The Ring and the other races

[obloquy]

But isn't that evil by another name?

I think this is exactly what Tolkien means when he says that Gandalf would blur the lines of good and evil and thus be worse than Sauron.

So, Tolkien was looking farther into the future than I was. The Ring can be mastered and used for good, but ultimately, the bearer's self-righteous imposition of his wisdom on others would be tantamount to enslavement.