Lords and Ladies of the Rings

[the phantom]

If you say that Sauron could never be permanently incapacitated except through destruction of the Ring and that the ring couldn't be destroyed by the will of any creature mortal or immortal or even of the people of the Gods, you've reduced the world to a single equation where Sauron wins.

I meant no one in ME could destroy it. If we want to bring the Valar into it, perhaps Manwe, Ulmo, or a couple others would be capable of destroying it. But, the Valar were not involved. As far as ME goes, I believe exactly what you stated, that the world had been reduced to a single equation where Sauron wins.

Firstly, I believe his origin as an Ainu coupled with the lessons he learned from Melkor and the thousands of years he spent in a quest for power made him the most powerful and dominating force in ME. Secondly, I believe his whole ring plot was one of the most ingenious plans ever in history. I thought Afrodal Fenyar said it well.

Sauron was unbeatable, at least nobody in Middle-Earth could beat him. Gandalf's plan failed, as Frodo couldn't destroy the Ring. Wouldn't Gollum have taken one step, Sauron would have won. The Good were simply pretty damn lucky.

The odds for beating Sauron weren't a million to one, they were a million to none. They had 0 chance of winning, and yet, they won. I think this illustrates what you said about Eru better than anything.

He is mindful of the plight of his Children and his theme prevails in the end.

When there is no way, Eru finds a way.