[Raynor]

Also, you seem to single out Númenor for special examination. I really don't see much in the way of a modern parallel. The Fall of Númenor, in my opinion, had its ultimate root in the desire of the Dúnedain to obtain immortality. They wanted something they were biologically incapable of having. The reason apparently they alone as mortals were susceptible to this failing, I think, was bound to their proximity to the Undying Lands, so close they could physically see what in their eyes was Paradise. I can think of no 'real' parallel.

I was primarily referring to Sauron as the manipulator of that fear (fear of death), which ultimately became the reason to invade the blessed lands. While there isn't any exact parallel to Numenor (well, if we ignore all the investments in geriatric treatments and, why not, frost perservation), there certainly is a fear for one's life; Ar-Pharazon really became convinced that he was entitled to a much longer life than what he had, and the valar became, with the help of Sauron, the main obstacle in his path. Quite similar I'd say, at that stage, to the fear/danger of someone shortening your natural life.

The rulers in Númenor who hastened the realm to its end originally did not claim to be following the will of the Divine

True, but I was referring to Sauron, who promoted himself as the bearer of "divine" knowledge and message, much like quite a few real life leaders.

I have to run--but I'd really like to see a more specific definition of what you mean by "dictator.

I agree, the term was used rather freely. In the context of this thread, I am referring to rulers who abuse their status to exploit their own people (and, why not, others), with a clear malicious intent (that is, these atrocities are caused not by accident and ignorance, but quite the opposite - I hope this helps).

And just to stir the pot a little more... how much do we really know about Elessar's style of ruling in the restored kingdom? We know that he let the Shire be basically autonomous, and that he reinstated a state religion, but that's about it. He was a monarch with central authority, which he had the right to use even if he may not have used it all the time. How much of an absolutist was he, and what policies of his really contradicted those of these dictators that you're criticizing so much?

In letter 156 Tolkien refers to Aragorn as re-instating the line of priest kings and of worship of God (interesting mix of politics and theology, isn't it? Perhaps the ideally good side of it.) Also, in letter 244:

I did not, naturally, go into details about the way in which Aragorn, as King of Gondor, would govern the realm... A Númenórean King was monarch, with the power of unquestioned decision in debate; but he governed the realm with the frame of ancient law, of which he was administrator (and interpreter) but not the maker...Aragorn re-established the Great Council of Gondor, and in that Faramir, who remained by inheritance the Steward (or representative of the King during his absence abroad, or sickness, or between his death and the accession of his heir) would [be] the chief counsellor.

Oh yes, there are many aspects of many real despots and despotic regimes in Sauron and Melkor, but as they are symbols of the root of all evils in the world, they cannot, I think, be truly equated with any single person or government.

True, but I am not trying to equate Sauron with real life authoritarian rulers, but to see where both use similar weaknesses in humans. Granted, Sauron is at a higher advantage, due to his mythical powers, but there is a lot that comes easier simply by using manipulation. The supreme art of war is to win without a brute fight, and magic itself might be hard to come by, (as Tolkien notes in the Letters, generally, and specifically to Sauron being weakened by trying to corrupt others).

If I was to draw a more exact comparison between Sauron's regime and a real one, I would choose some soviet "communist" regime (yeah, I loath calling that communism); choose your pick, whichever was the harshest - I would bet that would be Stalin. I am saying this because Sauron ruled mostly by fear; he couldn't actually control the human fea through magic (iirc, Mandos says that the spirit itself of Men is as indomitable as the spirit of the valar), but he could instill enough terror to make them "weak and fearful", as said in Akallabeth. To the credit of the human race, in both Ea and our world, we have persons willing to escape, or even fight the evil even from within; there were humans who fled from Melkor, and under Sauon some "shook off the yoke and unlearned the terror of the dark" especially when they saw the arrival of the Numenoreans.