I love weight training, but the number of zealots and narcissists in the community is definitely a big downside that surely discourages a lot of people.

Resistance training has innumerable benefits, but it's not a panacea nor is it a substitute for aerobic exercise; if done properly and sensibly, aerobic and resistance training complement one another. Here's a great summary comparing the two: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Adaptations-and-Health-B...

By all means emphasize one over the other as you prefer, but for health benefits both should be included. And, no, powerlifting exercises with a straight barbell are not irreplaceable. Resistance training is a far bigger world than that.