BACK TO THE U.S.S.R.?

Your special report on the upcoming election [RUSSIA '96, May 27] suggests that Russian voters face a return to Gulags, secret police and totalitarian control over every aspect of life. This sounds more like election propaganda than informed analysis. Sure, it seems ominous that a Communist candidate like Gennadi Zyuganov is doing well with the voters, but having gone through their own Great Depression, many Russians just want to throw the rascals out of office and try something different. Americans are not well served by stories that try to reduce the complexities of Russian politics to good guys vs. bad guys. President Boris Yeltsin has used up nearly all the goodwill he once deserved. It is high time that serious consideration be given to alternatives to him. DAVID JOHNSON, Research Director Center for Defense Information Washington Via E-mail

Russia in its 1,000-year history has never had true democracy. It is not possible to transform a society that is used to being governed by dictators into a U.S.-type democracy in one generation. Russians needed help on their way to achieving this, and they never got it. There were very few financial investments that could show Russians that despite the economic hardship, their country was changing. So it is not strange that Russians want to turn back the clock. Most people are fighting for their economic survival. That is why the ex-Communists are getting more power and the Clinton Administration's efforts to support Yeltsin may be too late. ANDRE KAMINSKI Cape Town, South Africa Via E-mail

TIME, like most Western media, still buys the myth that Yeltsin is a reformer and a democrat. But face it, he was never the initiator of democratic reforms in Russia. On the contrary, he relies heavily on the old apparatus. Yeltsin made a party career under Leonid Brezhnev, attempted a power grab in a military coup and finally was able to establish himself as a semi-dictator. Since then he has started a war with Chechnya and dismissed all its critics. Yeltsin is responsible for the continued killing of thousands of civilians, including children. Is this the democrat the West wants? A shift of power to any other candidate would at least add credibility to the democratic mechanism. The worst thing the West can do is give Yeltsin the green light to rig the elections or ignore them. OLLI LAGERSPETZ Swansea, Wales

Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko will have proved insightful should Russians vote for Communists in the election. He wrote, "Those who are conceived in a cage yearn for a cage." STEVE HARHAJ New Brighton, Minnesota

The Russia of today is in a situation similar to that of the Russia of 1861, when the serfs were emancipated. Even though they had gained their freedom, their living conditions were far worse than those they had experienced as serfs. And for many of today's Russians, living conditions have become worse since the fall of communism. So, many Russians want to return to communism. Unused to freedom, they don't know how to exercise it responsibly. Russia's choices in this election offer little grounds for optimism. However, reverting to communism would be a major setback for Russia's citizens. This is a critical election. PAUL FRANCIS HEALY III Sudbury, Massachusetts

I recently returned from two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan. I had expected to find people embracing democracy and enjoying their newfound freedom. Instead, most yearned for the Communist days, when products were cheap. As Americans, we are frustrated to hear that Russians may choose communism over democracy, since freedom is our most cherished idea. Freedom is supposed to empower people. But it is a lot easier to choose and appreciate freedom if you have bread on your table. It's true that economic reform takes time, but Russians are sick of being guinea pigs in an experiment that hasn't lived up to its promise. AVI RUBEL New York City

The difficulties that Russians are having in adapting to democratic reform are not all that surprising to me. After spending my first 25 years in Canada and living the past four years in the U.S., it is only now that I have adjusted to the social and financial variances that exist between the two sound, yet different, democratic systems. The Russians' desire for more control may reflect a way of life that will take decades to relinquish, for most of them have no hands-on experience that democracy works. JEFF STEIN Chicago Via E-mail

Whether in Russia or the U.S., elections always remind me of the value of service. As always, candidates wax lyrical about their desire to serve the people. The litmus test for service is the candidate's sincere desire to be useful to others. If a candidate lacks that, he'll end up using people and his position for personal aggrandizement. Genuine leaders should possess moral integrity and professional competence--food for thought for both Russians and Americans. ZEN UDANI Pamplona, Spain Via E-mail

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that switching from a government-controlled society to a Russian-style "democracy" would create nothing but utter chaos. Who can blame the people for wanting to return to what they think is a form of normality? HOLLI STROZZO Statesboro, Georgia Via E-mail

High inflation, soaring unemployment and crime rates, hunger, inadequate medical care and restrictions on the media--these are the consequences of Yeltsin's policies and of reforms that promised security, democracy and prosperity. Yeltsin has failed, and the West must pay the price for backing someone who did not share the pains and frustrations of his people. Democracy in Russia has produced only chaos and confusion. The people of Russia are willing to trade their democracy for a loaf of bread. AMMAR ZEYAD SALAH North York, Ontario Via E-mail

No matter who wins the Russian election, ordinary citizens will probably continue to suffer for the next 20 years. The June 16 election will not solve any problems in Russia. It is a race between someone people hate, Yeltsin, and someone they fear, Zyuganov. The truth is that no candidate has a platform to improve the everyday life of poor and middle-class Russians. JEAN-FRANCOIS HOULE Hull, Quebec Via E-mail

Nothing has been more decisive in resurrecting communism as the main political force in Russia than the West's incapacity to allow Russians to keep their national pride. Efforts to expand nato membership eastward, minimizing Russia's voice in world affairs and backing Yeltsin on every issue, are slowly paving the road for Zyuganov's victory. He will appeal to his countrymen's self-esteem and empty pockets, and to what remains of the Soviet totalitarian regime. Who would have thought that the U.S. policy toward communism would fail this way? JUAN CARLOS VELTEN Mexico City

QUESTIONS ABOUT BOORDA

The suicide of Admiral Mike Boorda, U.S. Chief of Naval Operations [NATION, May 27], creates a chance for us to understand better why a man takes his own life. In general, four times as many men commit suicide as do women. When I did research for my book The Myth of Male Power, I had to ask, "If men are the powerful sex, why are they the 'suicide sex'?" I found, first, that the more boys in any society learn the traditional male role of keeping feelings and fears to themselves, the more they commit suicide. Second, almost every person who commits suicide feels unloved, unrespected and not needed or feels he has done something to lose the love of those close to him.

So long as we give our love and respond more to "an officer and a gentleman" instead of to "a private and a pacifist," men will tend to confuse love and respect with rank and, having defined themselves that way, will feel that the loss of rank is the loss of self--hence suicide. What can we do? If we use Admiral Boorda's suicide to deepen our understanding, then his death will save more lives via prevented suicides than he would have saved in commanding men effectively during wartime. WARREN FARRELL Encinitas, California

There is no question of any profound issue of honor in suicide. Let those who may be considering the act recognize that suicide is the attempt to escape one's own pain, while the survivors--family and friends--are left to bob in the wake of the wreckage of a life that has gone off course. BARBARA OLDENBURG Fort Salonga, New York Via E-mail

Your article on Boorda focused on the medals he wore and the controversy over whether he had the right to wear the "V (for valor) pin." The V device signifies heroism, gallantry and courage. There can be no confusion about whether it should be worn because the criteria are stated in the orders for the award. Retired Admiral Elmo Zumwalt's statement, "I certainly would have told him to wear it," is inappropriate. It is not left up to the individual to choose what devices should be worn as awards and decorations. That is why the orders state exactly what is authorized; if they didn't, we would have people wearing a chestful of medals and looking like a Russian general. Awards and decorations are very prized possessions to individuals who have earned them. It is a shame to have their importance diminished in a situation such as this. LAWRENCE HITE, CWO, U.S. Army (ret.) Wauseon, Ohio

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

As a gay man in a 10-year relationship, I'm not interested in whether religious groups or politicians approve of it [VIEWPOINT, May 27]. I haven't needed a ceremony or piece of paper to okay it. Besides, does legalizing same-sex marriage mean we will be accepted? Isn't having a marriage certificate primarily for legal purposes? I would be pleased if the government would simply allow us to file a joint tax return using the domestic-partner law that exists in some cities. Since we are contributing members of society, paying school taxes and all the other ones too, we certainly should not be penalized just because our sexual orientation is different from a politician's or religious person's. RAY LEFEBVRE New York City

Wilfrid Sheed asks, if homosexuality is a physical predisposition, presumably God-given, "what might God have had in mind?" Sheed suggests that homosexuality is like a genetic predisposition toward obesity, heart disease, depression or violence. When Adam chose to rebel in the Garden of Eden, the earth and its inhabitants began to die. In other words, everything began to deteriorate. This includes the human genetic code. What God had in mind was perfection, but man, left alone, has always embraced just the opposite and suffered for it. (THE REV.) ROBERT F. FOUNTAIN Miami

ENCOUNTERS WITH NEANDERTHALS

Ian Tattersall in his review of John Darnton's Neanderthal and Petru Popescu's Almost Adam [BOOKS, May 27] insists that Neanderthals are extinct and can appear only in fiction. Not so! I have known thousands of Neanderthals; it is true humans who are rare. OLIVER H. WINN Corona del Mar, California

MEMO TO BOB DOLE

Peggy Noonan's direct, no-nonsense advice to Bob Dole [MEMO, May 27] nailed every element of his strategy and style, or lack thereof, and was right on the money. Dole is a great leader, and I sincerely hope his campaign can quickly pull its message together. Maybe a good place for Noonan's memo is on Dole's bathroom mirror, where he could read it first thing in the morning, every morning from now until Nov. 5. LARRY GRENZOW McFarland, Wisconsin

Weeell, Peggy, therrre you go again! You refer to the "pious conniver" in the White House. Nooo, Peggy, Newt's merely in the House. As for your concerns that Dole comes off as dark and sinister, nay censorious--not to worry. Peggy, just the other day Dole was campaigning in his underwear again. You know, the Dole leisure suit: short shorts and undersize T shirt. Now, you're right; there's a man with a "deeply mordant" sense of humor! J.V.H. KECK Pickett, Wisconsin

If Dole is smart enough to immediately hire Peggy Noonan as his speechwriter, I'll vote for him. BONNIE J. NAIZBY Honesdale, Pennsylvania

DOLE LEAVES THE SENATE

While I certainly can't blame Dole for resigning his Senate seat and starting to distance himself from the Republican reactionaries in Washington [NATION, May 27], I wonder how short he thinks voters' memories are. Heck, in a couple months, I half expect Dole to begin touting himself as a Washington outsider. JEFF HORN Niceville, Florida

Dole should distance himself from the right and fight for the center. Even if he does get a firm base among white, Southern, gun-owning pro-lifers, it will provide him, at best, with about 30% of the electorate. To win that decisive center, he needs to sound more tolerant on social issues and articulate a long-term plan for America's economic and strategic security. This won't be politically dangerous. Right-wing voters are Clintonphobes; just the thought of sending Clinton--and Hillary, in particular--back to Little Rock, Arkansas, will probably keep them supporting Dole. SANTIAGO CAMPERO Mexico City

Dole announces that he has "nothing to fall back on" in resigning the Senate. Reality check! If Dole had held a private-sector top-executive job with mandatory retirement at 65, he would have been forced out eight years ago. As it is, at 73, Dole is voluntarily stepping down. And what about the generous government pension that will be Dole's, not to mention his Social Security payments? This man has indeed given up everything except his wealth, his rosy well-connected future, his wife, his family, his health and his satisfying, fully funded retirement. Dole gets a run at the job of Leader of the Free World in his retirement and gives up nothing. In a world filled with so much real hardship and sacrifice, Dole could use a bit of perspective. ART NEILANS Toronto

DEATH ON EVEREST

Money cannot buy mountaineering experience [WORLD, May 27]. Money cannot buy respect for the mountain, nor can it buy achievement. The true accomplishment is to climb, whether making it to the top or not, using one's own efforts. As a mountaineer who used to climb for the thrill of being alone with nature, working with it and not against it, I disapprove of the masses of people who think money can buy achievement. It cannot. Somebody who climbs an unglamorous mountain, using his or her own efforts, achieves morally much more than the person who buys a Mount Everest trek or some similar high-altitude happening. There are just some things money can't buy. CHRISTIAN STEGMANN Alling, Germany

Like all those who heard or read about the tragic deaths of the climbers on the world's pinnacle, I was horrified. I have been a mountaineer myself and have scaled many "lesser" peaks in this part of the world. There is no accomplishment or glory in scaling a treacherous peak. I would like to bring attention to the very passive role local governments play in the goings-on at Everest. It sends shivers down my spine. With 142 recorded deaths since the first ascent, these governments should wake up. In my opinion, Mount Everest should be given a rest, but if mountaineers must climb, the local governments should help ensure the climbers' safety. TAMASIN ARA Lahore, Pakistan

When I visited the everest region last year, I felt deep respect looking in Sagarmatha's face. I was overwhelmed by the power of nature. I was glad and thankful simply to be allowed to be on this planet. It is sad to see that climbing Everest has become more and more a commercialized adventure through the years. I hope the tragic deaths in May will make mountaineers wake up. I wonder why people always underestimate the difficulty of climbing to the world's top. When I was near Everest's base camp, all the men of a Spanish expedition were killed in an accident. Still, it seems that the thrill of reaching the summit predominates over good judgment and self-assessment. STEFFEN JURGENSEN Bremen, Germany

UNCERTAINTY IN INDIA

Your article on the aftermath of India's elections [WORLD, May 27] reflected the country's uncertain future. The rise of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has indeed frightened the Muslims, who represent 14% of the nation's population. The minority has mainly been voting for the Congress Party ever since India's independence, but this year it has diverted its vote to other parties. Obviously former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao has to be blamed for Congress's electoral defeat.

The alliance with Tamil Nadu--not to mention the corruption scandal, which has stained the entire system--probably cost the party at least 20 crucial parliamentary seats. The only thing that remains unclear is whether the government will allow foreign investment for economic reforms. This may be a bad break for the Congress Party, but for the B.J.P. and the rest of the nation, it's the beginning of a new era. BHAVNA C. BHAGCHANDANI Hong Kong

While foreigners, especially those with the large multinational companies, and Indians who have taken up the nationality of other countries may have benefited from former Prime Minister Rao's "reforms," many of us found ourselves being squeezed dry by an increasingly apathetic government. India's politicians were more interested in doling out favors to foreigners and making Indian citizens pay for the blatant transgressions of several top government officials. The middle-class Indian has come up in life in spite of the Indian government, not because of the reforms that have earned so much praise from abroad. I am just one of many who had to leave the country in order to make a decent living for myself and my family. I was fortunate to be able to do so. SAPTASHREE BONDAL Singapore

WHAT CANNES IS ALL ABOUT

Of course, this year's Cannes Festival [CINEMA, May 27] was a bit weaker than those in the recent past, but the lack of good films is no reason to publish a piece of pro-Hollywood propaganda. If American movies had been good this year, they would have been in Cannes, and they would have won. But they weren't. I don't think the world's cinema industry is in such bad shape. I have been quite satisfied by the films I have seen recently. ERIC COTTE Nancy, France

Don't forget that Cannes is not only a place where rich people can act stupidly but also a place where real art is sometimes found. Does it bother Americans that France is not ready to love all of Hollywood's films? It takes more than money to make a good movie; it also takes art! That is what Cannes wants you to learn. RAPHAEL STORA Paris

THE SIMPSON SAGA

Thanks for the report on O.J. simpson's eventful visit to England [WORLD, May 27]. The article provided a welcome contrast to the drivel we have been subjected to here from our "much more objective" press, as O.J.'s public relations consultant Max Clifford called it. Indeed, the great British press has done it again. Despite all the crazy exclusives our papers have come up with during the whole saga, they all had one thing in common: the belief that O.J.'s trial was unfair in various ways. But now it amazes me to see that the media and the infamous chat show O.J. appeared on had no qualms in acting as police, judge and jury to a man who has, after all, been found not guilty of murder. The truth is that the British press warps its sense of judgment and justice to boost sales figures. Simpson has little to worry about from its criticism. Objective? I think not. BALVEEN AJIMAL Guildford, England

MISSION: SO-SO

Mission: Impossible? well, maybe, since all that the characters in this superblockbuster [CINEMA, May 27] seem to want to do is just save their jobs. Although I agree with film critic Richard Schickel that the movie was so-so at best, I'd like to suggest that he see the film again, as he missed the deeper message. Whether or not it was their intention, the screenwriters have loaded the movie with psychosociological metaphors, turning it from an uneven, sometimes exciting, sometimes very so-so spy thriller into a study of current trends in corporate America and the escalating employment and economic struggle between Generation X and baby boomers.

The whole plot of the movie revolves around not letting the list of Impossible Mission Force agents and their true identities fall into the wrong hands. It might be conjectured that the villainous, disgruntled middle-aged middle manager Jim Phelps goes after the list like someone leaving a corporation and taking the client names with him to start his own business. ROBERT SCAROLA Chicago

Was Schickel kidding when he wrote that Tom Cruise sports "the worst haircut ever worn in public by a major movie star"? Cruise looks great--clean, sleek and lithe. Just what is called for. Besides, his new look is hardly new at all: everybody knows this haircut worked wonders for Keanu Reeves in Speed and Chris O'Donnell in Batman Forever. KRISTINA FELICIANO New York City Via E-mail

PERILOUS TO CATHOLIC FAITH?

I am deeply offended by the Roman Catholic Church and its Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz for using the fear of excommunication as a tool for religious bigotry [RELIGION, May 27]. Bruskewitz threatened to excommunicate members of his diocese who belonged to groups deemed "perilous to the Catholic faith," including America's Freemasons, members of the DeMolay and other organizations. The rich history of Freemasonry dates back to colonial America and before. Some of our Founding Fathers, including George Washington, were dedicated Freemasons. Present-day Masonic organizations exist in all 50 states and continue to be in the mainstream of all that is good about America. The unseemly use of despotic power by a powerful leader of the Roman Catholic Church can only spread seeds of disharmony and divisiveness among us all, to the detriment of our tradition of religious tolerance. LOUIS CURTH Lake Placid, New York

I would not call Bishop Bruskewitz a hard-liner, as you did. I think he is one of the best Roman Catholic bishops in the U.S. He is taking a stand on weeding out those who are not true 100% Catholics. If people disagree with the bishop, then I suggest they switch to another religion, not attempt to change the Roman Catholic Church into a feminist liberal New Age Roman Catholic Church. Bravo, Bishop Bruskewitz! GERARD DONAHUE Greenbelt, Maryland Via E-mail

ONE SAILOR'S WAY OUT

Is the wearing of questionable medals a transgression serious enough to warrant taking one's life? Readers who wrote us about the suicide of Mike Boorda, U.S. Chief of Naval Operations [NATION, May 27], expressed varying views. Rand Knox of San Rafael, California, remembered the recent forced resignations of other high-ranking military officials and suggested Boorda had overreacted. Wrote Knox: "The military makes the trivial important and the important trivial." Retired Army Sergeant Major David L. Pompili of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was saddened by the suicide but pointed out, "If Boorda's citation did not award the V device [for valor in combat experience], he was not authorized to wear it. Careers are ruined by lying to the troops, and the good admiral knew that." But Rodolfo A. Arizala of Santiago had a more pragmatic reaction: "To the nonmilitary person, it is unthinkable that the honest mistake of wearing an unauthorized combat ribbon could snuff out the life of a 'sailor's sailor.'"