We’re left to take on trust from Gandalf, a manipulative spin doctor, and the Elves, immortal elitists who kill humans and hobbits for even entering their territory, when they say that the maker of the one ring is evil. Isn’t it more likely that the orcs, who live in dire poverty, actually support Sauron because he represents the liberal forces of science and industrialisation, in the face of a brutally oppressive conservative social order?
In Tolkien's tale, it's not the left, or the right that evil is limited to, but the evil lies in the power to be be evil Power will eventually corrupt even the most well meaning.
Don't forget as is pointed out in article, Saruman, was a wise wizard before surrendering to the flatteries of absolute power
But but but... Mordor is so oppressive and polluted due to middle-earth climate change, its HATE to not let these poor and oppressed minorities simply looking for a better life and climate justice into Minas Tirith!
The left are beyond satire now, cant tell whether legitimately insane or just shitposting by people stationed in hell and trying to blend in with the demonic to harvest needed intel.
Tolkien was certainly an interesting person. Apparently he self-described his politics as somewhere between an Anarchist and Monarchist. Some later scholars have dubbed it Anarcho-Monarchism just to have a name to put to it. Though Tolkien himself never personally described it as such.
Tolkien explicitly rejected his books being metaphors or allegories in the LotR preface. He further specifically rejected that characters or events in his mythopoetic narrative be taken as representing e.g. the Marxist movement. Read the original.
Tolkien had no warlocks. Merger of wizards with warlocks in modern parlance recalls multiple older roots in alchemy and folklore, in which various mages could be entrusted with assisting the flow of politics behind the scenes.
“You can make the Ring into an allegory of our own time, if you like: and allegory of the inevitable fate that waits for all attempts to defeat evil power by power” (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, 1995, p. 121.)
When you say, "a metaphor on how the Left turns you Evil WITHIN", that is only partially right. Power is the evil, and who ever welds it will inevitably turn to evil. This means the left and the right.
In Tolkien’s vision, the power is always evil - a good power cannot even exist. That is why Gandalf would not accept the ring when offered him.
“You can make the Ring into an allegory of our own time, if you like: and allegory of the inevitable fate that waits for all attempts to defeat evil power by power” (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, 1995, p. 121.)
“Power is an ominous and sinister word in all these tales” (p. 152.)
“The story is cast in terms of a good side, and a bad side, beauty against ruthless ugliness, tyranny against kingship, moderated freedom with consent against compulsion that has long lost any object save mere power, and so on” (pp. 178-179.)
“In my story Sauron represents as near an approach to the wholly evil will as is possible. He had gone the way of all tyrants: beginning well, at least on the level that while desiring to order all things according to his own wisdom he still at first considered the (economic) well-being of other inhabitants of Earth. But he went further than human tyrants in pride and the lust for domination, being in origin an immortal (angelic) spirit” (p. 243.)
“Of course my story is not an allegory of Atomic power, but of Power (exerted for domination)” (p. 246.)
You can find Tolkien's letters here. (You have to create sign in, but it's free, and this site is great. Any book, or material that is not copyrighted is there.
I don't agree that "power corrupts," though I know that's the basic premise of LOTR. That's a problem because decent people are often scared off from taking powerful positions, even though they're just the ones who should have it.
I believe that the corrupt are drawn to power. That's very different. That's why sociopaths rule the world and get away with destroying our lives. Because we blame "power" instead of blaming them. And it never stops.
That Power will always corrupt even the best intentioned is exactly what our founders understood, and why they designed a system of government with three co-equal branches, and why most power was delegated to the states, and to "the people."
No character in Lord of the Rings is “perfect” or “immaculate”. Each one is a mixture of good and evil, and time after time he or she is called on to choose between a good and an evil action. Nevertheless, “Good” and “Evil” do exist, and - even though people may doubt or may not correctly distinguish one from the other - the two sides are clearly separated. This, of course, is the leading reason why the One Ring can only do bad - it’s a constant temptation to one’s evil side. Even the best man in the world would surrender it sooner or later.
Only from this perspective is it possible to see things with Tolkien’s realistic eyes. He did recognize that people are good and bad, and some of them may freely choose evil and even find it pleasant. This is the consequence of the Fall: human beings are not perfect, and therefore every means of dominion is evil in itself. In fact,** “The proper study of Man is anything but Man; and the most improper job of any man, even saints (who at any rate were at least unwilling to take it on), is bossing other men. Not one in a million is fit to it, and least of all those who seek the opportunity”** (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, 1995, p. 64.)
Leftists literally orcposting...
https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/dec/12/tolkiens-myths-are-a-political-fantasy
In Tolkien's tale, it's not the left, or the right that evil is limited to, but the evil lies in the power to be be evil Power will eventually corrupt even the most well meaning.
Don't forget as is pointed out in article, Saruman, was a wise wizard before surrendering to the flatteries of absolute power
Tolkien v. Power
But but but... Mordor is so oppressive and polluted due to middle-earth climate change, its HATE to not let these poor and oppressed minorities simply looking for a better life and climate justice into Minas Tirith!
The left are beyond satire now, cant tell whether legitimately insane or just shitposting by people stationed in hell and trying to blend in with the demonic to harvest needed intel.
Tolkien was certainly an interesting person. Apparently he self-described his politics as somewhere between an Anarchist and Monarchist. Some later scholars have dubbed it Anarcho-Monarchism just to have a name to put to it. Though Tolkien himself never personally described it as such.
Tolkien explicitly rejected his books being metaphors or allegories in the LotR preface. He further specifically rejected that characters or events in his mythopoetic narrative be taken as representing e.g. the Marxist movement. Read the original.
Tolkien had no warlocks. Merger of wizards with warlocks in modern parlance recalls multiple older roots in alchemy and folklore, in which various mages could be entrusted with assisting the flow of politics behind the scenes.
“You can make the Ring into an allegory of our own time, if you like: and allegory of the inevitable fate that waits for all attempts to defeat evil power by power” (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, 1995, p. 121.)
https://mises.org/mises-daily/tolkien-v-power
This is a great article.
When you say, "a metaphor on how the Left turns you Evil WITHIN", that is only partially right. Power is the evil, and who ever welds it will inevitably turn to evil. This means the left and the right.
In Tolkien’s vision, the power is always evil - a good power cannot even exist. That is why Gandalf would not accept the ring when offered him.
“You can make the Ring into an allegory of our own time, if you like: and allegory of the inevitable fate that waits for all attempts to defeat evil power by power” (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, 1995, p. 121.)
“Power is an ominous and sinister word in all these tales” (p. 152.)
“The story is cast in terms of a good side, and a bad side, beauty against ruthless ugliness, tyranny against kingship, moderated freedom with consent against compulsion that has long lost any object save mere power, and so on” (pp. 178-179.)
“In my story Sauron represents as near an approach to the wholly evil will as is possible. He had gone the way of all tyrants: beginning well, at least on the level that while desiring to order all things according to his own wisdom he still at first considered the (economic) well-being of other inhabitants of Earth. But he went further than human tyrants in pride and the lust for domination, being in origin an immortal (angelic) spirit” (p. 243.)
“Of course my story is not an allegory of Atomic power, but of Power (exerted for domination)” (p. 246.)
You can find Tolkien's letters here. (You have to create sign in, but it's free, and this site is great. Any book, or material that is not copyrighted is there.
I don't agree that "power corrupts," though I know that's the basic premise of LOTR. That's a problem because decent people are often scared off from taking powerful positions, even though they're just the ones who should have it.
I believe that the corrupt are drawn to power. That's very different. That's why sociopaths rule the world and get away with destroying our lives. Because we blame "power" instead of blaming them. And it never stops.
That Power will always corrupt even the best intentioned is exactly what our founders understood, and why they designed a system of government with three co-equal branches, and why most power was delegated to the states, and to "the people."
No character in Lord of the Rings is “perfect” or “immaculate”. Each one is a mixture of good and evil, and time after time he or she is called on to choose between a good and an evil action. Nevertheless, “Good” and “Evil” do exist, and - even though people may doubt or may not correctly distinguish one from the other - the two sides are clearly separated. This, of course, is the leading reason why the One Ring can only do bad - it’s a constant temptation to one’s evil side. Even the best man in the world would surrender it sooner or later.
Only from this perspective is it possible to see things with Tolkien’s realistic eyes. He did recognize that people are good and bad, and some of them may freely choose evil and even find it pleasant. This is the consequence of the Fall: human beings are not perfect, and therefore every means of dominion is evil in itself. In fact,** “The proper study of Man is anything but Man; and the most improper job of any man, even saints (who at any rate were at least unwilling to take it on), is bossing other men. Not one in a million is fit to it, and least of all those who seek the opportunity”** (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, 1995, p. 64.)
All the Uruk-Hai want is to live in peace.... https://files.catbox.moe/62m9h1.jpg
Saved, nice one!