Contradiction?

The post-WWII era of comics books must have been so confusing for kids. Consider:

So, crime does not pay. OK. But...

But crime must pay? But it does not pay, so how can it pay, even if it must pay? If crime does not pay even though it must pay, is that a crime in and of itself? And does that secondary crime pay? I...er...uhh....bzzzzzzttt.

Sorry, just shorted out. I feel kind of like a computer that just got confused by Captain Kirk...