[Kin-strife]

Going back to the "Dominion of Men" issue plus the forsight of Elves, perhaps since Elves felt they weren't much longer for Middle-earth it wasn't their concern anymore. A feeling that struck me from most of the interactions with Elves in LoTR was a strong sense of forlorn especially in Lothlorien. If the Elves had gotten heavily involved in the war against the shadow it would have meant more death, devastation and perhaps ruin upon their land. Perhaps the dark lord giving most of his attention to Gondor suited the Elves well for, unlike men, previous wars against the shadow along with the misery associatied with them would be within living memory for many of them. Indeed it does sound a somewhat selfish stance but it is understandable. As Gwaihir mentioned the Elves liked to preserve beauty unchanging and most of their efforts on Middle-earth in the second and Third ages (despite leaving) seem to have been concerned with preserving beauty in their own lands to create a kind of Valinor on Middle-earth (Heaven on Earth?). As the time to leave grew more and more inevitable I think it's understandable that Elves kept more to themselves rathar than getting involved with 'mannish' issues of the day or issues that effected Middle-earth as a whole. It could have meant a sacrifice of all their labour. It was war against the shadow that caused them to give up Valinor in the first place. They also already lost Beleriand in war on Morgoth so they knew what it felt like to put great labour in making a land fair only to have it destroyed.