9 Reasons Why Batman Is A Conservatarian

Colin Chocola and Benny Johnson write: Bruce Wayne, better known as Batman, is the world’s greatest detective. He protects his realm, Gotham, from criminals that range from street thugs, corporate cronies, and masterminds like Joker.

What’s set him apart from other crime fighters is his lifestyle which aligns with a distinct moral code. As Bruce Wayne by day and Batman by night, he shares the dual characteristics of a conservative and a libertarian, or more elegantly, ‘Conservatarian.’

[Check out Charles C. W. Cooke‘s new book: “The Conservatarian Manifesto: Libertarians, Conservatives, and the Fight for the Right’s Future” at Amazon.com]

National Review columnist Charles Cooke is the foremost expert on Conservatarianism and has recently published a book on the hybrid political ideology. Cooke thinks Batman is a hallmark example of a Conservatarian. He tells IJReview:

Nobody as mysterious as Batman could ever quite be pinned down into a political movement, but there is a great deal about him that is Conservatarian. Batman takes care of his own city instead of looking to the state, he does not permit wishful thinking to intrude on reality, and, like a model public servant, he shrinks from view when his job is done.

If the opinion of this expert is not enough for you, here are nine more, iron-clad reasons why the Dark Knight is inarguably Conservatarian.

Also see – Can Libertarians and Conservatives Coexist? An Interview With Charles C.W. Cooke – thefederalist.com]

1. Batman is an Industrialist Playboy

Bruce Wayne is a Capitalist. He is the sole heir to a multinational enterprise that specializes in everything from bio-tech to transportation. When re-entering the company as an adult, he quickly fires the crony board leaders, takes the company public and makes Lucius Fox the CEO. Wayne stands up for free enterprise, his companies produce products people want, he provides thousands of jobs and does it without heavy reliance on government.  Forbes lists Wayne Enterprises, with revenues of $31 billion, as the 11th richest fictional corporation in the world.

Wayne also has no problem buying a luxury hotel so the models he’s with can swim in the lobby pool.

2. Batman is a Philanthropist

Conservatives are more generous than liberals. The Wayne fortune has funded Gotham’s hospitals, orphanages and its monorail system. Wayne Enterprise is a multinational operation, but its charitable focus remains within the limits of Gotham. Like other charitable conservatives, the Wayne Foundation took the initiative to aid the public’s need instead relying for the government to take responsibility.

3. Batman Manufacturers Military Grade Weapons, Is An Arms Dealer

Batman chooses not to use firearms, but manufactures and wields high-tech weaponry developed by Wayne Enterprises. “He is not seduced by utopian nonsense,” Charles Cooke says, “He needs to defend the innocent and will do so with force.”  Along with employing his weaponry as a vigilante, Wayne also signs contracts with the U.S. military for advanced technology and weapons development. Read the rest of this entry »