The “orcs” in Tolkien were symbolic of ... who exactly?
“They were Elves once, taken by the dark powers, tortured and mutilated, a terrible, ruined form of life.” - Saruman.
” Orcs loathed the Master whom they served in fear.” - from The Silmarillion
They are fascinated by machinery and weapons. They follow strong leaders but never fully trust them. They are proficient miners and engineers. They can be careerists and opportunists, working “to rule” as much as possible.
Orcs are in many respects the product of indoctrination, subordination, brutalisation and propaganda, but inherent in it is an enthusiasm for war The SS were orcs, the Banderites were orcs, and the Chechen Kadyrovites are orcs. Patten was an orc, according to the opinions of some of the other Allied commanders.
Who’s not an orc? Any Russkie or a Uke in the combat zone who is fighting for their family and community rather than a cause, and who doesn’t think killing or torturing defenceless civilians is a legitimate war aim.