EDITORnThomas FlemingnMANAGING EDITORnTheodore PappasnSENIOR EDITOR, BOOKSnChilton Williamson, jr.nEDITORIAL ASSISTANTnMichael WashburnnART DIRECTORnAnna Mycek-WodeckinCONTRIBUTING EDITORSnHarold O.]. Brown, Katherine Dalton,nSamuel Francis, George Garrett,nE. Christian Kopff, Clyde WilsonnCORRESPONDING EDITORSnBill Kauffman, Jacob Neusner,nJohn Shelton Reed, Momcilo SelicnEDITORIAL SECRETARYnLeann DobbsnPUBLISHERnAllan C. CarlsonnPUBLICATION DIRECTORnGuy C. ReffettnPRODUCTION SECRETARYnAnita CandynCIRCULATION MANAGERnRochelle FranknA publication of The Rockford Institute.nEditorial and Advertising Offices:n934 North Main Street, Rockford, IL 61103.nEditorial Phone: (815)964-5054.nAdvertising Phone: (815) 964-5811.nSubscription Department: P.O. Box 800,nMount Morris, IL 61054. Call 1-800-877-5459.nFor infonnation on advertising in Chronicles,nplease call Rochelle Frank at (815) 964-5811.nU.S.A. Newsstand Distribution by Eastern NewsnDistributors, Inc., 1130 Cleveland Road,nSandusky, Oil 44870.nCopyright © 1995 by The Rockford Institute.nAll rights reserved.nChronicles (ISSN 0887-5731) is publi.shednmonthly for $28 per year by The RockfordnInstitute, 934 North Main Street, Rockford,nIL 61103-7061. Second-class postage paidnat Rockford, IL and additional mailing offices.nPOSTMASTER: Send address changes tonChronicles, P.O. Box 800, Mount Morri.s,nIL 61054.nThe views expressed in Chronicles are thenauthors’ alone and do not necessarily reflectnthe views of The Rockford Institute or of itsndirectors. Unsolicited manuscripts cannot benrehirned unless accompanied by a self-addressednstamped envelope.nChroniclesn4/CHRONICLESnVol. 19, No. 3 March 1995nI’riiitcd in the United States of AmericanOn RussophilianPOLEMICS & EXCHANGESnProfessor Ewa Thompson’s behef thatnunless tlie Russian Federation breaks up,nit will remain a tyranny regardless of appearancesn(“Russophilia,” October 1994)nis absolutely correct. The West’s cool responsento this prospect is another examplenof our hypocrisy, as we profess tonwant freedom and self-determinationnfor all people and yet hide our eyes fromnRussian atrocities, both past and present.nFor example, a recent article I readnlamented the hard times that Russiansnare experiencing in the Baltics. The authornnever explained why these Russiansnare there in the first place. Nor was therenany mention of the atrocities committednby the Russians against the Baits. It wasneasier for the author just to accuse thenBaits of nasty nationalism.nIn the few articles where Russianncrimes are mentioned, they are categorizednas “Soviet” crimes and then glossednover. Some ask, why stir all this up now?nAfter all, “Uncle Joe” Stalin has beenndead for many years, and it’s all ancientnhistory. But 1986 is not ancient history.nIn that year, some 4,000 Estonians,nLithuanians, and other captive peoplesnwere taken to Chernobyl and forced atngunpoint to clean up the worid’s worstnnuclear disaster without any protectivenclothing or gear. False radioactivity readingsnwere given. Those who refused ornrebelled were shot. The “survivors” endednup in hospitals in their native lands tondie slow deaths. True to form, this crimenwas ignored by all but a handful of smallnpublications in the West.nThe children, grandchildren, andngreat-grandchildren of the Baits andnother Eastern Europeans are long accustomednto this lack of integrity in thenWestern press. After all, the accounts ofnrefugees, exiles, and dissidents were dismissednas exaggerated or false, even bynthose in high positions who knew thentruth. “Live not by lies.” Solzhenitsyn’sndictum applies to the^West as well asnRussia.n—Eva M. O’KeefenGrand Haven, MInnnOn BoycottingnMay a new reader and (Genovese-minded)nleftist be permitted to make twonbrief responses to Thomas Fleming’snexcellent article “The Lesson of thenRoaring Parrot” (Perspective, Decembern1994)? First, it is intensely pleasurable tonboycott Tom Hanks; it does not involvenan act of will at all. It may be fine to boycottnKathy Mattea. But I just watchednMerle Haggard inducted into the CountrynMusic Hall of Fame, and guess what?nHe was wearing an AIDS ribbon the sizenof a small parrot (don’t ask me why), butnain’t no way I’m boycotting Merle Flaggard.nYour proposal needs some finentuning.nSecond point. Many years ago Inmade the distributist argument aboutngreengrocers and butchers to a friend ofnmine. I was single at the time. My intedocutornwas married and pointed outnthat for a woman with three or four children,nthe supermarket is a blessing. Havingnchildren of my own now, I can testifynto his point. It is only yuppie scum innNew York vainly trying to turn the east ornwest side of Manhattan into a disgustinglynparodic vision of neighborhood whonbuy at small shops. Men who wear sansabeltntrousers and women with baby formulanstains on their dresses—peoplenwho live in real neighborhoods—shopnat Star Market or the A&P.nDr. Fleming Replies:n—Robert MpertnWatertown, MAnSome readers may have taken me toonliterally. The point I was making is thatnmoney is the currency of power and thatnwe should make some effort to spendnour money as if we were voting. I supposenit is a corollary to Sartre’s dictumnthat a man should live his life as if he expectedneveryone in the world to imitatenhiiTi, which is an existentialist version ofnthe Colden Rule.nAs for Merle and the AIDS ribbon,nlots of basically decent people get caughtnup in the fashions of their communitynor their profession, and it sometimesntakes a heroic effort to stay free. Guysnlike Tom Hanks are a different story—nthey are active propagandists rather thannpassive accomplices. The same goes forn