Are Orcs That Bad?

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Gwathagor

Of course, one of the basic premises of the trilogy is that if Sauron gets ahold of the ring, they're all screwed - since, at least in principle, he's more powerful with the Ring than without it. But it's possible that Sauron, Gandalf, and Elrond were entirely mistaken on this point. I'm sure you could argue it.

Hmmm...If Frodo and Sam had failed to destroy the Ring (and thus Sauron), the West would have been defeated without Sauron once using the Ring in the 3rd Age. If Bilbo had not stumbled upon Gollum and the Ring remained under the mountain, again, Sauron would have won without the ring. I know, it's all academic at this point, but it seems to me that making the Ring was the worst thing Sauron ever did for his own objectives. Sauron in effect sowed the seed of his own destruction, and it wasn't really necessary. All he really had to do was outlast his enemies, which he already was well on his way to doing.