So, I have been thinking about this for a while and I thought it might be an interesting blog post. I thought I would write about two of my favorite things, Superheroes and politics. More specifically, what would be the political affiliation of some of the major superheroes?
We’ll start from the right. I believe the two most popular superheroes for the GOP and particularly the Tea Party would be Batman and Iron Man. Both of these heroes do not have inherent super powers. Their biggest super power is actually… lots of money.
Iron Man/Tony Stark:
Tony Stark is born into great wealth and is also born with great intelligence. At first, he uses this intelligence to further his father’s work in the military industrial complex, but then, due to a meaningful experience involving shrapnel in his heart, decides to use his wealth and intelligence to build a super-suit to try to solve the world’s problems. The importance for those on the right is that Tony is only able to be this super hero because he is so wealthy. He chooses (free will) to become a hero and it is this will along with his wealth that allows him to solve world problems. Nobody else is required to help him. In fact, in Iron Man 2, the government attempts to force him to turn over his suit in the name of national security. He then ends the Congressional Hearing telling the Senators that they cannot have his suit and he has “successfully privatized world peace” followed by giving the finger to the panel. Ayn Rand would be proud.
Bruce Wayne/Batman:
Bruce Wayne as well is born into great wealth and the tragic death of his parents as a child inspires him to train to be a super hero. All his training is well and good, but it’s his money that allows him to save the citizens of Gotham city and more importantly, fight the government corruption that only a billionaire dressed like a bat can handle. I can just picture the Koch brothers dressing up in capes and trying to sneak up on their servants!
For the folks on the left, it’s a little more complicated. However, I think two superheroes exemplify the more liberal side of beating up bad guys are Captain America and Superman. Now, both of these guys represent the jingoistic, stars and stripes and the American way kind of thinking which is generally associated with Republicans, but I believe their backstory provides the most liberal of origins for the major superheroes out there.
Steve Rogers/Captain America
Steve Rogers was a scrawny kid who wanted to be a soldier and was made into basically the world’s best athlete due to the super soldier formula. The most important feature of this story for liberals is that this is a government project. This superhero is created due to a taxpayer funded project run by the government… and it works!!! This is a nightmare for the Tea Party in that the government actually did something successfully (until the scientist who created the formula is murdered, but we’ll blame that on poor security).
Clark Kent/Superman/Kal El
Superman is an alien. Plain and simple. He was sent to this planet to escape his dying planet. Superman is an immigrant who then becomes probably the most important citizen of our planet. All the while he is not properly documented and actually hides out working at a liberal newspaper! It’s no wonder his biggest enemy, Lex Luthor, is a billionaire industrialist.
I’m interested in everyone else’s feedback in the Frank family. Let me know if you agree/disagree with my assessment of these guys and give me some more examples if you so desire. Or, just go about your day in a more productive manner, your choice.
