By Slay

Let’s start this off by what is meant when we use the term “Neo-Liberal” Or “Neo-Liberalism.” These umbrella terms refer to a broad and varied set of economic policies that have swept the world, largely by American backing, during the last 25 years or so.

We can all feel the effects of these policies while the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Despite linguistic appearances, neoliberalism has nothing to do with the term liberal what so ever. Pop-culture provides us with a useful illustration of neoliberalism, behind a convincing mask.

The setting of the cartoon Batman is one everyone knows, but have you ever really thought about the story and its message? Let’s look at it closely. Gotham city is corrupt, full of crime and needs a hero. The one man brave enough to save us all is, dare I say, a version of the ever popular Jesus archetype, Batman.

Many versions of Batman begin with Bruce Wayne witnessing what appears to be a homeless vagrant, a beggar, a thief, shoot and kill Bruce’s Wayne’s mother and father for their wallet and purse, in this “make believe” world of extreme poverty.

Bruce Wayne grows up to become this hero to save us all, but what is he saving us from? He’s actually “saving us” from himself in the most incredible way: by beating us up. Pretty crazy right?

Bruce Wayne owns Wayne enterprises and this company owns literally ever aspect of production in the city! The ENTIRE city is privatized and owned by Bruce Wayne.

He is a man who owns every means of production and the product, and he therefore controls the broad and varied set of policies creating the income disparity in Gothem. Instead of releasing the monopoly he puts on a bat suit like a lunatic and drives around punching poor people he created in the face.

Some hero, and we are supposed to like this guy and dress like him on Halloween. He is a symbol of the corporate powers who we are supposed to idolize.

What are we actually doing? Could this have any real effect on us as the viewer? The use of cartoons has been proven to subvert critical thinking.

A cartoon character like Batman promotes the idea that we can end violence with violence; the idea that it’s not criminal to hoard resources; the idea that the elite will set policies which have our best interests at heart or that promote justice; the idea that money will trickle down and we should have love for a dictator. That is why I call him Neo-Liberalman.