Board Thread:Suggestions forum/@comment-27200931-20170510192310/@comment-26890432-20170511005200

What the hell... why is this Gondorian "evilness and imperialism" coming up again? It is totally contrary to lore, and bordering on Fanfiction-tier levels of incorrect. What Tolkien mentions is essentially Sauron taking advantage of the Easterling's comparatively primitive culture to assert himself as ruler, and goading them to war:

"The Easterlings were in general more primitive than  Gondor. They were motivated by  Sauron to hate Gondor and seek its riches." -Tolkien Gateway, sourced from ''Unfinished Tales. ''

The Haradrim's feud with Gondor was incited largely by Sauron and the Black Numenoreans/King's Men of Umbar, before they died out. Both the Easterlings and the Southrons viewed Sauron as their chief leader and diety. They could hardly be considered their own independent kingdoms by the closing days of the Third Age: they were totally bent to the might of Mordor. Their "crusade for justice", so venerated by certain members of this community, entailed submitting themselves to the embodiment of evil and acting as fodder in a War that wasn't even helping their own nations.

Again... Gondor wasn't written by Tolkien as an oppressive empire. If it was meant to be the evil, iron-fisted, expansionist power, 'Tolkien would have written it to be just that. 'He was very clear in distinguishing what was Good and Evil in Middle-Earth.