Hm. Somehow I suspect we could argue for days and not find common ground on this. I still think you apply different standards to Thorin on one side and Bard on Thranduil on the other, but I guess we just interpret the text according to the perspective we already have.
Bard could not have known whom to consult, no, but as you just pointed out, his friend Thranduil was considerably more experienced, so he might have asked him (if we go by "things he might have done better"). And while he acknowledges the question, he very pointedly doesn't answer it, which, to the dwarves, must be answer enough. (Let's be realistic about this. Everyone wanted this treasure, and the dwarves knew it.)
Thorin insulted them first? Sorry, but we must agree to disagree here. Thorin, as a leader, has every right to ask what an army is doing at his doorstep, especially since he (correctly) assumes they're there to plunder the treasure. This is not an insult. Bard is in the position to explain himself here, not Thorin. And this is why the "robber" comment is really a major diplomatic slip-up. He doesn't even introduce himself first.
He also, before introducing himself, says that they are "not yet foes". If I was a dwarf and sitting in the mountain, this would sound like a not-so-thinly veiled threat to me.
And I think this is one major point where we differ. You say Thorin should have been friendly and welcoming towards that army, and thus Bard's harsh tone was justified. I say he had every reason to be distrustful, and it would have been up to Bard to try and gain his trust. Especially since Thorin's conditions are very clearly stated: he doesn't want to be threatened or forced. This sounds very dwarvish to me. Go and force the moutain instead, it's more likely to budge.
Since Bard and Thranduil are the ones who want something from Thorin, I don't think being polite should involve "bending over backwards".
Let's not talk about Thranduil detaining the dwarves for the moment, that's a new can of beans. Yes, I think it was unreasonable, or at the very least *extremely* rude. (And the manner of questioning was already rude. Note that book!Thorin had no problem whatsoever with Elrond and vice versa, so he didn't hate elves on principle.)
We don't know about the comparison between Thorin and Dain. Thorin is certainly a stronger character than the Master, and his change of heart during the battle, as well as his parting words, indicate that he overcame the dragon gold. So I still say we can't make a comparison. We just don't know.
The battle was absolutely and 100% the orcs' fault. And Tolkien makes very clear that the Company's attack helped to save the day. To turn this around to say it could have lost their allies the battle sounds very far-fetched to me.
Battles involve risks. People get killed. Yes, they didn't coordinate the attack and made a "boneheaded move", but this boneheaded move was what raised the army's morale (not just the dwarves', mind!). They probably took a calculated risk and lost, but it was not a direct result of the earlier events.
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Bard could not have known whom to consult, no, but as you just pointed out, his friend Thranduil was considerably more experienced, so he might have asked him (if we go by "things he might have done better"). And while he acknowledges the question, he very pointedly doesn't answer it, which, to the dwarves, must be answer enough. (Let's be realistic about this. Everyone wanted this treasure, and the dwarves knew it.)
Thorin insulted them first? Sorry, but we must agree to disagree here. Thorin, as a leader, has every right to ask what an army is doing at his doorstep, especially since he (correctly) assumes they're there to plunder the treasure. This is not an insult. Bard is in the position to explain himself here, not Thorin. And this is why the "robber" comment is really a major diplomatic slip-up. He doesn't even introduce himself first.
He also, before introducing himself, says that they are "not yet foes". If I was a dwarf and sitting in the mountain, this would sound like a not-so-thinly veiled threat to me.
And I think this is one major point where we differ. You say Thorin should have been friendly and welcoming towards that army, and thus Bard's harsh tone was justified. I say he had every reason to be distrustful, and it would have been up to Bard to try and gain his trust. Especially since Thorin's conditions are very clearly stated: he doesn't want to be threatened or forced. This sounds very dwarvish to me. Go and force the moutain instead, it's more likely to budge.
Since Bard and Thranduil are the ones who want something from Thorin, I don't think being polite should involve "bending over backwards".
Let's not talk about Thranduil detaining the dwarves for the moment, that's a new can of beans. Yes, I think it was unreasonable, or at the very least *extremely* rude. (And the manner of questioning was already rude. Note that book!Thorin had no problem whatsoever with Elrond and vice versa, so he didn't hate elves on principle.)
We don't know about the comparison between Thorin and Dain. Thorin is certainly a stronger character than the Master, and his change of heart during the battle, as well as his parting words, indicate that he overcame the dragon gold. So I still say we can't make a comparison. We just don't know.
The battle was absolutely and 100% the orcs' fault. And Tolkien makes very clear that the Company's attack helped to save the day. To turn this around to say it could have lost their allies the battle sounds very far-fetched to me.
Battles involve risks. People get killed. Yes, they didn't coordinate the attack and made a "boneheaded move", but this boneheaded move was what raised the army's morale (not just the dwarves', mind!). They probably took a calculated risk and lost, but it was not a direct result of the earlier events.