Outlaws and Bandits

Over the years there have been many outlaws and bandits both real and fictional who have captured our hearts in either the news or on film. The role of the loveable rogue seems to be very popular in modern society.
All the way from the days of Robin Hood right up to the Clint Eastwood days of "Dirty Harry" and "The Man With No Name" we have all loved to see a good guy dressed in a bad guys image. Even now we have Sawyer from TV series LOST and the new, darker James Bond films.
However in real life what these people are doing is classed as being bad and more often than not they are breaking the law. In recent news the great train robber Ronald Biggs has come up for bail yet a lot of people hold the view that they shoud just let him go now he's so old. Yet he evaded the law for so long that the authorities are adamant that he complete his sentence.
I think what it all boils down to is the fact that we all respond best to the bad guy in all of us because its one thing we all have in common. Though all of us aren't "good" we all have the ability to or already have been "bad". And that's the appeal, someone who seems cooler is normally someone with an edge to them, someone that is not just a one dimensional character with only the thoughts of upholding the law and justice of others in mind. Because we're all a little bit selfish we all would like to see someone do what we'd want to.
I think being bad in this scenario is a matter of point of view rather than right or wrong, black or white.