Broadely , I would attribute it to things getting worse. And the increased awareness and reaction to things getting worse.
Sliding it neatly in with the rest of the modern pantheon of stories where, they don’t contest things are bad. It’s just that the villains want to solve the problems in a way that’s worse.
Is the situation somehow explained there? Since I don't remember the cartoon or movies ever trying to explain this. I guess the only explanation I've heard is that it's for children so some plot holes like that are encouraged.
Different people write Batman differently. Every complaint and praise of Batman is going to be true just by the fact of how many people have written him.