preaching contempt for all institutions?

[moonlike]

Hi
Could you please help me to get the underlined part?
The title of the text is 'Names that live in infamy; killers want notoriety. Let's not give it to them'.

Conditions are ripe for more of this. Not only has fame itself been made sacred but films and novels feed a culture of resentment by extolling the image of romantic loners battling vile institutions. When exaggerated, it becomes one of the most toxic of all modern cliches- preaching contempt for all institutions.

1. Does it refer to resentment?
2. Could you help me with the meaning of the bold words? and also the meaning of the whole underlined part?

Thanks a lot.

 

[SoothingDave]

1. No it refers to the extolling.
2. There is a certain romantic notion held by many that the institutions of western civilization are all "corrupt" and that noble individuals that fight against them are heroes. Some such individuals and situations exist, after all we are but human. But when every story told in the media and entertainment industry is about how evil corporations, the military, banking, gov't, etc. are it can breed a contempt for every institution.

And lead to the soft-focus rock star treatment of a bomber who killed and maimed for his twisted view of religion.

 

[konungursvia]

According to Jacques Barzun, we are, as a civilisation, something close to corrupt or lost. I find that many of our institutions function now in a way that is quite different to that intended. The NSA is but one example.

 

[SoothingDave]

We certainly lack the will to defend our own civilization. When we teach only our errors to our young and spend our energy apologizing for our existence, it is little surprise that they come to regard the "rebel" as the hero.

 

[moonlike]

1. No it refers to the extolling.
2. There is a certain romantic notion held by many that the institutions of western civilization are all "corrupt" and that noble individuals that fight against them are heroes. Some such individuals and situations exist, after all we are but human. But when every story told in the media and entertainment industry is about how evil corporations, the military, banking, gov't, etc. are it can breed a contempt for every institution.

And lead to the soft-focus rock star treatment of a bomber who killed and maimed for his twisted view of religion.

Thanks a lot.
So here, 'romantic' has nothing to do with love.

 

[SoothingDave]

No, nothing to do with love.

Romantic | Define Romantic at Dictionary.com

Some combination of definitions 2 and 3 is what I meant.