Tolkien and Western Government

[Lalwendë]

Tolkien's word on politics:

My political opinions lean more and more to Anarchy (philosophically understood, meaning abolition of control not whiskered men with bombs) - or to 'unconstitutional' Monarchy. I would arrest anybody who uses the word State (in any sense other than the inanimate realm of England and its inhabitants, a thing that has neither power, rights nor mind); and after a chance recantation, execute them if they remained obstinate! If we could get back to personal names, it would do a lot of good. Government is an abstract noun meaning the art and process of governing and it should be an offence to write it with a capital G or so as to refer to people. If people were in the habit of referring to 'King George's council, Winston and his gang', it would go a long way to clearing thought, and reducing the frightful landslide into Theyocracy.

Its clear he admired the idea of a benevolent monarchy - though he was fully aware that it was not a perfect system as seen in the long lines of sorry excuses for Kings that beset Numenor, Arnor and Gondor. He even seems to make out that Kings such as Aragorn are one in a million.

What Tolkien says in this quote is familiar to Brits as the kind of thing the Daily Mail and Telegraph (and most of the people for that matter) might say every few days, how the state is to blame for everything, etc. It's the mention of Anarchy that stands out as distinctly odd to me. Thinking about it, it is a philosophy kin to and opposite to absolute Monarchy. Kin because it also denies the presence of a State apparatus and opposite because Anarchy allows for no ruler whatsoever and instead is for collectivism.

I often think that The Shire has something of the air of an Anarchist commune to it, but not quite, as it has ownership and people have roles. In an Anarchist collective everyone would share responsibility. There would be no contrast between the Sams and the Sandymans as both would do each other's jobs at some point in the year. Sam wouldn't garden for Frodo but for the good of the community.

At least the Shire would have the pipe smoking off to a T, but would it have the necessary beard scratching to be a lovely woolly Anarchist collective?

the inanimate realm of England and its inhabitants, a thing that has neither power, rights nor mind

Tolkien is correct here though. What is the identity of 'England'? Its just a bit of Britain seemingly, without any identity of its own, especially now Wales, Scotland and NI have their own assemblies. In that respect, 'England' has no mind. It also has no rights as we are not citizens, we are subjects, and servants of the Queen. We have no Bill of Rights.