J.R.R. Tolkien -- enemy of progress ?

[Bill Ferny]

Since our elected leaders are apt to behave like kings and emperors anyway that system seems more honest to me.

The most challenging task while I was briefly a HS Western Civ teacher was combating the constant recourse my students had to democracy and equality. They simply couldn’t understand why “the people” would allow themselves to be lorded over by aristocracy and monarchs. Egalitarianism and democracy are so ingrained in our culture that HS freshman can hardly think beyond these social constructs, usually blinding them to the fact that modern republics and economies are far from the democratic or egalitarian ideals.