Tolkien's political views

[Marwhini]

Originally Posted by Faramir Jones

Thanks for your reply, Marwhini.

I'd like to look at Lake-town. You spoke in your reply about the 'parody of "Democracy" in the Lake-town or Long Lake, which was very much a failure as a government'. I would say a few things in response. First, we don't have enough information about whether Lake-town is a democracy or not, due to not knowing who could vote. We can certainly say that it is a republic, with an electorate, which seems to resemble the maritime republic of Venice, although the Master has more power than the Doge would have later in the Middle Ages. Second, the failure was placed on the shoulders of the Master; but he was able to divert this by blaming the dwarves for stirring up Smaug, stopping the question of Bard replacing him as ruler. Third, the Master planned to rebuild Lake-town, something that had happened, according to Gandalf and Balin on a later visit, although there was a new Master, the old one coming to a bad end. It, the Kingdom under the Mountain, and the rebuilt Dale under the rule of 'King' Bard, were all rich and prosperous.

When he talked with Gloin in Rivendell decades later, in LotR, Frodo heard from him that King Brand, Bard's grandson, was 'a strong king, and his realm now reaches far south and east of Esgaroth [Lake-town]'. No indication was given there about whether Lake-town was still an independent state, or had become part of the Bardings' kingdom.

I doubt it was a "Republic." It is so small that it would be strange to have such a small population vote for representatives who would then vote for policy.

A "Democracy" just means that a population votes directly for the Head-of-State, or Policy, even if those given the right to vote is highly selective (Only males between 34.3 years old, and the first tuesday following the third full moon of their 45th year, AND who have red-hair, with grey-eyes, and flat-feet - just as an example.).

And the voting for the Head of State still does not make it a Republic, only a Federal Democracy.

But the precise form of government is beside the point.

The point is that Tolkien was mocking Modernity with Lake-Town.

As for who governed it in the later Third Age, the implication and interpretations I have seen are that Lake-Town was a part of the Kingdom of Dale. That Lake-town is not explicitly mentioned would imply that it was a part of the Kingdom of Dale. As if it were not, then it would need to be mentioned, by Gloin, in Many Meetings, as to what it was doing, as who was ruling it, as Frodo had asked specifically from News of that portion of the world. That Gloin mentioned the Beornings as ruling the Vales of Anduin, and charging a toll at the Carrock for crossing the Anduin, then he would likely mention any independent state levying their own tolls, taxes, and such within Esgaroth, which is explicitly mentioned as being a part of the Kingdom of Dale.

MB