NP Tolkien Picks Up A Few More Bits Of Cultural Baggage

[Paul Mackin]

On Sat, 2003-01-04 at 17:49, jbor wrote:
> 
> ... I wish Rushdie, a noted controversialist, had been more precise about
> what those "echoes" he perceives actually are. Even with the coincidence of
> the title, most critics and reviewers, and the vast majority of people
> seeing the movie, aren't making the connection between it and the projected
> war on Iraq,


And this, if for no other reason, would be because, with respect to
America anyway, the average person isn't thinking about Iraq all that
much. The economy, etc., are too much on the mind. Public opinion
surveys indicate this. Iraq is last on the list of concerns, despite all
of the president's efforts.

P.

>or the book and World War Two. Which, respectively,
> respectfully, and in my opinion, is a good thing, and quite reasonable too.
> 
> 
> on 5/1/03 5:07 AM, Otto at ottosell at yahoo.de wrote:
> 
> > 
> > Arms and the men and hobbits
> > From Middle Earth to New York and Washington, the morality of war is at
> > issue, says Salman Rushdie
> > 
> > "The Two Towers - how fortunate for all concerned that this title was not
> > ready for release 12 months ago, in the immediate aftermath of the fall of
> > the World Trade Centre - follows Tolkien in creating a universe of moral
> > absolutes. Tolkien didn't like people calling his great work an allegory of
> > the battle against Adolf Hitler, but the echoes of the second world war, the
> > last just war, are everywhere."
> > http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,12084,868100,00.html
> 
> 
> ... of course, on the other hand, I'm not sure who or what's attempting to
> twist the public imagination most (let alone why) ... Government, Publisher,
> social and cultural context/s of production and reception, The film, "The
> Situation", Tolkien's Text, "the Media" (and the 'Star Wars'-"Ronnie Raygun"
> comparison here is indeed an interesting one ... ), "democracy", the
> critical sensibility (notwithstanding Critical sensibility) itself? Or is it
> "the public imagination" which moves political ideas and cultural attitudes
> along in a line? Whichever, once someone puts some shit out there who knows
> how quickly & into what shapes it may grow ....
> 
> best
> 
> 
> >> ... 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.
> > 
> > 
>