Sharku, you beat me in posting. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] At the risk of being redundent, I'm reiterating some of your quote..I agree with what you said.
I think that by the Third Age Sauron's goal was simply his own aggrandizement.
Here's what Tolkien says about Sauron's world-view in
Myths Transformed section of
HoME X: Morgoth's Ring
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[Sauron] probalby deluded himself with the notion that the Valar (including Melkor) having failed, Eru had simply abandoned Eä, or at any rate Arda, and would not concern himself with it any more. It would appear that he interpreted 'the change in the world' at the Downfall of Númenor, when Aman was removed from the physical world, in this sense: Valar (and Elves) were removed from effective control, and Men under God's curse and wrath. If he thought about the Istari , especially Saruman and Gandalf, he imagined them as emissaries from the Valar, seeking to re-establish their lost power again and 'colonize' Middle-earth, as a mere effort of defeated imperialists (without knowledge or sanction of Eru). His cynicism, which (sincerely) regarded the motives of Manwë as precisely the same as his own, seemed fully justified in Saruman. Gandalf he did not understand... [Sauron probably imagined that Gandalf] was only a rather cleverer Radagast-cleverer, because it is more profitable (more productive of power) to become absorbed in the study of people than of animals.
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But if he had won the War of the Ring, would Sauron have actually remained as absolute ruler of Middle-earth until the End of Days? I doubt it. Note that Gandalf didn't say that Sauron would never cease conquering, just that nobody could foresee his defeat. To try to exert one's will over the whole world diminishes one's own power after a period of time.
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Sauron was 'greater' effectively, in the Second Age than Morgoth at the end of the First. Why? Because, though he was far smaller by natural stature, he had not yet fallen so low. Eventually he also squandered his power (of being) in the endeavor to gain control of others.
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Much of Sauron's military power in the War of the Ring comes from the Men of Rhun and Harad, by exploiting their historical enmity with Gondor, promising them spoils of war, etc. But men are fickle servents, Morgoth had all of them nearly completely under his dominion, then some broke their allegience and caused him a great deal of trouble afterward. Sooner or later, Sauron will run out of promises to keep the loyalty of his human servents/allies. The combination of Sauron expending his power trying to rule the entire world, with the growing strength of men foretold in the Music, makes it to my mind unlikely that Sauron will be able to maintain control indefinitely.
[ September 14, 2003: Message edited by: Angry Hill Troll ]