under Gordon’s authority betrayed him. Killing both Rachel and Harvey’s good nature. Their corruption may have been well intentioned but they were seduced by maniacal demons. They decided to act selfishly for their own salvation than the collective good. Dent was enthusiastic passionate about taking down crime lords. Yet abiding by the law protected the crime lords from demise. Dent’s optimism was his own downfall.
Joker plays the crime lords’ game. He works outside the law committing his own felonies in the process. Yet it is him who brings the ultimate tranquility to Gotham. He does it most swiftly and without further harm. He challenges the people not just the crime lords. Are the people themselves capable of overcoming the psychological burden. A theme across superhero comics is the superheroes ability to stop the villain only for that villain to escape. The difference with Batman is the lack of paranormal capabilities. There are a few but in the Dark Knight trilogy, the emphasis is on mortal beings. Using their intellect and strength to overcome. Batman fights with gadgets not superpowers. In a way this makes it more relatable at the same time quite foreign due to his massive wealth and brilliance.
Batman’s universe can be synchronised with our own. A fictional world that finds similarities amongst our own. Why vigilantism is carried out on lower levels in the US for example. During the riots spreading through the country with little security, storeowners hired people to defend their stores from muggers. If law enforcement is failing to do its jog to eradicate evil, is it on the average person to stand up to stop it? According to the law or at least politically is not to. Let your store be mugged and neighbours family be attacked. The Dark Knight shows the dangers of a vigilante. Batman’s presence only bolsters criminal operations to act more secretly. If he cannot stop them then they continue their desirable business. While assisting where the government trails into the abyss. Yet the Underground Railroad that is praised for its efforts was vigilantism. It was not necessarily violent but it was standing up for perceived injustice through illegal means.
Law enforcement’s job is to stop crime and deal justice. In the US, policing services grew out of Washington’s vision for security. They are service members and the political ties are dangerous and monstrous. A division to assist the public in a capitalist society where cops can be bribed and aid the wealthy is all too common. The more wealthy a country is the less crime they may have is only one factor. Unreported crimes for wealthy pundits is another. While Batman seeks to live by a code never enticed by villainous gage. He remains outside the law. Again, Batman has his rules but if criminals are going to break laws then to catch them laws need to be broken. They find loopholes to divert criminality. The hero archetype that Batman eventually succumbs to does not stop the enterprise just the boss is out of the way. Law enforcement is a powerful entity but it would be wrong to see them as the sum of ceasing crime. They actually perpetuate crime in their ignorance to it occurring in their purview. Choosing to look the other way.
There is a different metric. A town militia protecting the people. In Israel (beyond the political aspects). Many of the settlements in the West Bank are secured by the townsfolk. Everyone is strapped with a revolver for protection. This model ensures the people themselves are armed to defend. They do not wait for a knight in shining armour to save them. For the police to finally arrive but for their own self defence. Law enforcement cannot be everyone where at once. Split decisions need to be made in removing the threat. While these situations call for extreme measures. This is relevant for the ethical shift. The only way to eradicate evil is for the townsfolk to stand up for themselves. To gather together and rebel against the crime tyrant. Evidently in poorer areas access to weaponry is moot. Yet it begins with the community revolting. A collective heroism is necessary.
Criminals will target easy prey but an awareness has been sparked. A reluctance to accept the criminal patronage. Standing against the ruthless imposition. It is not always about brute force nor wealth. Voices singing the same tune with the same goal. To protect one another as a family. Criminals will rise up and attempt to take power with tyrannical coercion. The more people stand together. The more sympathetic tones race across the nation. One community turns into many communities. A crime lord is only successful if everything is washed under the rug. If there is sufficient proactive protesting something can be done. It is difficult given the political nature and collusion so present. That is the purpose of the second amendment. It is the right to defend tyrannical regimes. It is a value point more than a last stand at the Alamo. Corrupt politicians and law enforcement is tyrannical even in a democracy. To ignore these aspects is to violently humiliate the downtrodden.
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