foreign aid as beneath the dignity of an independent nationrnand as counterproductive to the building of entrepreneurshiprnin Russia.rnPerplexing and divisive questions remain for a movementrnstill seeking to define itself, questions which have promptedrnsplits and which are wrapped up in the larger question of definingrnRussian national identity. Such terms as “nationalism” andrn”patriotism,” as used in the Russian context, have yet to be adequatelyrnpinned down, thus leaving the whole phenomenon ofrnthe “national-patriotic” movement without context.rnStill, national-patriotic ideas have gained currency in Russia.rnAs noted earlier, interest in tradition, religion, and historyrnamong ordinary Russians is growing in the spiritual black holernthat the communists have left behind. Alexander Rutskoy, havingrnblasted anti-Semitism at the February 1992 “Congress ofrnCivil and Patriotic Forces,” has emerged as the most crediblernnational-patriotic politician. Rutskoy, together with BorisrnYeltsin, is one of the two or three most trusted politicians inrnRussia as reflected in polls taken since the beginning of thernyear. The white Cadets and Christian Democrats, despiterntheir small numbers, remain an influential element in the parliamentaryrnopposition. What impact Solzhenitsyn’s return willrnhave on the political constellation is still unclear, though hisrnprominent position in Russian life was amply demonstrated byrnBoris Yeltsin’s decision to call the reclusive literary genius duringrnthe June 1992 Washington summit. The two men spokernnot only of Solzhenitsyn’s return to Russia, but of an issue ofrngreat importance to the national-patriotic movement, the faternof the millions of Russians now residing in the newly independentrnrepublics of the splintered Soviet Empire.rnWhat the national-patriots are faced with is the most dauntingrnof tasks: creating a “modern” market economy without thernattendant social poison of the West’s modernity, that is, therncollapse of traditional culture (or in the case of postcommunistrnRussia, of the possibility of salvaging and reanimating what remainsrnof that culture) and the concomitant Westernization ofrnRussia, through a secular and vacuous global “pop culture.”rnThe apparent inability of Western political elites to understandrnsuch fears (and consequently, to label all nationalpatriotsrnas antireform and thus dangerous) underscores the intellectualrnarrogance and moral vacuity of a body of opinion thatrnpresumes to not only know what is best for Russia, but thatrntreats with contempt all those who may question the wisdomrnof turning over national sovereignty to international institutions,rnwhich, by definition, are not concerned with the nationalrninterests of those whom they require to undergo political, economic,rnand cultural surgery.rnPerhaps the opinion of Rutskoy, the opposition of the whites,rnand the stinging criticism of the towering figure of AleksandrrnSolzhenitsyn should alert us, the secularized West, and particularlyrnwe in America, to examine ourselves and reevaluaternnot only our relations with other countries in the post-ColdrnWar era, when no ideological foreign enemy faces us, but ourrnown condition. Perhaps the national-patriots are right to believe,rnas apparently they do, that some kind of modernizationrncoupled with liberty need not signal the end of the mixture ofrntraditional culture, religion, and patriotism that makes each nationrnunique and that gave rise to our own Republic. -f”rnTHE WISDOM OF THE PLANNED GIFTrnTfiere are many ways to give to educational and ctiaritable organizations such as The Rockford Institute, publisher of Chronicles: ArnMagazine of American Culture. Most people make direct gifts which result in a “charitable deduction” from their taxable income inrna given year. But there are other ways to give that can preserve income or assets for a donor and his beneficiaries, avoid capitalrngains and estate taxes, and benefit the Institute or other charities. These are often referred to as “planned gifts.”rnThe Rockford Institute’s Pooled Income Fund provides income to a donor or his beneficiary and can be initiated at the $5,000rnlevel or above. The amount in the fund can be increased each year, and the amount of income depends on the performance of thernpooled fund. This fund has both high income and growth-oriented investments, and the return is generally much higher than stockrndividends. The amount of charitable tax deduction for the gift depends on the fair market value of the assets contributed (there isrnno capital gains tax on stock contributions) and is related to the age of the donor or beneficiaries. There is no capital gains tax forrnthe donor on the increased value of the fund over time. Upon the death of the donor or beneficiary, the assets would bypass estaterntaxes and go to the Institute.rnMichael Warder, Legacy Program, The Rockford Institute, 934 North Main Street, Rockford, IL 61103rnI I Please send me general information on “Planned Giving” options.rnI I Please send me information on the Institute’s Pooled Income Fund.rnNAME_rnC1TY__rnADDRESS^rnSTATE_ ZIP_ PHONE_rnIf you have a specific asset, such as stocks, that you are considering for a contribution, and if you would like the Institute to evaluate the financial tax implications forrnyour gift, please include the following information:rnSS#_ SS #(SPOUSE)_rnCOST OF ASSET_ ESTIMATED MARKET VALUE_rnAUGUST 1993/27rnrnrn