And now, for your Daily Dose of Wrong:

[missroserose]

There's a Wall Street Journal editorial making the rounds about how The Dark Knight is really showing us the truth of how right-thinking (no pun intended) Bush's policies have been and how everything he's done is something America needs in order to have its morals and ideals defended.

His incredibly shoddy "interpretation" of The Dark Knight aside, I found this bit particularly chilling:

The true {moral} complexity arises when we must defend these values in a world that does not universally embrace them -- when we reach the place where we must be intolerant in order to defend tolerance, or unkind in order to defend kindness, or hateful in order to defend what we love.

...No, no, no, bloody well NO that's not when moral "complexity arises" - that's when you've LOST. When you've become what you're fighting against, it doesn't matter if you win the battle - you've LOST EVERYTHING YOU'RE SUPPOSEDLY FIGHTING FOR.

It's exactly that attitude - that anything is justified in defense of one's country - that has led to the heinous crimes committed by this administration, from the curtailing of civil liberties to the torture of supposed war criminals held without due process. It's just that chain of logic that has caused America to lose such a huge amount of face on the international front over the past several years - we claim to be the good guys, but our actions have shown how completely and totally we've lost track of what being a good guy means.

*sigh*

Sorry, Mr. Klavan. There are not words in the English language to describe how WRONG you are. But if it makes you happy to believe that, then you go right on ahead believing it. Perhaps you should just go ahead and post a shortened version on your wall so you will never forget:

WAR IS PEACE

FREEDOM IS SLAVERY

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

Comments

[errant-variable.livejournal.com]

*hates you for the next two minutes*

[roseneko.livejournal.com]

*wears a bright red sash*

[epa-flip.livejournal.com]

So, this author glazes over the fact that Batman and Gordon *both* feel that they have lost, and are using a desperation tactic to try to keep people from realizing their watchdogs have resoundingly failed them and taking things into their own hands?

[roseneko.livejournal.com]

Like I said, his interpretation of the film is pretty damn shoddy. But I'm certain that aspect has been well and thoroughly covered by other members of the blogosphere. :)

[sigma7.livejournal.com]

It's amazing how hard the right has rationalized itself into justifying its post-9/11 panic -- to the point where, to steal a line from Yahtzee, they're projecting so hard they could point themselves at a wall and show off Powerpoint presentations.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
G-Bu's not dead, is he?

[flewellyn.livejournal.com]

Well, there was a character in the film who did decide that he had to be evil in order to protect good.

It wasn't Batman, though. It was Harvey Dent.

[roseneko.livejournal.com]

Maybe we need to burn off half of Cheney's face?

Wall Street Journal Commentary

[(Anonymous)]

YOU GO! Send this to the Wall Street Journal!!! I am soooo proud of you Rose- you articulate, wonderful, THINKING being!!!! Love, MUM