But aren't all plot lines of all stories just a series of arbitrary events?
Only up to a point. The author has total control over what happens, yes– but if the story totally fails to make internal sense it's usually not very satisfying to read. Of course, that depends a lot on the reader.
I'm just saying that in the hands of a lazy writer, magical realism = all-purpose plot-device. The high fantasy equivalent is random magic that does whatever the plot requires.
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On the other hand, Tolkien (with his equally grand and layered history of Middlearth) has the advantage over SW: if he didn't imagine it happening in ME's history, it didn't happen.
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Try telling that to fan fic writers...