Joker Laughs Hysterically At Capitalism

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.

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“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.

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(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… 

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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?