From Gaza to Gotham: Understanding Today's World Through Superhero Lenses
Analogizing the Middle Eastern Conflict with Superheroes' Approaches to Justice
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Hey everyone! I hope you’ve had a great couple of weeks! I’m not sure what y’all have been up to, but I’ve been spending the last two weeks mentally and physically preparing for some important upcoming local, nationwide, and personal events.
First is Mardi Gras, the single best party thrown in the US every single year. I’ve already been preparing my body for the egregious amount of King Cake & Popeyes I’ll be eating, the sheer amount of steps I will be taking, and the plentiful amount of small talk that I will inevitably have to do. Given that the majority of people who read this blog are from NOLA or went/go to Tulane, I’m sure many of y’all will be partaking in the festivities, but if you are stationed somewhere else, I hope you’re able to still enjoy your normal Tuesday (always a weird feeling knowing it’s a normal day in most cities).
Next is the Super Bowl, arguably the most bittersweet day of my life every year as it marks the end of the football season. This year’s competition will be a rematch of the COVID-19 Super Bowl between the KC Chiefs and the SF 49ers. While I’m incredibly excited for the actual game itself, the matchup I’m most excited to watch will be between the Swifties and the die-hard NFL fans. While the memes going around the internet have the two sides at each other’s throats, I think that you’re going to see a lot of Swifties and football bros start dating over the next few years (don’t have the data technically, but observation has showed that guys love girls who know ball).
Lastly, and most importantly for me but least importantly for everyone else, I will be moving to NYC in the coming days! I have two boxes of random items already on their way to my Kips Bay, 2BD apartment by the time you’re reading this (I hope…if not I’m way behind on schedule). As mentioned in my last blog, part of the reason why I’m doing this is because Coinbase has an office there and too many mentors of mine have recommended that I start interacting with co-workers IRL. However, the main reason why is that during my travels last year, NYC was one of the top places in my rankings (only behind Chicago, but Chicago in the summer is unrivaled). If you’re reading this and are either from NYC or are currently living there, please hit me up with any recs or if you want to meet up (find where to contact at the end of the blog).
This intro is already getting quite long (and this intro has absolutely nothing to do with the topic of discussion today), so enough of me rambling…let’s dive in!
The Conflict Between Israel & Gaza
The global news has covered a bunch of different topics in depth for the past few months, including the upcoming 2024 US Presidential Election, the new Apple Vision Pro (which has some amazing memes), anything relating to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, and more. However, the topic that has received (and rightfully so) the most attention out of all of them is the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza. While I’ve tried to learn more about the historical relations between the two from a non-biased perspective (kinda hard these days), but I definitely don’t know enough to explain in depth, so here’s a quick background describing the relations between the two sides.
While history is riddled with many conflicts, the current one was spurred by the October 7th Hamas-led attack on Israel, where thousands of Israelis were killed, hundreds were kidnapped, and more absolute atrocities occurred on that day. To put this event into contextual perspective to my mostly American audience, many people considered this event to be a 9/11-like event for the nation of Israel.
In a similar context to how the United States retaliated after the attacks on September 11, 2001, Israel immediately went on the offensive against Hamas, dropping over 29,000 rounds of munition on Gaza and following up with a ground invasion of the territory with the said goals of freeing hostages, destroying Hamas, and garnering more control over the Gaza Strip. Israel’s aggresive response to October 7th has so far led to around 28,000 Palestinian deaths as reported by Al Jazeera. To provide a little more context, here’s a map that shows more detail about the current state of Gaza:
While the Israeli response initially was quite well supported, especially from the US political sphere (and still mostly is, with some Congressmen even calling for war with Iran), there has been much debate and discourse regarding Israel’s response that have people concerned with how they are handling this situation. Many people believe Israel is closely following the US’s approach during the “War on Terror” under the Bush administration, which is more of a critique as many would agree the approach didn’t solve many issues. Other countries have even taken the situation to international courts, with South Africa bringing a case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) saying Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians.
Regardless of the outcome of that case and the conflict overall, there are and will continue to be many disagreements about Israel’s handling of the situation. I am one of the last people who can give an insightful, and informative view on the situation, so I won’t try to do that. However, as someone who likes to think he is creative, I figured I would try to hopefully bring some nuance and lighthearted context of Israel’s approach to Gaza before and after the October 7th attacks through an analogy that will probably make most of you think I’m a huge nerd after reading it (I don’t doubt that thought btw).
Have No Fear…The Heroes Are Here?
While Marvel has dominated the superhero scene over the past decade with its famous (and now kinda infamous) Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) storyline, its arch-rival DC Comics still (and possibly forever) has arguably the most iconic characters in the superhero world. When I say characters…I really only mean two: Superman and Batman.
While I’m sure many of the readers here know, here’s a quick background on both characters as said by Chat GPT (gotta give it credit where I can):
Superman, also known as Clark Kent, is the last son of the planet Krypton. Raised on Earth by his adoptive parents, the Kents, he grew up in Smallville, Kansas. Under the Earth's yellow sun, he developed incredible abilities such as super strength, flight, and heat vision. He embodies hope, morality, and the archetypical hero. Superman works as a journalist for the Daily Planet in Metropolis and is known for his alter-ego's integrity and commitment to truth and justice.
Batman, the secret identity of Bruce Wayne, is a human without superpowers but is at the peak of human physical and mental conditioning. Following the tragic murder of his parents, he trained to the pinnacle of human capability and donned the cape and cowl to become the Dark Knight of Gotham City. Batman employs his intellect, detective skills, and an arsenal of technology to combat crime. His methods are often more intimidating and fear-based, utilizing the shadows to strike terror into the hearts of criminals.
While these two characters work side by side with one another most of the time to stop the bad guys, the two characters have a rivalry that is displayed throughout the comics, cartoons, etc. fueled by their differing backgrounds (rural, small-town kid raised by loving parents vs. the urban, uber-wealthy kid whose parents were murdered in front of him), their powers (one who is a god amongst men and one who has no real “powers” besides his incredible intellect and will), and most importantly, their differing ideologies and approaches to justice.
Side note: in my opinion, the dichotomy between the two characters is by far the best in the superhero genre and arguably one of the coolest in the cinema overall.
Generally speaking, Superman approaches justice like a classic hero, serving as a symbol of truth and righteousness, often collaborating with authorities and believing in the potential for redemption in his adversaries. His methods are typically non-lethal, and he strives to minimize collateral damage, prioritizing the safety of civilians above all else. Batman, however, operates from the shadows, embodying a more pragmatic and sometimes ruthless approach to justice. While being the world's greatest detective, he also relies on his wits, physical prowess, and an array of gadgets to his advantage. Batman's strategy often involves fear as a deterrent against crime, hence the use of the “Bat Signal” that was brilliantly displayed in the most recent Batman movie. He believes in preparing for any and every possible outcome, often taking a more preemptive approach to stopping crime. (FYI…This is one of the best openings to any movie I’ve ever seen. The movie is a 10/10. Go see it if you haven’t).
While these heroes’ approaches are fairly consistent throughout the entirety of the DC comics and all its different iterations, there is one that shows a different perspective when the heroes are met with extreme circumstances. That would be the popular storyline spurred by a best-selling game, Injustice: Gods Among Us.
In this storyline, the Joker orchestrates a devastating plot that leads to the destruction of Metropolis and the death of Superman’s wife Lois Lane, and their unborn child. This catastrophe triggers a radical shift in Superman, who resolves that the only way to prevent further chaos is to assert strict global governance. As he consolidates power, the lines between heroism and tyranny begin to blur, setting the stage for a conflict that draws in heroes and villains alike, each forced to choose sides in a war over freedom and control.
In response to the calamity, Superman abandons his traditional role as a defender of truth and justice and adopts a more authoritarian stance (as you can see at the end of the clip above). He becomes convinced that imposing order and peace through an iron fist is necessary to protect the world from itself. Establishing the 'One Earth Regime,' Superman takes on a role akin to a world ruler, making unilateral decisions for the "greater good," which includes harsh punitive measures against those who oppose him. His grief-stricken turn to vigilantism and control represents a stark departure from his usual restraint and respect for human autonomy, as he begins to believe that his superhuman judgment is superior to the will of the people.
Opposite Superman, Batman remains anchored to his core principles, even as the world changes around him. He becomes the leader of the 'Insurgency,' a rebel faction that stands against Superman's new world order. Batman's strategy is grounded in his belief in individual liberty and justice, even in the face of adversity, and continues to work from the shadows, gathering allies and resisting Superman's regime with a blend of guerrilla tactics and strategic planning. Batman views Superman's absolute power as a corruption of the very ideals they both once stood for, and he fights not just for the physical freedom of the world's populace but for the soul of its heroes.
Eventually, the “Batman approach” wins out, after a version of Superman and Lois Lane from another earth come in to remind the broken version of Superman what his core nature, values, and principles are. However, the story shows how even those who we believe have the best character and intentions to do right are still susceptible to incomprehensible actions when pushed to the extreme.
How This All Ties Together
Now, how does this all tie to the current situation we mentioned at the beginning between Israel and Gaza (given that I tied superheroes into this conversation somehow, I think it’s a fair question)? To help break it down, let’s take a look at how Israel managed their relationships with Gaza and the Palestinian people before and after the October 7th attack.
In years before the attack, Israel operated in a mostly defensive capacity, relying on its Iron Dome (the world’s most advanced air defense system) to protect the country from any arial strikes as well as its incredibly large and advanced intelligence network called Mossad, which is widely known as one of the best government agencies in the world in terms of intelligence collection, covert operations, and counter-terrorism. Mossad is viewed so highly that many people are shocked that the events of October 7th were even able to happen.
Since the attacks, as stated earlier, Israel has conducted an all-out campaign against what they see as “the enemy”, with many Israelis saying they will never forgive Palestinians for what Gaza did. In a similar vein to some of the statistics mentioned earlier in the blog, this has left many Palestinians at the mercy of the Israeli government, with about 1.8 million out of 2.3 million Palestinians now homeless and the area of Gaza being ridden with sickness.
While the goal of this blog is not to give an opinion of who should do what and who is “in the right,” I see some remarkable comparisons between this conflict and the Batman vs. Superman approach. Pre-October 7th, Israel’s approach mimics Batman’s way of “operating in the shadows” through the use of advanced tech to capture data & intelligence to its advantage and the presence of a strong military force created a way to deter conflict through fear of retaliation. That’s not to say relations have been peaceful between the two sides previously, as there have been plenty of violent events, but these events pale in comparison to the current situation.
However, looking at the post-October 7th approach taken by Israel, we’ve seen a break from Israel’s historic “Batman approach” toward the approach of Superman in Injustice: Gods Among Us. In this vain, we’ve seen Israel take matters much more into their own hands through the use of force and strength, using the justification of taking down the bad guy (Hamas) to create peace to perform actions that have put many civilian lives at risk and left many areas of Gaza diminished to rubble.
Conclusion
As a once-a-week blogger who doesn’t consider himself to be “wicked smaht” like another Will (Will Hunting for those who didn’t get that reference), I’m sure there are flaws in this analogy that anyone with some knowledge of the conflict or a deep understanding of the DC Universe can find. However, I think this analogy does a good job of breaking down the differing approaches that Israel has appeared to take. It also provoked an interesting thought exercise of what the world would look like today if other approaches had been chosen. Would this current conflict have even started if Israel had taken Superman’s idealistic approach of protecting and helping civilian lives and minimizing collateral before October 7th? Would we be in a less volatile and dangerous state now if Israel abided by a moral code and empowered individual liberty and justice, even after the October 7th attacks? It’s too late to tell, unfortunately, but hopefully, there’s be a silver lining that arises from the ashes of this battle that can help us navigate this situation in the future. Maybe all we learn is that we need to hope for an alien with supernatural abilities or a rich kid suffering from insomnia to appear in our world to save the day. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Thanks for reading! Hopefully, this blog helped those who are a little less knowledgeable about the conflict or the dichotomy of Superman and Batman have a better understanding of either or both of them. Definitely one of the more creative pieces I’ve written (“creative” is a nice way to put it), but it was fun to write. I have an extremely busy week ahead with Mardi Gras season underway as well as my move to NYC next Friday, so I’ll have a little less spare time to write next week, but I have an idea of what I’ll write about next that I’m sure most people reading this will love. Be on the lookout for it, and see y’all next time!
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