Ben Shapiro has an interesting comparison between Gollum and the Palestinians:
A thought occurred to me tonight. I’d like to throw it out there for comment, to those who have seen The Two Towers. Aren’t the Palestinians and the Arab/Islamist world a lot like the psycho-evil Gollum personality? "Those tricksy Zionistses, they stole it from us. Tricksy, false! We’ll poke out their eyeses. Or . . . we could have Saddam do it. Yes! That’s it! We’ll have Saddam do it. And then, when they’re dead, we takes the precious."
Sadly enough, it seems to fit all too well…
Dehumanize them…like that hasn’t been done before.
The proposition that Palestinians are human beings…that would raise all sorts of…ethical..questions as to their treatment.
The Palestinians are most definitely human beings – which makes the atrocities they commit that much more frightening.
Funny post. I expect a follow-up showing a “good” part of Gollumstinians adderssing their Master.
Gosh, for somebody that has seen the movie so many times, Lil’ Ben sure missed the point.
Frodo: What a pity that Bilbo did not stab that vile creature when he had a chance!
Gandalf: Pity? It was pity that stayed his hand. Pity, and mercy: not to strike without need. And he has been well-rewarded, Frodo. Be sure that he took so little hurt from the evil, and escaped in the end, Because he began his ownership of the Ring so. With Pity.
* * *
Frodo: Now at any rate he is as bad as an Orc, and deserves death.
Gandalf: Deserves it! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be so eager to deal out death in judgment.
And let me add one more, as a reader of the books: Gollum turned into “wholly ruined and defeated” creature who bit Frodo’s finger off, and probably would have ushered in the Second Darkness if not for his falling into the volcano. Alive, his actions were doomed to destroy all that was good.
Try THAT for missing the point.
And if Gollum hadn’t bitten Frodo’s finger off, it would have been Frodo who ushered in the Second Darkness, Trevalyan. Does your analogy to Israel and Palestine still hold?
Key themes in Tolkein are mercy and the notion that if you employe the enemy’s techniques, then despite your good intentions you become indistinguishable from the enemy. If only the Israelis, or even Shapiro, would take Tolkein’s lessons to heart!
Now I realize why Tolkien never wanted any of LOTR to be considered allegorical in any way.
Still, the comparison is fairly apt. The Palestinians still care more for killing Jews than they do for their own futures. Until that attitude changes, peace is simply impossible.