Fanbois of Military Dictators

There are still fanboi cults dedicated to men like Alexander "the Great", Julius Caesar, and Napoleon. At the same time, various military dictators like Stalin, Hitler, or even Attila the Hun have a bad stink that wafts down through all history. They're all the same, though.

The fanbois worship a PR creation that survived down through the ages. Various playwrights and movie producers in modern times reinforce ancient advertising campaigns to make new versions of old tropes. For example, Shakespeare puts a shine on Julius Caesar, or on figures like Anthony and Cleopatra. Alexander the Great is fluffed by historians and writers, but hasn't been the subject of any recent movie I am aware of.

I don't think there's any positive anglo PR for Attila the Hun. It's been negative since he first appeared on the scene and sticks with him through the ages. Some of the institutions that created that bad image, like the Catholic Church, are still around. In WWI the allies used "Hun" as a derogatory term form Germans.

It's quite amazing how these archetypes stick around for thousands of years and really play a strong role in shaping consciousness. I guess a figure like Alexander represents the juvenile concept of "Real Ultimate Power" and achievement.

It's informative to contrast that concept with advice from someone like Alan Watts about "just being", that is our purpose here on Earth is really just to exist.