Is Batman a Neo-Conservative?

It's time for a fun political poll. When I was in film school, we studied how we often view contemporary society through the lens of classical mythic archetypes (westerns, science fiction, etc.). These archetypes change as our culture changes. It's why you don't see so many westerns today, as they reflected values and ideologies that now seem quaint. At any rate, Batman has somehow managed to stand the test of time as a popular archetypal character in comics, television and films. But how?

The answer is simple. He's a chameleon. Certain aspects of his character shift with the culture, but his pursuit of justice has remained a constant. However, these days, particularly in the comics, his personality has led me to the conclusion that he shares far-Right, neo-conservative values. And that's fine. One of the important components of myths is to gain a better understanding ourselves and the world in which we live. That being said, here's my argument that today's Batty is more Dick Cheney than Adam West.

Batman is not above violating a criminal's civil liberties while performing an interrogation. He will routinely dangle a hoodlum out of a window to coerce a confession.

Batman conducts illegal, unwarranted surveillance on suspects and even his own allies on the Justice League.

Batman's alter-ego, Bruce Wayne, runs Wayne Enterprises, a corporation with dubious ties to sub-contractors that equip him with sophisticated, militaristic gadgets and vehicles.

A tragic event in his past shaped his one-man war on crime, which has since consumed him against all reason.

His presence in Gotham City has in effect exacerbated the crime wave, as his actions -- either directly or indirectly -- have created a host of super-criminals that perpetrate even more insidious acts of violence.

Batman does not condone the death penalty in the comics. However, in the films, he has often killed villains or allowed them to be killed by their own devices.

What do you think?