[Pan_Yan]

Ping.

There are a couple of nuggets in here your crew might enjoy.

[bigbob]

Except, my interpretation is that the Eye of Sauron is not used continuously, on everyone...

[BCW]

sooo - are these the guys that are going to defeat Obama?

[PGR88]

How did Sam trek all the way to Mordor, with only elven bread, and still remain FAT?

[Sherman Logan]

Tolkien’s most potent and intimidating image of centralized surveillance, the Eye of Sauron atop a tower, taking in the whole world

Actually, that's Peter Jackson's image, not Tolkien's.

In the books the Eye was at least as much felt as seen, and mostly by those carrying the Ring.

[cdcdawg]

For the sake of accuracy, it must be said that Tolkien’s “Eye of Sauron” was not really the same as Peter Jackson’s “Eye of Sauron”. Jackson and Bakshi both made Sauron into an evil lighthouse. Still, the piece is pretty thought-provoking.

I’m amazed at how some liberals can read Tolkien, and not get the message about power. I suppose Obama would take this Ring out of a desire to do “good”. Who are the happiest people in Middle Earth? The nearly government-free hobbits.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

If the modern surveillance state is the Eye of Sauron, then these are the nine Nazgul who do Sauron's bidding.

[tpmintx]

There is nothing else to say.
Liberty, some supervision required.

[Defiant]

How did this slip past the eye of Sauron at Slate?

[EternalVigilance]

Based on what I know about Tolkien, I believe he would have hated this Slate article.

[jeffc]

So we live in Mordor now?

With the current administration of King Zero and his propaganda arm media court, it sure seems like it.

[Cooter]

[G8 Diplomat]

[Free Vulcan]

Another thing is that Sauron was not all-seeing because did not yet possess the Ring. If he had it then that ability would come with it.

In the same vein the liberals are not all powerful because they have not been able to dispense with the Constitution.

The hiding in plain sight analogy I like best. The best way to take down a tyrant is not a direct attack at the head, but cut him off at the knees.