It’s weird, sometimes, to meet someone from long ago… and remember that you didn’t really like each other; but suddenly there’s still that weird sense of nostalgia. You may not have liked that person but they still “get where you came from” and have shared memories. So you catch up.
And of course you remember reasons why you didn’t like that person, or maybe you discover even new depths of dislike that confirm your earlier instincts. I suppose on some rare occasions it is possible that you see the person in a new light, maybe even become sympathetic or friendly, but… nah, usually our first instincts are correct.
On another note, it is strange to remember how quickly Saddam Hussein, a well-known and central figure in history and events at the time, faded from memory. He had held the world’s attention for several years, played an ongoing back-and-forth game of “gotcha” with the US and our allies, was a major player in regional politics and balances of power… and then one day he was yesterday’s news. By the time of his execution at the hands of an Iraqi court, there was a sense of “he was still alive?” in the air.
After all this time, Joe Rock may as well chill and chat with Saddam’s ghost. As a ghost he can’t actually affect the physical world, and the physical weapons don’t affect him in return. And now he’s that guy you remember from years ago that you didn’t really like but still remembers the “old times” as you did.