NP "racist" Tolkien?

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Ya know, the thing that always made me a little suspicious,
as I slogged through TLOTR, was the relationship between
Gandalf and Saruman. Weren't they of the same ilk, or at
least class? There was some commonality between the 
the footsoldiers on both sides, as well, and, if their racial 
antipathies hadn't been manipulated by their leaders so 
much, who knows? The Dwarves always struck me as being 
potentially good union organizers. I think their main loyalty 
was to a job well done, and not any particular "boss."

Anyway, I think Tolkien's main paranoia was not so much
"the negro" as the hordes of swarthy Mongols, which, under 
the reign of Ghengis and the rest of the Khans, had swept 
across the  steppes of Asia and threatened both Europe and 
The Holy Land in the thirteenth century.

Ironically, it was the Mamluks, not the feckless Crusaders
or effete Muslims, who finally crushed the heretofore
unstoppable Mongols in a huge battle in 1260 at Ain Jalut 
(Palestine). Ironic, because the Mamluks were basically slaves
turned into an army by their Egyptian owners. They
included Euros, Turks, Moors, Mongols and anyone else who 
might be good with sword or lance- all in all, a pretty 
heterogenous lot. Although, behind closed doors, Trent, 
likely as not, would have no problem referring to them all
as niggers.

The Ring, of course, is the real enemy- because of it's
multiplication of effect. Racial stereo-typing is quite natural,
and, in and of itself, not evil. In fact, ignoring racial characteristics,
which serves to strip them of their power, may be just as bad
as demonizing them. In the presence of The Ring, however, everyone 
becomes the same. The Ring leaves a swath of entropy in its wake.

respectfully