Does Bruce ever contemplate his privilege?

[Ascended]

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.

It'd be interesting to see these ideas explored in depth (I study business so Im biased) but you'd need a writer who actually knows those topics well, and didn't just do some reading online or something. Business, especially this particular aspect of it, is complex and tricky and easy to misunderstand/misrepresent.

From an in-universe perspective, Bruce Wayne is a posterboy for trickle-down economics.

It'd be interesting to see how Bruce's version of trickle down works. I mean, he keeps all that money within the community, which is the only way trickle down has even a small chance of working (despite what some politicians may tell you, trickle down does not actually work) yet it seems to have minimal impact on the city. It'd be interesting to explore.

I don't think anyone cares about his rich white male privilege aside from the Buzzfeed/Tumblr crowd.

Apparently Bruce is supposed to feel terrible and guilty about the circumstances of his birth? Even though he's given everything he's got to his community and put special effort into the poorest and most victimized segments of that community.

But no, no one cares outside of the uber-sensitives, and they're "offended" by everything.

If Bruce was brown skinned, would this thread be asking this exact same question (change out a few words I guess).

Not even a little. I've even heard that black people (or other minorities) can't actually be racist because racism has to come from a place of privilege. Which is odd, because back when I was coming up, racism meant you hated someone based on their skin color and no one got a free pass for that sort of BS, no matter what kind of situation you came from.

[SiegePerilous02]

Not even a little. I've even heard that black people (or other minorities) can't actually be racist because racism has to come from a place of privilege. Which is odd, because back when I was coming up, racism meant you hated someone based on their skin color and no one got a free pass for that sort of BS, no matter what kind of situation you came from.

I was taught about this at college too. The explanation I've heard is that in the U.S only white people can be racist because they are at the top and have privilege. This does not preclude non-whites from having prejudices of their own though, both against the white population or other minorities.

I'm a little iffy on the whole thing too, tbh.

[Atlanta96]

Not even a little. I've even heard that black people (or other minorities) can't actually be racist because racism has to come from a place of privilege. Which is odd, because back when I was coming up, racism meant you hated someone based on their skin color and no one got a free pass for that sort of BS, no matter what kind of situation you came from.

Yeah, that's a load of crap. It's an instance of people changing the meaning of a word to, ironically, reflect their own personal prejudices. The fact that this is even taught in colleges shows how far academia has fallen.

[Tuck]

It's lexicon.

It's only problematic when it's taken outside of its sphere and conflated with everyday usage.

[Atlanta96]

It's lexicon.

It's only problematic when it's taken outside of its sphere and conflated with everyday usage.

I am so glad I went to technical college.

[Darkspellmaster]

It's not so much that it's taught, its that a lot of people now use the net to push their own views rather then listening and learning about matters at hand. I live in a heavily populated Hispanic community, grew up here since I was very little, and if there is one thing I've learned with my friends is that there is racism in "minority" groups as well. There are anti Puerto Rican sentiments in some part of the Mexican communities here. It's one of the things people keep fighting against, the idea of just Mexico having a say in regard to the Hispanic caucus and other political groups.

I teach at the community college here, and from what I've seen in a lot of cases there's less backlash in person more on line commentary, since a lot of people are talking into a bubble.

As for Bruce, I think he does think about it within the aspect of Bruce Wayne, but as for Batman, it doesn't come up as much.

Oh and for the whole "Batman beats up on the mentally ill" that came because of fans of the Joker, and Harley, since they see them as doing no wrong because they're ill.

[Dispenser Of Truth]

He acts as socially responsible with his wealth as anyone in his position feasibly could - given Gotham's circumstances at least - but while he surely keeps social privileges in mind with his dealings, especially when it comes to effective crime prevention (that one bit in Batman Begins where he mentions having first had to steal to survive during his training and it opening his eyes to a lot went a long way in that trilogy of making him more palatable), I doubt his own are something he particularly thinks about unprompted beyond "yes, I have them, but I use them to be Batman".

[dancj]

I'd say that Bruce deserves his wealth.

No one in the world deserves that kind of money.

[murderousjohnny]

Noble prize is 10 million I think and he saves the world a lot so some people probably think it's okay to deserve tons of money. If we gave superman noble prize and gave him 10 mill would that be low enough to deserve it? I'd say batman deserve his wealth in the sense that he earns it and justifies his owner ship of it all the time.

[Steven Caldwell]

No, he is a man. Only children worry about stuff like that.

[dietrich]

Bruce is did sort of renounce his wealth to complet his training to be Batman and now uses it to save and entire city as well as the world. Damian Wayne on the other hand is on a fast track to be someone who got where he is solely by privilege from the Al Ghuls and Wayne's in addition to his arrogant aristocratic demeanor.

Damian renounced not just his wealth but his position as future leader of the LOA to slum it as Robin.

Damian Wayne got where he is by training and fighting for it from birth. I don't recall the other batkids ever having to engage in yearly combat simply to learn their fathers name I don't recall any of the bat kids having to kill at age 3 to prove their worth
none were disowned or had a half a billion bounty placed on their head for choosing their own path.
The Grayson, Todds , Drakes and Wayne's never had freezers full of replacement kids.

Damian has worked harder than all the other robins to get where he is.


Think before you post dude.

[yohyoi]

Damian Wayne got where he is by training and fighting for it from birth. I don't recall the other batkids ever having to engage in yearly combat simply to learn their fathers name I don't recall any of the bat kids having to kill at age 3 to prove their worth
none were disowned or had a half a billion bounty placed on their head for choosing their own path.
The Grayson, Todds , Drakes and Wayne's never had freezers full of replacement kids.

Damian has worked harder than all the other robins to get where he is.
Let's not forget that he also gave up private islands , yachts, gulf streams and leadership over the LOA to come slum it as Robin.
Being a Wayne/ Al Ghul might have meant he grew up in posh surroundings aside from that it ruined that boy's life.
Think before you post dude.

Dude, leaving your billionaire grandfather for your billionaire father is not bad. They are both billionaires. Thousands of dollars are basically air to them.

[dietrich]

Dude, leaving your billionaire grandfather for your billionaire father is not bad. They are both billionaires. Thousands of dollars are basically air to them.

Yeah because his current life is what parents dream for their kids. Happiness and a good life isn't about silk sheets and butlers.
Also he has the exact same life as Bruce so are you saying that Bruce doesn't contemplate his privilege?
Bruce isn't that wasteful and unaware of his privilege that he spoils the robins.

Isn't that the point of the thread?

Anyway his life now is a definite downgrade. I don't see personal private islands or being practically worshipped in his current life.

[CPSparkles]

Damian renounced not just his wealth but his position as future leader of the LOA to slum it as Robin.

Damian Wayne got where he is by training and fighting for it from birth. I don't recall the other batkids ever having to engage in yearly combat simply to learn their fathers name I don't recall any of the bat kids having to kill at age 3 to prove their worth
none were disowned or had a half a billion bounty placed on their head for choosing their own path.
The Grayson, Todds , Drakes and Wayne's never had freezers full of replacement kids.

Damian has worked harder than all the other robins to get where he is.

Think before you post dude.

Yep.

Also what does Damian even have to do with this topic?

I would love more stories that looked at Wayne Ent business practises.
Wasn't movie Bruce using company funds to fund his personal bat mission or am I mistaken? I might be but that would be interesting.