From Newsgroup: rec.arts.books.tolkien

On 2025-09-22, O. Sharp <ohh@panix.com> wrote:

Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> writes, in part:
...Maybe Vance thinks he's making things better, you know, by trying to
curb some of Trump's excesses: "the Wise, such as you and I, may with patience come at last to direct its courses, to control it. We can bide
our time, we can keep our thoughts in our hearts, deploring maybe evils
done by the way, but approving the high and ultimate purpose: Knowledge, Rule, Order". If so, I'd suggest that Vance ought to reread the trilogy
and see how well that same strategy worked for Saruman when _he_ tried it.

If that's the case, I'm afraid that Vance isn't trying to curb Sauron,
but Gollum :D


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From Newsgroup: rec.arts.books.tolkien

On Fri, 09 Jan 2026 09:19:14 -0300, Punga
<punga!nospam!@great-atuin.net> wrote:

On 2025-09-22, O. Sharp <ohh@panix.com> wrote:

Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> writes, in part:
...Maybe Vance thinks he's making things better, you know, by trying to
curb some of Trump's excesses: "the Wise, such as you and I, may with
patience come at last to direct its courses, to control it. We can bide
our time, we can keep our thoughts in our hearts, deploring maybe evils
done by the way, but approving the high and ultimate purpose: Knowledge,
Rule, Order". If so, I'd suggest that Vance ought to reread the trilogy
and see how well that same strategy worked for Saruman when _he_ tried it.

If that's the case, I'm afraid that Vance isn't trying to curb Sauron,
but Gollum :D

Recent events suggest that Vance is playing Sauron to Trump's Melkor.
--
Stephen Hayes, Author of The Year of the Dragon
Sample or purchase The Year of the Dragon: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/907935
Web site: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com
E-mail: shayes@dunelm.org.uk or if you use Gmail hayesstw@telkomsa.net
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From Newsgroup: rec.arts.books.tolkien

On Sat, 10 Jan 2026 04:05:47 +0200, Steve Hayes
<hayesstw@telkomsa.net> wrote:

On Fri, 09 Jan 2026 09:19:14 -0300, Punga
<punga!nospam!@great-atuin.net> wrote:

On 2025-09-22, O. Sharp <ohh@panix.com> wrote:

Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> writes, in part:
...Maybe Vance thinks he's making things better, you know, by trying to >>> curb some of Trump's excesses: "the Wise, such as you and I, may with
patience come at last to direct its courses, to control it. We can bide >>> our time, we can keep our thoughts in our hearts, deploring maybe evils >>> done by the way, but approving the high and ultimate purpose: Knowledge, >>> Rule, Order". If so, I'd suggest that Vance ought to reread the trilogy >>> and see how well that same strategy worked for Saruman when _he_ tried it. >>

If that's the case, I'm afraid that Vance isn't trying to curb Sauron,
but Gollum :D

Recent events suggest that Vance is playing Sauron to Trump's Melkor.

While that may summarize their relationship, Trump is more like Sauron
than Melkor.
This is explained by an essay in HOME (/Morgoth's Ring/, I think):
Sauron wanted to rule Middle-Earth. Trump is currently giving signs of
similar ambitions. Of course, since the only unifying pattern in what
he does is that it makes his name dominate the news, it is hard to say
what, if anything, he really wants. Other than to dominate the news,
that is.
Melkor wanted to destroy Arda. Had he reduced it to its consituent
atoms he would /still/ have been unhappy because those atoms existed.
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"
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