How evil was Lotho?

Anyone who has read very many of my fics *knows* I have a very strong antipathy to Lotho Pimple, self-styled "Chief" of the Shire. The last couple of weeks though, I've been having a very interesting debate wtih a gentleman on the rec.arts.books.tolkien/alt.fan.tolkien newsgroups on the subject.

He seems to think Lotho was simply doing what he thought of as "good business", and that as soon as the ruffians arrived, they took over and were responsible for all the wickedness that took place afterward.

We've just about argued to a standstill.

He's pretty entrenched in his position, as am I. But I'm wondering if anyone else sees this as a likely scenario? Was Lotho just a victim, like the other hobbits?

(Not bloody likely. But anyway...)

How evil was Lotho?

Anyone who has read very many of my fics *knows* I have a very strong antipathy to Lotho Pimple, self-styled "Chief" of the Shire. The last couple of weeks though, I've been having a very interesting debate wtih a gentleman on the rec.arts.books.tolkien/alt.fan.tolkien newsgroups on the subject.

He seems to think Lotho was simply doing what he thought of as "good business", and that as soon as the ruffians arrived, they took over and were responsible for all the wickedness that took place afterward.

We've just about argued to a standstill.

He's pretty entrenched in his position, as am I. But I'm wondering if anyone else sees this as a likely scenario? Was Lotho just a victim, like the other hobbits?

(Not bloody likely. But anyway...)