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I like how the conversation shifts to 'how big of a criminal would Xavier have to be, really?'
But for the type of crime that -created- Batman in the first place; money can absolutely solve the majority of that problem. Also, it's worth pointing out, that even in a world with supervillains you almost always have henchmen and gangs and suchlike - which would tend to evaporate in places where everyone's needs are met and no one needs to work for crazy crime bosses to make ends meet.
Obviously, we can get way deep in the weeds on this. Batman would have the same access to all of this data as we do, and could very easily see that making people not poor drastically reduces crime. That's the point many people have made and will certainly continue to make.
Yeah. Most people are rational, to some extent. Even criminals.
Well... not exactly. Batman's villains are primarily unhinged weirdos. But he doesn't spend the entirety of his time on them. Batman's parents weren't killed by a supervillain immortal ninja guy. They were killed by a street thug that wanted money. That was the crime Batman set out to stop. The idea that dressing up like a bat to fight crime may have created a whole set of his own new monsters is a different conversation. And fighting that type of crime is also a different conversation.
But for the type of crime that -created- Batman in the first place; money can absolutely solve the majority of that problem. Also, it's worth pointing out, that even in a world with supervillains you almost always have henchmen and gangs and suchlike - which would tend to evaporate in places where everyone's needs are met and no one needs to work for crazy crime bosses to make ends meet.
I don't think that's entirely accurate. We've never really seen what human nature looks like when everyone has enough because most societies structure themselves around making sure people don't have enough. But do we have data that crime rates are lower in places with higher wealth levels and lower instances of poverty and food insecurity? Yes. Even in ancient and medieval agrarian society, we see way, way lower instances of theft/violent crime being documented than in nearby (ish) cities due, certainly, to smaller communities tending to suffer or thrive together, whereas the poor are often left to their own devices in cities - historically.
Obviously, we can get way deep in the weeds on this. Batman would have the same access to all of this data as we do, and could very easily see that making people not poor drastically reduces crime. That's the point many people have made and will certainly continue to make.
Nobody. The point isn't "is this how the comic books should be written." The point is a thought experiment on whether or not Batman makes sense, even to Batman and within his own universe, if properly examined.
Of course they should. Because most comics aren't read by children anymore. Superheroes have come to transcend this silly idea of 'it's for kids.' It's for everyone. So there's nothing wrong with looking at these things with the eyes and minds of actual adults. Again, though, it's only for fun. Does Batman make sense? How would Superman stop Lois's skin from peeling off when flying with her? Is Thor stronger than Hulk? These are dumb questions nerds ask to have fun and pass time. I don't think anyone wants comics to stop being comics.
