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Animalmother · 04-17-2008, 08:59 AM

Saruman's rhetoric and actions are those of a modern leftist progressive politician. As such, Saruman connects with us moderns. Gandalf, who is a defender of tradition with a rigid view of absolute good and evil in politics, does not. Saruman is a politician-Wizard of the Left, who has presciently adopted as his own symbol a symbol of the modern Left, the rainbow of many colors. Gandalf, like his fellow Elven Ring bearers, is a reactionary who wants to defend and to keep all things exactly as they are.

Saruman is a modernizer. He has lost patience with the laissez faire, consensus driven policy of his fellow Istari, and, seeing the need for rapid change, would concentrate power in himself as Chief Executive of the Free People.

Saruman is a mediator. He believes that an accommodation can be reached with Sauron that will satisfy Sauron's will to power, without sacrificing everything Saruman has sworn to protect.

Saruman is a politician. Among the Dunlendings, Saruman stirs up and manipulates identity group politics-- the politics of resentment -- to acquire power for himself. If Rohan is Medieval Mercian Anglo-Saxon England, then the Dunlendings are the resentful Celtic fringe. Saruman uses the fringe against the sleepy smug drunken Riders of Rohan to acquire power for himself. If his plans had not been interrupted by the War of the Ring, he probably would have proposed through Wormtongue that Rohan enter into a Union of Middle Earth with the Dunlendings and the Orkish-folk of Isengard, with administrative headquarters of the Union at Isengard.

Saruman is an arrogant elitist. He despises all views of common folk and cares only for the opinion of his fellow elites. He does not kill or torture Gandalf because he still values Gandalf's opinion and still wishes first to persuade and then to convince Gandalf that Saruman's new policy is correct.

Most provocatively, Saruman is a social engineer. He is bored with and disappointed in the old, God-made races of Middle Earth, and so he sets himself the task of breeding a new, mixed race, a more durable and politically obedient hybrid, emancipated of any loyalty or identity, except to himself.

Saruman would be very comfortable as a leader of modern. multicultural European Socialism and American liberalism.

04-17-2008, 08:59 AM	#26
Animalmother Pile O'Bones Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 14	Saruman, Progressive Politician Saruman's rhetoric and actions are those of a modern leftist progressive politician. As such, Saruman connects with us moderns. Gandalf, who is a defender of tradition with a rigid view of absolute good and evil in politics, does not. Saruman is a politician-Wizard of the Left, who has presciently adopted as his own symbol a symbol of the modern Left, the rainbow of many colors. Gandalf, like his fellow Elven Ring bearers, is a reactionary who wants to defend and to keep all things exactly as they are. Saruman is a modernizer. He has lost patience with the laissez faire, consensus driven policy of his fellow Istari, and, seeing the need for rapid change, would concentrate power in himself as Chief Executive of the Free People. Saruman is a mediator. He believes that an accommodation can be reached with Sauron that will satisfy Sauron's will to power, without sacrificing everything Saruman has sworn to protect. Saruman is a politician. Among the Dunlendings, Saruman stirs up and manipulates identity group politics-- the politics of resentment -- to acquire power for himself. If Rohan is Medieval Mercian Anglo-Saxon England, then the Dunlendings are the resentful Celtic fringe. Saruman uses the fringe against the sleepy smug drunken Riders of Rohan to acquire power for himself. If his plans had not been interrupted by the War of the Ring, he probably would have proposed through Wormtongue that Rohan enter into a Union of Middle Earth with the Dunlendings and the Orkish-folk of Isengard, with administrative headquarters of the Union at Isengard. Saruman is an arrogant elitist. He despises all views of common folk and cares only for the opinion of his fellow elites. He does not kill or torture Gandalf because he still values Gandalf's opinion and still wishes first to persuade and then to convince Gandalf that Saruman's new policy is correct. Most provocatively, Saruman is a social engineer. He is bored with and disappointed in the old, God-made races of Middle Earth, and so he sets himself the task of breeding a new, mixed race, a more durable and politically obedient hybrid, emancipated of any loyalty or identity, except to himself. Saruman would be very comfortable as a leader of modern. multicultural European Socialism and American liberalism.