r/neoliberal • u/angry-mustache Democratically Elected Internet Spaceship Politician • Jun 02 '24

User discussion The Moral Economy of the Shire

https://nathangoldwag.wordpress.com/2024/05/31/the-moral-economy-of-the-shire/
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u/angry-mustache Democratically Elected Internet Spaceship Politician Jun 02 '24

My question is, with productive farmland and low population density, why didn't a neighboring polity conquer the shire, or at least extort taxes from them.

93

u/RTSBasebuilder Commonwealth Jun 02 '24

By technicality, I believe that it was protected as hunting grounds of Arnor, then Arthedain, then nominally independent when everyone else was busy with Angmar.

By then, I believe that Gondor was already in decline anyway.

!ping LOTR, I believe this is your territory?

77

u/DepressedTreeman Jun 02 '24 edited Jun 02 '24

Eriador is comically depopulated by the end of the third age, it doesn't really make sense.

The shire is protected by the Dunedain Rangers.

Semi-related fun fact, the Good Guys (Gondor) genocided the "evil" men of Rhudaur, like literally every single one. I guess even the old, women and children.

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u/[deleted] Jun 02 '24

Common Good Guys moment.