The leaders of today

[Sephynos]

I wonder if the leaders of today will be remembered the same way as the old times leaders and kings. I wonder how we will talk about them in history. Because I think there has been more stupidity made by them, then good things (nothing of great ). Do you think we'll overrate them to make them look good?

[RusskiSoldat]

Rest assured, it only seems that way because it's in the present.
The further in the past a leader is, the less bad things are remembered about him.
Compare Genghis Khan and Hitler.
Few would passionately criticize the former as a murderer and destroyer of lands, but damn near everyone would criticize the latter.
Partialy because there are still people who remember seeing him in person, attending his rallies, being spurned on to defeat him, and seeing him in either pro or anti Nazi propaganda.
Also news reels make history less epic and more realistic.
If we had a newsreel of the French revolution, it would be far less romanticized and treated more soberly.
Then again, such media can make for objects of cherish.
Take the Romanov family of the early 20th century.
Theifs, murderers and exploiters of the worst kind.
And yet, they're so often romanticized.
Why?
There are newsreels of them, there are photographs of them, and they existed in an era modern enough to be considered new and yet old enough to be considered romantic.
And they have a "tragic" story to go with it.
Why aren't the Hapsburgs or the Hohenzollers romanticised so?
Because the former had a frail old man capable of little for a leader, and no particularly popular family members and the latter were outright militarists, and more importantly too modern to be seen as oldtime.
So the leaders of today will be looked upon more soberly than the leaders of the past are, if only because there is so much more visible documentation of them.
Remember, a picture is woth a thousand words, and a newsreel has 24 pictures per second.

[Sephynos]

it's true what you're saying they romanticized many of them. But thats kinda scary, Hitler could romanticized has a great concorer of modern day.Like they did for Alexander or the roman empire. Like it was beautiful to conquer for some personnal appeal.

[RZZZA]

Why should hitler or stalin be romanticized? Neither of them were exceptional military leaders, at least genghis kahn was a consumate military leader, much of the concept of blitzkreig comes from him doesnt it?

But hitler made too many mistakes to be considered a good military leader, he can be and most often IS blamed for Germany losing the war, innit?

[IamthePope]

Why should hitler or stalin be romanticized? Neither of them were exceptional military leaders, at least genghis kahn was a consumate military leader, much of the concept of blitzkreig comes from him doesnt it?

Ask RusskiSoldat about Stalin. He'll make a good arguement for canonizing the man.

[Sétanta]

Surely they will all be remembered in some way or another. Stalin, Hitler, Reagan, etc. will all be studied by Future Historians who will decide if their actions were "good" or "bad" just as we do today.

[Sephynos]

But hitler made too many mistakes to be considered a good military leader, he can be and most often IS blamed for Germany losing the war, innit?

I think they'll romanticize the conquest he of Europe, Like Napoleon for people in general (I mean people who has vague info of the man) he's not such a bad guy lol, even when they read the story of the guy.
Since the Romans and Napoleon, he's the last guy who did or try this stupid idea to conquer the the world.

[Sétanta]

Of course the will. The Holocaust will be completely forgotten and called a brutal by-product of the war and Stalin and Hitler will be made out to look like bickering brothers...

Actually, I do think that some of the leaders that we know and have been taught to hate such as Hitler will be thought of better in the future.

[Big War Bird]

Why should hitler or stalin be romanticized? Neither of them were exceptional military leaders, at least genghis kahn was a consumate military leader, much of the concept of blitzkreig comes from him doesnt it?

But hitler made too many mistakes to be considered a good military leader, he can be and most often IS blamed for Germany losing the war, innit?

A time eventually comes for everyone important in history when they simply become history. We can very easily discuss and, when it serves us, simply dismiss the worst of acts the likes of Julius Casear, Alexander or a hundred other figures.

Lost is the living memory loved ones' suffer to replaced by rounded numbers of faceless deaths. What is remembered is the terrific influence, and influence can be admired.