Does Bruce ever contemplate his privilege?

[Random4]

you know being a white male/billionaire american

has he ever wrestled with it, or interrogated his privilege, has their ever been a comic where he wonders if he "deserves" the wealth he got?

[Lightning Rider]

I prefer the theory of class struggle over privilege theory when imagining the moral complications of Bruce's billionaire status. In any case none spring to mind, I think he's very charitable with it and it's good enough for him.

There was the Batman story in "World's Greatest Superheroes" by Alex Ross and Paul Dini that saw a kid whose mom was laid off due to capital flight, so Bruce invested in the community. That's the closest thing I can remember.

[geomon]

No, because he's a fictional character that was created to appeal to children. Kids don't care about that stuff.

[oasis1313]

I'd say that Bruce deserves his wealth. He would give up every dime of it tomorrow if it would bring his parents back. He's spent his life suffering this grief, but trying to turn it into good instead of just wallowing in it. Bruce has always "given back" to Gotham--if not in money, then with his own blood and his own life. His money means nothing to him except as a means to protect the innocent people of Gotham City.

[Frontier]

I'm sure he's thought about how to use it to fight crime and help people .

[WonderNight]

if his parents earned there money fairly then it's his to do whatever he wants with.

[Alan2099]

I really can't imagine this topic is going any place that isn't horrible.

[Lightning Rider]

I think the complications within his role as a billionaire businessman are worth exploring though. It's hard (pretty much impossible actually) to be such a successful business tycoon and not engage in the same exploitative practices every other industry engages in.

What does Bruce do when there's a union contract strike?
Did he outsource jobs and employ sweatshop labor?
Does he lobby against regulation, minimum wage raises, and taxation?
Are his tech production processes sustainable?

Uncomfortable questions that many wouldn't want to see raised, but still thought-provoking, perhaps more so to those into socioeconomics.

[batnbreakfast]

Poison Ivy blamed Wayne Enterprises for their Business Practices once. That makes sense storywise. Bruce probably blames everything wrong on Lucius anyways

[Frontier]

I think the complications within his role as a billionaire businessman are worth exploring though. It's hard (pretty much impossible actually) to be such a successful business tycoon and not engage in the same exploitative practices every other industry engages in.

What does Bruce do when there's a union contract strike?
Did he outsource jobs and employ sweatshop labor?
Does he lobby against regulation, minimum wage raises, and taxation?
Are his tech production processes sustainable?

Uncomfortable questions that many wouldn't want to see raised, but still thought-provoking, perhaps more so to those into socioeconomics.

I'd be down for these being addressed if only so we can actually see Bruce Wayne do something for once .

Poison Ivy blamed Wayne Enterprises for their Business Practices once. That makes sense storywise. Bruce probably blames everything wrong on Lucius anyways

Heh. I know Bruce pretty much relies on Lucius to take care of the day-to-day and nitty gritty of Wayne Enterprises for him, but I do always wonder how involved Bruce allows himself to be with the company.

[Aioros22]

That`s Oliver Queen`s stitch.

[Troian]

[QUOTE=Random4;2816913]you know being a white male/billionaire american

has he ever wrestled withEven if he was real he'd have more better things to think about than being white, male or a billionaire. Like crime.

Also, everyone has some sort of privilege no matter who you are so I always found thinking and comparing it odd.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

Probably once or twice but he'd probably dismiss it and focus more on using his wealth to fight crime. After all Bruce Wayne's high society ties and billionaire heritage are just another tool in the utility belt for Batman.

It's probably come up more when he's younger and traveling the world, talking with his various mentors.

[willtupper]

I think the case could be made that all of his actions as Batman is the main way he addresses his privilege.

If you haven't read it, Herman Hesse's 1922 novel Siddhartha looks at the life of someone born into relentless privilege.

Until he discovers the world outside the kingdom walls is not quite like he imagined.

So, you know. He renounces all worldly pleasures, and dedicates himself to attaining enlightenment for himself, and then the rest of the world.

Sound somewhat sort-of similar to a certain caped-and-cowled avenger of evil?

Also, it's not directly about his life of privilege, but Devin Grayson's Gotham Knights #32 story, "Batman 24/7" shows Bruce addressing his privilege in the world somewhat (it's also one of the best Batman comics ever, and well worth tracking down).

[t hedge coke]

you know being a white male/billionaire american

has he ever wrestled with it, or interrogated his privilege, has their ever been a comic where he wonders if he "deserves" the wealth he got?

There've been a number of "why don't you give it all to charity?" and "being Batman is expensive, can't you open a hospital?" stories.

Let's not forget that Batman/Bruce can't stand up under either the criticisms in Batman Inc or the attacks. Batman has to be saved. And, even within that, his offers to many heroes in other cultures are seen, by them, as useless or condescending. Because they are. He's just on the edge of the Ugly American in scary bat-ears, saved and supported, eventually, by a system that's set up to save and support rich, white man-children (and we like it that way).

Year One's trajectory is essentially Bruce coming back to Gotham as the elite and venting his frustrations by beating up kids and hookers (and child prostitutes). It's a mess. And, along the way, he realizes that's not the roots of crime, it's not the roots of corruption or theft or violence. Crime isn't created by poverty. Poverty is created by crime. So, he moves on from trying to pick fights with prostitutes and street corner pimps and fights the police, the mayor, the billionaire organized crime heads and scammers who live, not in the slums, but in his neighborhood. And, then the crazies are going to show up.

Which, to be fair, is an incredibly awkward trajectory, as a whole, politically. But, Batman, if you wanted to make him "real" is incredibly awkward.

His hallucinations in Batman: RIP reveal a whole lot of sociopolitical assumptions, as well. He takes a moment of charity (giving a guy a roll of bills from the glove compartment) into this guy being his magical negro who walks him back to health through the poor streets, etc.

And, keeping on Morrison, if you look at who Batman brought into the JLA, during that run, it's not gods and rich men, it's a schoolteacher, an ex-con and sometime hired hand, and on the side, a mercenary whose fee goes straight to charity.