Joker is a critique of capitalism. Throughout
the film, you see numerous examples of how
IF THERE WAS ONLY MORE GOVERNMENT THEN THINGS
WOULD BE BETTER… Trash and rats in the streets…
not enough garbage collectors. Crime increasing…
not enough police. Depression increasing…
not enough mental service workers. Child abuse…
not enough child protection workers. Rioting…
not enough regulation and taxation on the
1%. It’s a very Hobbesian view of human
nature where without a strong government authority
humans become brutish animals…
“[Without tho government] the life of man,
solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”
The movie’s premise is that cutting government
services leads to a morally-bankrupt society,
but it's premise isn’t that far-fetched
because we’ve seen it play out before in
American history... Just put yourself in the
shoes of a 1920s coal-miner. No matter how
many self-help articles you read you probably
wouldn’t be very happy, would you? And now
today we are seeing as much inequality as
we saw in the 1920s.
The average person increasingly feels cast-aside
and disposable while the rich brag about how
great the economy is for them. Yes, you may
live paycheck to paycheck, but just take that
money and invest it in the stock market! HAVEN'T
YOU HEARD this is the greatest time to invest?!
And we probably only have another year or
so until another recession so your time is
running out to get in while it’s still good!
Keep in mind too that a lot of that money
BEING invested is really being stolen from
future generations on low-interest loans because
politicians lack the courage to address the
debt. But be positive! And yes, you may have
been raised to believe,
"you can be whatever you set your mind to,
Timmy" only to have that high hope comedically
thrown in your face as you grow up barely
able to live without the assistance of your
parents. Yes, the government artificially
keeps home prices high so young people can’t
afford to buy them while there are over 18
million vacant homes.
But be positive! And hey at least we have
fancier stuff that serves to mask our deep
social problems while keeping us chained to
our desks so we can afford the next iPhone
to shove in our faces to avoid genuine human
connection.
“Diagnoses of major depression have risen
dramatically by 33 percent since 2013. This
rate is rising even faster among millennials
and adolescents."
But be positive! And here’s the punchline,
you have no choice but to be positive if you
want to succeed in life because studies show
happier people work harder and are more likable
and so in an economy where being 1% better
could mean eliminating 99% of your competition (or
them eliminating you), you can’t afford
to be sad. Sadness is a luxury of the rich.
You ever notice fashion models don’t smile?
It’s because stoicism is associated with
wealth.
So be positive! Society is broken, guys. But
truth be told… it’s always been broken.
Consciousness carries a great weight. Every
age faces its challenges. So the question
then becomes…
how do you handle a harsh world? Do you lose
hope? Do you become bitter about those who’ve
wronged you? Do you turn your rage into hate?
Do you tear down other people and look for
shortcuts because you feel like that’s what
everyone else did to succeed? Or… Do you
maintain hope? Do you forgive those who’ve
wronged you? Do you turn your rage into contribution?
Do you build yourself up and live by a moral
compass because you refuse to succeed any
other way? In other words, do you become Batman?
