ToP goes LOTR

When reality sucks, and your elected officials are crap where do you go?

The Lord of the Rings (cause its reality, I guess)

From "The Lord of the Rings," A Speech for Our Times

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/11/22/1717861/-From-The-Lord-of-th...

This speech comes at the end of the second film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy ("The Two Towers"). Our band of heroes has been split up from the ordeals they have encountered along the way. Each little group has encountered grave danger; each has had reasons for despair. But despite the darkness, they have endured, and persevered.

And now, with the film is nearly ended, Sam delivers this speech to his friend, and comrade, Frodo-- the Hobbit given a vital assignment that feels to him now beyond his capacity to fulfill.

It is a speech that can inspire us here in America in these dark times.

Look I go there and have for 40 years. I've been to the Tolkein Tree in Oxford and followed the Pub Hopping of the Inklings. i don't even think this fool has read the books, or the Silmarillion or the compendiums or the posthumous issues from son Steven.

This is just stupid, imho. One Top to rule them all?

My contribution cause I'm just like this...

“I warn you, if you bore me, I shall take my revenge.”

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SnappleBC's picture

OK, every now and then I use a Matrix analogy since it seems apropos to finding out that everything you thought you knew about politics is wrong. But when I do, I'm very careful to mention that I don't see myself as any sort of Neo. That's because I don't want to look like... well... that writer.

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A lot of wanderers in the U.S. political desert recognize that all the duopoly has to offer is a choice of mirages. Come, let us trudge towards empty expanse of sand #1, littered with the bleached bones of Deaniacs and Hope and Changers.
-- lotlizard

but at the end of "Friends And Winners" I wrote better. That must be the worst speech Tolkien ever wrote.

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On to Biden since 1973

@doh1304
However, that's not JRRT, that's the ghastly hand of Philippa "Everything I know about epic storytelling, I learned from witless, semiliterate hacks in film school" Whatserface.

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The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.

detroitmechworks's picture

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xG4Ua70mJvw]

I would rather live a quiet life in contentment and calm, only speaking the nice comfortable words about how horrible the enemy is and how right and good me and my friends are...

Of course, if we remember last time there was a big to-do about LOTR over there, they were explaining that Sauruman was the optimal choice for pragmatism. Clearly the proper choice for Frodo was to give the ring to the RIGHT people and not destroy it.

Fiction can be twisted any which way. Those who think they are heroes... well...

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZqXMeQ3Usc]

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I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

snoopydawg's picture

@detroitmechworks

Great essays and then the comments that follow them. That place is unrecognizable anymore and it used to be a place where people didn't believe in conspiracy theories from the intelligence agencies..
Great clip

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

jobu's picture

of a LOTR reference or three.

Here is my stock go-to scene when imagining a true progressive regaining the throne of the Democratic Party and throwing the Centrist posers out on their ass.

So many Wormtongues, so little time.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQExgALv9wI]

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in the original Elvish.

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Steven D's picture

for a change: CS Lewis Chronicles of Narnia

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"You can't just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution."---Tyree Scott

detroitmechworks's picture

@Steven D the "Right Wing Fundamentalist" version of that.

Surprisingly, I had to change a LOT of stuff to make it fit in with the Fundie worldview. Lewis was very Church of England in thought, and surprisingly liberal in some of his views. (Story is still extremely Christian in worldview however. As well as being extremely pro-royalty.) I still find his vision of heaven appealing from a purely aesthetic worldview.

Sorry, not trying to convert you, just stating why I still appreciate the work as an example of British children's literature.

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I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

EdMass's picture

@Steven D

May I have more Turkish Delights and betray my family?

Please?

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Prof: Nancy! I’m going to Greece!
Nancy: And swim the English Channel?
Prof: No. No. To ancient Greece where burning Sapho stood beside the wine dark sea. Wa de do da! Nancy, I’ve invented a time machine!

Firesign Theater

Stop the War!

earthling1's picture

Lord of the Flies more and more.

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

Lily O Lady's picture

@earthling1

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"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

earthling1's picture

Good comment there.

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

EdMass's picture

@earthling1

they did not like it.

Oh well.

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Prof: Nancy! I’m going to Greece!
Nancy: And swim the English Channel?
Prof: No. No. To ancient Greece where burning Sapho stood beside the wine dark sea. Wa de do da! Nancy, I’ve invented a time machine!

Firesign Theater

Stop the War!

earthling1's picture

@EdMass
I saw that big fat "0" upvote. Didn't surprise me though.
Wanted to sign in and upvote you, but I've been banned.
Those people argue with each other more than they ever did with me.
Bizarre.

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0 users have voted.

Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.