NP Tolkien Picks Up A Few More Bits Of Cultural Baggage

[jbor]

... and, like the journalist, I'd certainly be surprised and concerned if
anyone with any real influence or credibility started taking up _TLOTR_ as a
valid or reliable source for discussion (let alone action) re. (i.e.
"'about'") the mooted war against Iraq.

best


> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46263-2002Dec27.html
>  
> Tolkien Picks Up A Few More Bits Of Cultural Baggage
> By Chris Mooney
> Washington Post 
> Sunday, December 29, 2002; Page B03

> [...]
> When it comes to the current discussion over Iraq,
> there's something in Tolkien for the pro-war side and
> the anti-war side. There's also a case to be made for
> simply rejecting Tolkien's suspicion of power and
> fully embracing the United States's unique capacity to
> do good on the world stage. But if we're going to use
> "The Lord of the Rings" as a heuristic device to
> debate the gravest matters of international politics,
> we should remember: The enemy across the field from us
> is definitely not a monstrous orc. And even orcs are
> living creatures -- just not ones possessing rights
> under the Geneva Conventions.