Channel72 said:
I agree with all this - it’s just bizarre that apparently George Lucas really believed he was portraying the Jedi in a positive light. The interpretation most people on the Internet seem to adhere to - that the Prequels purposely portray the Jedi as a flawed institution (like the Catholic Church or something) - is almost certainly incorrect. Multiple interviews with George Lucas reveal that he believes the Jedi and their anti-attachment philosophy was correct, and the only reason Anakin fell was because he gave in to his fear of loss.

I actually don’t think these things have to live contradictorily. Institution != the beliefs, what is taught doesn’t account for the pedagogy. Lucas believing he portrayed the Jedi as characters positively doesn’t preclude the notion that the Jedi Order as it was is cooked, especially when said Order is so pointedly entwined with a galactic government Lucas is criticizing. “Golden Age of the Jedi” is objective nomenclature that reflects status and power in a narrative indicting status and power. There is a lot more happening in what he’s talked about than the popular terms often dictated by fans in debate.

And like, Lucas can be wrong about his own work. If we were talking about real world baggage, this is its value in a fictional space that’s expanded beyond his authorial engagement.