Sauron Wins...Then What?

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Fordim Hedgethistle

I think the truly sad answer to the question is that to the minds of many (Tolkien and myself included) Sauron did win and is now very much in the process of laying waste to the Earth in the pursuit of selfishness and self-aggrandizement at the expense of the living world and all of its peoples. The fact that the Dark Lord is working this destruction through his lesser avatars doesn't undo the completeness of his victory.

That having been said, there are also many (Tolkien and myself included) who believe that where there is life, there is always hope.

Well, Gandalf made the point that Sauron was but an "emissary" of evil, and that other evils may come. The seed planted by Morgoth and carried on by Sauron could not be utterly eradicated.

The point of Gandalf's struggle though was to do all that he could, with what he had at that time to destroy Sauron. And the evil remaining afterward would simply have to be dealt with by Aragorn and his descendants. If Sauron had either regained the Ring or conquered the West militarily, he would have been able to greatly prolong his time in Middle-earth, and do much more damage to the lands and the spirit of those opposed to him. Taking Sauron out at least gave the West more of a chance to stand against evil, without having an incarnate, immortal representative of it personally leading its advancement.