> Can we have a definition of the difference [between a public-spirited
citizen and an out-of-control vigilante, in the context of Batman]?
Certainly. A public-spirited citizen is someone who takes the law into
his own hands with the support of the general populace; an
out-of-control vigilante is someone who takes the law into his own hands
against the will of the general populace.
The problem with Neil Burnside (just so we stay remotely on-topic here)
is that the general populace is never allowed to pass judgment on what
he does, so while he's convinced that he's the former, to many of us he
looks like the latter.
One thing I've noticed about intelligence agencies is that they're fond
of justifying their outrageous actions by saying, "Boy, oh, boy, if you
only knew what WE know, you wouldn't even question us. No sirree, you'd
be behind us 100% if you had the information WE have. Of course we can't
tell you what it is."