I've written this in the "Canonicity" thread, and, as it pertains to this discussion, I'll repeat it.
My viewpoint on Lord of the Rings (and literature in general) is that everyone, being different, has different opinions and beliefs, and those beliefs are reflected upon what they get out of reading LotR.
People with different mindsets see things differently. To some, the departure of the elves from Middle-Earth is seen as depressing, the end of an era and a way of life. but some might see it as the beginning of a new era, a chance for new life.
What does this have to do with the price of wine in Dorwinion? Well, people and mindsets change over the course of time. 5,000 years ago people were worried about where to find food. 500 years ago people were worried about thier feudal Lords and getting those crops in. 50 years ago, people were worried about nearly the same things we are today, and yet, there have been innumerable changes in society even since LotR was published.
People care about different things now. And, the way the trend has been going for the entire of history of humanity, the things people will care about and believe will change drastically within even the oldest of the Downer's lifetimes.
This is true on a personal level as well. A person changes throught thier lives. Reading LotR in grade school won't mean the same to you as when you read it during college.
Everything is different, it just depends on how you look at it.
