The atrocity of the Akallabêth

[drigel]

What exactly about Sodom and Gomora makes the horrible deeds of the numenoreans pale in comparison?

Raynor, thanks for the inquiry, and sorry this isnt complete. I have to work instead of slack.

This was a generality I threw out, based on my studies. I will give more specifics when I can. A quick and lazy way to answer would be to google "atrocities of the ancient world". Curiously enough, the first link that comes up is a list that someone compiled that lists and ranks the known atrocities. Of the ancient world, the Old Testament Isrealites seem to appear a lot (no city left behind..., ....not even the women and children, etc). This is all based on what surviving documentation we have of course. I would say that the average life of ancient man was much harsher and more gruesome than the 20th century author JRRT. The atrocities commited were as well. What is made very clear that atrocities - and by definition loosing one's life is the ulimate atrocity - clearly modern man is the most efficient and prolific. Which leads me to:

That's a strong statement about people shuffling paper. Can you back it?

I dont have the Letters handy, so I cant directly quote JRRT on his opinion of buearocracies. Sorry. But IMO the point (which I agree) that I got from his letters is that the buearocrat who is shuffling the papers that enable the commiter of the atrocity is commiting the higher evil. Atrocity without responcibility. Sin without ownership. Completely anti-Heroic in it's purest sense.