Note I wasn't really trying to go into the argument, just pointing out these are well-known and very debated topics in Tolkien fandom. My own opinion is that d

Note I wasn't really trying to go into the argument, just pointing out these are well-known and very debated topics in Tolkien fandom. My own opinion is that debating this is missing the point. Tolkien was about the hero's journey, which necessitates the hard path to victory. It's not at all about flying a modern superweapon into Mount Doom; that's too literal a reading.