Why was 🧙Saruman able to seize Shire uncontested?

[Hisoka Morrow]

Yeah, here're the big doubt I list

1. Celebrities like Gandalf, Barliman and Bilbo have already make Shire not isolated anymore via commercial, adventure and all kinds of activities. This proved that Shire's role in ME has already a bit important on all kinds of aspects. Shire must not be so isolated that like some "Dark lands", after all, only the tobacco business is big enough to make Shire well-known enough, according to the popularity of smoking. When Saruman occupied Shire, all economic activities must.
2. Those non-combat personnel of the Northern Rangers were supposed to keep an eye on Shire, after all, at least the Prancy Pony is popular enough to be a tunnel of information, even if Aragorn left none of the combat personnel to defend their HQ in the Northern Battlefield. Succeeding point 1, these Northern Rangers non combat personnel might be the most possible to do this job due to the important economic role of Shire, at least on the business of tobacco.
3. Saruman is a big guy among the Dark Forces like Sauron, thus unless his track gets lost for centuries like Sauron getting defeated by the Last Alliance before, he must get "Wanted" by the Free People to make sure he's dead or alive at least. The Free People should hunt him down to the very end, as an result, Shire, already known by almost all the High Command like Aragorn, Gandalf, and so forth, should have sent at least intellectual agents to every corner they know even if it's not inhabited, it goes without saying about Shire.

 

[Angelimir]

I don’t think it was defenseless, but when people are left in peace and content for so long it takes a lot to rouse them. But when the returning heroes came home, they worked together and defeated Saruman with ease.

 

[Starbrow]

It's not so much that they were defenseless, but that they weren't wary enough. The big people gradually infiltrated until they were hard to resist.

 

[Angelimir]

My answer was better and more thorough. lol.

 

[Hisoka Morrow]

The big people gradually infiltrated until they were hard to resist.

Oh yes, yet here comes to another big problem, couldn't Shire have any tunnel to call outer reinforcement such as those cigarette guilds? That's the point, why Shire got occupied till Frodo and his fellows returned. The leading powers of Free People, such as Gondor, just did nothing but letting Saruman sit tight at Shire, apart from Frodo and his fellows.

I don’t think it was defenseless, but when people are left in peace and content for so long it takes a lot to rouse them

Hmm..yes, yet how about those have contact with Shire from outer places, such as taboocos merchants?After Saruman took over Shire, these merchants's business must have suffered a lot, why didn't they call for help from those leading powers such as Gondor?

 

[Starbrow]

I didn't think that pipeweed trade had traveled far beyond the Shire. Trade seems to have been limited to Bree and Isengard. There is no evidence that it's use had reached Gondor or Rohan. When Barliman talks about the pipeweed shortage and that a lot had been shipped south, I'm not sure who was buying it, if that rumor was even true.

 

[Alcuin]

Saruman was buying the pipeweed, of course, hoarding it for himself in barrels. Perhaps he planned to open a tobacconist shop in Minas Tirith. But toward the end of SR 1418 (III 3018), before the Nine Walkers left Rivendell, Saruman had Lotho “Pimple” Sackville-Baggins begin shipping great stores of food and goods to Isengard in preparation for his planned wars, first against Rohan, then against Gondor, and (hopefully, though he required the Ruling Ring to being it to fruition,) against Mordor. He was, in effect, robbing the demesne of the King of Arnor in his absence and in his despite to launch an attack upon the King’s rightful kingdom of Gondor and its ally, Rohan.

The Shire had not been invaded since Bandobras “Bullroarer” Took drove off a contingent of Orcs in the Battle of Greenfields in SR 1147 (III 2747) during an invasion of Eriador by the Orcs of the Misty Mountains in the years III 2745–2748, during the reigns of Arassuil as Chieftain of the Dúnedain of Arnor and Beregond as Ruling Steward of Gondor. Saruman had not yet taken up residence in Orthanc (in III 2759), nor the Long Winter taken place (III 2758-9); however, Dunlendings raiding over the Isen had occupied the deserted ring of Isengard and could not be dislodged (III 2710): perhaps there is some connection with the raiding Orcs on that account. The Hobbits of the Shire (and of Bree) had been so long at peace that they had forgotten their own history and were forgetting their need for defense; moreover, the Rangers had kept them – and Bree – safe for so long that they had all (Shire-folk and Bree-folk both Big and Little alike) forgotten who and what the Rangers were: the last of the military force of Arnor. (There were other survivors of Arnor, too, “common” Dúnedain, living in the Angle between the Mitheithel (Greyflood) and the Bruinen (Loudwater); but they do not come into the tale, and we know about them only from a note on the internet many years ago by the Tolkien linguist David Salo, cited in a note by Michael Martinez. I have never seen the original note, and Martinez’s current recitation no longer carries a citation of Salo so far as I know: that might be because Salo asked him to remove it: the Tolkien Trust is quite prickly about what information is released about Tolkien’s papers.)

Bree was better prepared to meet with troublemakers because there were Big Folk as well as Little Folk there, and there were also remains of a defensive dike and wall that could be put back into hasty repair: Bree was never as isolated as the Shire. Moreover there were occasional troublesome travelers in Bree, which remained a way-meeting, though much reduced from its earlier importance: Butterbur, his neighbors, their predecessors, and the gatekeepers were all still in place to deal with such problems. The Shire, however, no longer suffered invasion: Dwarves passed through and only dealt with Shire-folk to purchase food or sell goods (Hobbits did not normally haggle over the prices charged by the Dwarves, according to Gandalf) or to barter for the exchange, and the Elves who passed through were peaceable and kept to themselves. The Tooks were certainly capable of taking care of themselves: Pippin’s father, the Thain, was able to defend his lands, and it would seem Merry’s father, the Master of Buckland, was likewise able to maintain himself (though what authority he retained on the west side of the Brandywine might be disputed by Lotho’s Hobbit Shirriffs.) The greater part of the Shire was simply unprepared for a coup: Will Whitfoot, the Mayor, walked right into a trap, and from there, matters went south, as the saying goes.

As soon as The Four Travelers returned, however, they set the countryside afire, and the peaceable Hobbits became the local Hobbitry-in-arms, a reasonably well-armed militia well-disciplined by Merry and Pippin, who’d been trained (though they didn’t realize it at the time!) by Aragorn and Boromir with the assistance of Legolas and Gimli, all tried and true warriors, then put to work in the armies of Rohan and Gondor, having seen battle and wounds and military discipline and strategy. It took the Four Travelers, along with the Hobbits of the Hobbiton region and the muster from Tookland less than four days to put an end to Saruman’s short but brutal reign.

There were no Rangers to call upon: most of them had answered Galadriel’s summons to help Aragorn in Rohan. The Eldar of Lindon did not act: why would they? their principle concern at that time was likely escaping Middle-earth and what seemed to be the impending dominion of Sauron. Rivendell likewise did not intervene. Where would the Shire Hobbits turn for allies? And as for the slow incursion of Men into the Shire, the story of boiling a frog is appropriate for them as well as for us today: Put a frog in hot water, and it’ll jump out immediately. Put a frog in cold water and heat it only slowly, and it’ll let you boil it to death.

By the way, I believe Saruman’s plan was to starve the Shire during the upcoming winter, starve them to death.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

The Shire was never totally defenseless; besides the Rangers, of whose guardianship the inhabitants were probably unaware, and whose numbers around the Shire were likely small, there were the Bounders, and their numbers had increased, as more "queer folk" had begun to appear on the borders.

As far as pipeweed goes, the shortage always struck me as odd. It's Hob Hayward who speaks of "wagon-loads" of it going south, towards the end of the previous year, though he says "we do hear", so that could be called rumor. Pure speculation on my part, but unless Saruman was buying up huge quantities merely to deprive the Shire of it -- and why would he care about them, if he hoped to obtain the Ring? --- I wonder if he imported it for distribution to his Dunlending allies? Some Men smoked, and wanderers through Bree might well have brought the practice into their lands. Barliman admits that Breeland weed was much inferior to that of the Shire, so Saruman's gifts of Longbottom Leaf would have been very welcome.

Trade in pipeweed may have been more extensive than we are explicitly told; Dwarves certainly were familiar with it, so some must have been going to the Blue Mountains for some time. There was traffic between there and the East, especially after the death of Smaug, and after the reestablishment of Dale, it wouldn't be a surprise to find pipe-smoking spreading among Men there.

 

[Hisoka Morrow]

...Trade in pipeweed may have been more extensive than we are explicitly told; Dwarves certainly were familiar with it, so some must have been going to the Blue Mountains for some time...

That's the point, why there're no other guys during the pipe-weeds commercial trade chain like resellers, wholesalers, and even customers notice that Shire has fallen?In particular, pipe-weeds had been obviously internationally popular.

...Trade seems to have been limited to Bree and Isengard...

Yet if that's so, Bree, the at least certain customer of the pipe-weeds trade, should have noticed that Saruman took over Shire, unless Saruman kept every economic activity to work on still, yet JRRT mentioned Saruman made Shire a bloody-hell, under horrible economic depression. This means that Bree's pipe-weeds relatively commercial activity must have gotten inflicted.

...before the Nine Walkers left Rivendell, Saruman had Lotho “Pimple” Sackville-Baggins begin shipping great stores of food and goods to Isengard in preparation for his planned wars, first against Rohan, then against Gondor, and (hopefully, though he required the Ruling Ring to being it to fruition,) against Mordor. He was,...

I see...so this means all economic of the whole ME must have gone into depression due to the War of the Ring, making the pipe-weeds trade decline, thus during the aftermath, everyone would think it's strange that Shire's commercial activity is silenced, after all, they might think it just took time to recover it's economic, right?

the Rangers had kept them – and Bree – safe for so long that they had all (Shire-folk and Bree-folk both Big and Little alike) forgotten who and what the Rangers were: the last of the military force of Arnor. (There were other survivors of Arnor, too, “common” Dúnedain, living in the Angle between the Mitheithel (Greyflood) and the Bruinen (Loudwater)

OK, I thought Shire might be the vendors for the North Rangers' military logistic, after all, Arnor's economic must have been game over during the Angmar war. My mistake==''' Yet wouldn't the Rangers want to hunt down Saruman?At least their non-combat personnel like women and kids should know the bounty to hunt down such big guy. In addition, the North Rangers's active areas must have recover their economic acts relative to Shire, such as their consumption on Prancy Pony earlier, that's the question I doubt even those closet factions to Shire neglect Saruman's potential counter attack.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Bear in mind that the shortages had been happening for only a few months, and during that time, wars had been going on; small ones, in the northwest, compared to the east and south, but still enough to cause localities like Bree to become even more insular, and inward-looking.

Even Barliman, who would naturally get any news from outside, mentions rumors about the Shire almost as a passing thought, as the party departs:

'I should have warned you before that all's not well in the Shire neither, if what we hear is true. Funny goings on, they say. But one thing drives out another, and I was full of my own troubles'.

In any case, it would surprise no one that pipeweed was in short supply. Trade of all kinds, all over Middle-earth, likely came to a near-standstill.

 

[Hisoka Morrow]

Even Barliman, who would naturally get any news from outside, mentions rumors about the Shire almost as a passing thought, as the party departs:

...small ones, in the northwest, compared to the east and south, but still enough to cause localities like Bree to become even more insular, and inward-looking...

Become even more insular?Due to depression of economic?I see...thus the High Command of Free People begin to neglect the areas around the north-west due to it's commercial decline, right?That's why none notice Saruman sneaked into the Shire, was it?

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

No, actually I meant it was due to attacks, and a general upsurge of various malign people and creatures in the area. What trade there was would also suffer, of course. But mainly agrarian societies were mostly self-sufficient, with exceptions, such as the Dwarves.

the High Command of Free People

I'm not sure who is meant here.

 

[Hisoka Morrow]

...I'm not sure who is meant here...

Other than...those leading powers's leaders like Gondor's Aragorn, Rohan's Eomer, etc?Anyway, at least the all customers of pipe-weeds should have noticed the changing powers of Shire, for Saruman's reign over Shire truly sucked, leading everyone relative to Shire's economic no matter they're customers or producers, anyway, such obvious economic change would shock all other factions of the Free People enough or not, I wonder.
For instance, Dwarf's leaders like Gimlith should have noticed his states' economic change due to the cut-off of pipe-weeds.

But mainly agrarian societies were mostly self-sufficient, with exceptions, such as the Dwarves.

Or unless JRRT's lore about ME's economic was really that isolated. If that's so, then my points are invalid. Yet the Numenor's expansion had proved that commercial plays a heavy role in JRRT's economic lore.

 

[Olorgando]

I've just been thinking about what any invader of the Shire - at least one not determined to turn all of it into an infertile desert - would have thought about a determined Hobbit guerrilla. They were way tougher than Big Folk when push came to shove. Their stealth capabilities were matchless. And they could fire off projectiles with the deadliest of aim. Think of the Viet Cong that gave the US troops such trouble taken to the nth power. No, I don't think any occupier of the shire faced by angry guerrilla Hobbits would have stayed around very long ...

 

[Ealdwyn]

It's a mistake to think that the Shire was defenceless through it's own complacency.
They fact they were unprepared was Aragorn's doing. As Chief of the Dunedain it was his decision to keep the Shire ignorant of events in wider ME, due to a misguided - and imho rather imperious - view that ordinary people are happier when they're ignorant: "If simple folk are free from care and fear, simple they will be, and we must be secret to keep them so. That has been the task of my kindred..."

I say 'imperious' because this strikes me as a very strange decision, not to mention condescending and arrogant. After all, the Shire folk aren't children. They've been well able to defend themselves in the past from orcs, wolves, and other undesirables, but now the Dunedain have chosen to keep them "sheltered" from the knowledge of growing danger. The whole of the rest of ME knows that something's coming: from Pelargir to the Iron Hills to the Grey Havens, everyone knows that forces are gathering in the East and there's a danger of ME being overrun, but that knowledge is deliberately withheld.
I mean, we can't let the little people know what's really going on, can we? Then they might want to.... oh, I don't know.... take steps to defend themselves?!! 🤔 😂

JRRT had to write it this way. By that I mean, for the story to work the Shire had to be blissfully untouched and unaware at the beginning of LotR. But in terms of keeping them safe, it makes no sense at all for Aragorn to leave the Hobbits vulnerable to attack through their own ignorance.

 

[Olorgando]

...
JRRT had to write it this way. By that I mean, for the story to work the Shire had to be blissfully untouched and unaware at the beginning of LotR. But in terms of keeping them safe, it makes no sense at all for Aragorn to leave the Hobbits vulnerable to attack through their own ignorance.

OK, let's assume Aragorn had tried to warn them. Would they have believed him? I have very serious doubts!

This is Aragorn in his scruffy "Strider" guise, looked on with suspicion even in Bree, among others by Barliman Butterbur, compared to all Hobbits except perhaps Farmer Maggot and some Bucklanders (and Bilbo after Erebor) a veritable man of the world.

How many of the Hobbits believed Bilbo's "tall tale" after he came "back again" after more than a year? How many believed anything told - mainly Merry, Pippin, and Sam, probably - about the goings-on during the War of The Ring? Tolkien once (very probably in a letter) made the point that he made the Hobbits small, among other reasons, to physically show the small reach of their imaginations, their provincialism, even parochialism (this does smack like a bit of post-fact rationalization by JRRT to me, but it fits entirely). While he did intend the Shire to be a calque on Victorian-to-Edwardian rural England, he was not uncritical of either, seeing inherent deficits in both.

What Strider would have told the Hobbits, about the mounting danger far, far away, would have seemed to almost all Hobbits as "News from Bree" to the nth degree. So why bother on Aragorn's part? (And Hobbit archers can be dangerous, so not getting on the wrong side of the "bounders", whose numbers had been increased, and who would certainly have looked with suspicion on such a scruffy-looking member of the Big Folk, may also have played a part).

Take Hamfast "The Gaffer" Gamgee as a typical Hobbit and let your imagination roam ...

 

[Ealdwyn]

What Strider would have told the Hobbits, about the mounting danger far, far away, would have seemed to almost all Hobbits as "News from Bree" to the nth degree.

I agree that if Aragorn approached them with news 'out of the blue', when they have been kept ignorant for many years, then they probably wouldn't have believed him. But keeping them ignorant for years is the problem, because their only experience of the world is a lie. The hobbits have been treated like children, as if they don't need to know what's going on in ME. That's not protecting them, that's condescending and dangerous.

As we know from the likes of Bullroarer Took and the LotR hobbits returned from the War, hobbits aren't helpless children. They are quite capable of looking after themselves. If you want to protect them then you help them prepare to meet any potential threat, you don't keep them ignorant of it.

 

[Olorgando]

'Out of the blue'? When Aragorn was born, in 2931 TA equaling 1331 SR, the Hobbits had lived in the Shire for a bit more than a millennium. The Great Plague hit 1626 TA or 36 SR. The destruction of the last Númenórean Kingdom in the north, Arthedain, took place in 1974 TA or 374 SR. Bandobras Took defeated that Orc band in 2747 TA or 1147 SR. The Fell Winter began in 2911 TA or 1311 SR. It's not like the Hobbits thought life was always easy-peasy, quite the contrary. And please forget "Aragorn" after his becoming King of the reunited Kingdom. This would have seemed to the Hobbits to be a scruffy ruffian of the Big Folk, Strider, whom they would have viewed with the deepest suspicion. I don't think there's a snowball's chance in hell that the Hobbits of the Shire would have believed anything this "Strider" would have told them. 'Out of the blue' or if six or more generations of his ancestors had been droning at the Hobbits about this threat. What was Bilbo's response early on Gandalf's remark about looking for someone to go on an "adventure"? "We are plain quiet folk and I have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!"

"Late for dinner" is the main Hobbit issue?!? Well, ... yes it is; or for any of the other five meals (if they can get them). For that matter, why didn't Gandalf, having centuries more experience with the Hobbits than Aragorn, not warn them? He knew it would be useless, is my take.

 

[1stvermont]

Yeah, here're the big doubt I list

1. Celebrities like Gandalf, Barliman and Bilbo have already make Shire not isolated anymore via commercial, adventure and all kinds of activities. This proved that Shire's role in ME has already a bit important on all kinds of aspects. Shire must not be so isolated that like some "Dark lands", after all, only the tobacco business is big enough to make Shire well-known enough, according to the popularity of smoking. When Saruman occupied Shire, all economic activities must.
2. Those non-combat personnel of the Northern Rangers were supposed to keep an eye on Shire, after all, at least the Prancy Pony is popular enough to be a tunnel of information, even if Aragorn left none of the combat personnel to defend their HQ in the Northern Battlefield. Succeeding point 1, these Northern Rangers non combat personnel might be the most possible to do this job due to the important economic role of Shire, at least on the business of tobacco.
3. Saruman is a big guy among the Dark Forces like Sauron, thus unless his track gets lost for centuries like Sauron getting defeated by the Last Alliance before, he must get "Wanted" by the Free People to make sure he's dead or alive at least. The Free People should hunt him down to the very end, as an result, Shire, already known by almost all the High Command like Aragorn, Gandalf, and so forth, should have sent at least intellectual agents to every corner they know even if it's not inhabited, it goes without saying about Shire.

Many of the rangers went south with Elrond's sons to fight and met Aragorn in Rohan. I believe that is when the takeover began.

"he who defends everywhere defends nowhere."
I think it is sun tzu

Oh yes, yet here comes to another big problem, couldn't Shire have any tunnel to call outer reinforcement such as those cigarette guilds? That's the point, why Shire got occupied till Frodo and his fellows returned. The leading powers of Free People, such as Gondor, just did nothing but letting Saruman sit tight at Shire, apart from Frodo and his fellows.


Hmm..yes, yet how about those have contact with Shire from outer places, such as taboocos merchants?After Saruman took over Shire, these merchants's business must have suffered a lot, why didn't they call for help from those leading powers such as Gondor?

I think Gondor was busy. Intelligence and communication were actually very limited in Middle-earth.


One description that would fit the entirety of the free peoples realms of Middle-earth is, decentralization. It affects politics, culture, trade, knowledge, and many other areas. Because each group is allowed free will to govern themselves as they desire, there is little need to explore or go beyond their own boundaries on any adventures or conquests. Each group has cut out its own slice of Eden and are content to live and let live. Each group builds its society around what they love. Hobbits build an agrarian paradise, dwarves dig under their mountains for jewels, elves among their trees in Lorien, Rohan In the wild plains with their beloved horses. All are allowed the culture and society they love via decentralization.

Boromir said in Gondor few even knew where Rivendell was. In Rivendell, the house of Loremasters, Elrond said he had forgotten who Tom Bombadil was. Gildor tells the hobbits in the Shire that elves “have little concern with the ways of Hobbits, or of any other creature upon earth. Our paths theirs seldom.” The elves of Lothlorien remain deep in their woods and do not allow others to pass their borders. “We dwell now in the heart of the forest, and do not willingly have dealings with any other folk” says Haladir, “We did not know that any of you [hobbits] dwelt in Middle-earth.” Haladir was unaware of his own peoples in other areas west of the mountains. He said “it is said there are still havens of high elves…but where that may be...I do not…I have never been out of my land before.” The laws of Lorien did not allow any dwarves to enter their relam. And despite living close by, the men of Dunland were “amazed” at Erkenbrand and the Rohan soldiers who were kind to them after the battle at Helm's Deep because Saruman had told them they were cruel and burned captives alive.

Middle-earth remains largely unexplored to any outside the local areas they live in. The hobbits lived not much more than a day's ride from Bree [where other hobbits live] but seldom traveled that far, few had even been to Buckland. The Barrow Downs and Old Forest despite being not very far from the Shires southeastern border, was just “tales” to the hobbits. King Theoden of Rohan did not know of the ents, despite that Fangorn sits on the border of his realm. Boromir said fangorn was just “old wives tales'' told to children in Minas Tirith. No man of Gondor had been there for generations; they didn't go north of Rohan. Even of Isengard Theoden said, few men had entered in living memory. The rider of Rohan Eothain thought hobbits “are only a people in old songs and childs tales out of the North.” Eomer of Rohan was surprised to find that Galdriel was in Lorien, “then there is a lady in the golden wood, as old tales tell.” Many other examples could be given showing the effects of decentralization. There was among the free peoples, especially when not harassed by Sauron, a happiness, and contentment among them and a live and let live attitude. The only desire for expansion was only to recapture lost territory and never was there a desire to force others under your own rule.

One thing to consider [I dont know if anyone else has pointed this out] is that the takeover of the shire was done slow and from the inside. It was a domestic takeover and even some hobbits were involved. I would argue it resembles what is going on in America. Its like we were invaded and are now under a new government, but it was us, our citizens, our voters who did it.

That's the point, why there're no other guys during the pipe-weeds commercial trade chain like resellers, wholesalers, and even customers notice that Shire has fallen?In particular, pipe-weeds had been obviously internationally popular.


Yet if that's so, Bree, the at least certain customer of the pipe-weeds trade, should have noticed that Saruman took over Shire, unless Saruman kept every economic activity to work on still, yet JRRT mentioned Saruman made Shire a bloody-hell, under horrible economic depression. This means that Bree's pipe-weeds relatively commercial activity must have gotten inflicted.


I see...so this means all economic of the whole ME must have gone into depression due to the War of the Ring, making the pipe-weeds trade decline, thus during the aftermath, everyone would think it's strange that Shire's commercial activity is silenced, after all, they might think it just took time to recover it's economic, right?

OK, I thought Shire might be the vendors for the North Rangers' military logistic, after all, Arnor's economic must have been game over during the Angmar war. My mistake==''' Yet wouldn't the Rangers want to hunt down Saruman?At least their non-combat personnel like women and kids should know the bounty to hunt down such big guy. In addition, the North Rangers's active areas must have recover their economic acts relative to Shire, such as their consumption on Prancy Pony earlier, that's the question I doubt even those closet factions to Shire neglect Saruman's potential counter attack.

Pipe weed was still produced, it was just controlled by the government. The hobbits in the shire did not get pipeweed or beer, but others did and the new government was the ones who benefited. They had a good harvest so if anything to outsiders, it increased its output.


“gatherers and sharers...going around counting and measuring and taking off to storage, supposedly for “fair distribution.”” Yet it just ends with, as one hobbit says, “them getting more and we get less.” The hobbit Hob tells Merry “we grows a lot of food, but we don’t rightly know what becomes of it. Its all these “gatherers and sharers.” I recon, going round counting and measuring and taking off to storage. They do more gathering then sharing and we never see most of the stuff again”

I disagree the hobbits were kept ignorant, they were allowed to leave the shire all they wanted to go into the wide world. Gandalf selected certain hobbits to do so and even sent them to Mordor. What the rangers offered was a peaceful paradise and protection, a safe haven for those who desired to stay in that area of the shire. It was not ignorance of everything outside of there land, but even if it were, almost all of middle-earth was the same, as I argued a couple of posts up. Lothlorien was far more isolated and it would be hard to argue Galadriel was held in ignorance.

I love the internet, forums, electronics etc, and yet there is a great many things I chose to be ignorant of that is available. There is a great many things I act as a ranger and protect my children from. There are things I desire them to be ignorant of and I am sure everyone could come up with some ideas on there own.
In the end the purpose of the rangers was to protect people who could live happy, free, and simple. That is what Tolkien believed happiness was. I think the hobbits would agree that being ignorant of mumakil is better than having them stampede through town.

 

[Ealdwyn]

I disagree the hobbits were kept ignorant, they were allowed to leave the shire all they wanted to go into the wide world.

You may disagree, but those are Aragorn's actual words during the Council of Elrond: that the task of the Dunedain is to keep the hobbits "simple" and, by doing so, keep them happy.

Keeping them ignorant and restricting their movements are two different things. Nobody said that their movements were restricted.

What the rangers offered was a peaceful paradise and protection, a safe haven for those who desired to stay in that area of the shire. It was not ignorance of everything outside of there land,

Even if you think that was the right thing to do, it's only well and good as long as the rangers are able to maintain that level of protection. Unfortunately they weren't, due to the War, with the result that the hobbits were left vulnerable - more vulnerable than they would have been if they'd had some forewarning.

As for ignorance, they were unaware of the single greatest threat to their security in 3000 years! If that's not ignorance, I don't know what is.

I love the internet, forums, electronics etc, and yet there is a great many things I chose to be ignorant of that is available. There is a great many things I act as a ranger and protect my children from. There are things I desire them to be ignorant of and I am sure everyone could come up with some ideas on there own.
In the end the purpose of the rangers was to protect people who could live happy, free, and simple. That is what Tolkien believed happiness was. I think the hobbits would agree that being ignorant of mumakil is better than having them stampede through town.

But if there's a chance that they might stampede, however small, wouldn't you want some warning?

The internet comparision doesn't work, because - in your words - you choose to be ignorant, and you choose what your children see. That's different from having the knowledge withheld from you. A better comparison would be to live in a society where the government controls the internet and the news coverage, so you only get state-sanctioned information. The state say they control the flow of information to "protect" you, but there could be any number of things going on in the outside world with the potential to impact your life.



As I said above, the hobbits' ignorance and naivety was necessary to serve the plot. But Aragorn deliberately kept them that way, and it was his conscious choice to do so that made them a pushover for Saruman.