> Nobody thinks that Tolkien ... was putting forward some kind of aspirational project for better living through whatever. Actually I think that's a fair argum

> Nobody thinks that Tolkien ... was putting forward some kind of aspirational project for better living through whatever. Actually I think that's a fair argument to make about LOTR. The simple, rustic wholesomeness of the Hobbits, the valor and respect of the Men, and even the friendship of a Dwarf and an Elf destroyed rapacious greed multiple times. I think even the Scouring episode at the end of the novels, while it may seem unimportant to the plot, can be considered important to the message of resisting industrialization. But I'm not a Tolkien scholar myself so take this all with a grain of salt.