DANGEROUS TIMES

The power struggle in russia pitting President Boris Yeltsin against conservatives should not be regarded as a battle of democracy vs. communism ((RUSSIA, Oct. 4)). Though slightly more liberal in their leanings, Yeltsin and his regime are nowhere near the democracy we in America would like to think. Yeltsin’s dissolution of parliament and subsequent use of force to quell protests exemplify his disdain for the democratic political process. Yeltsin is a shrewd politician and a master at manipulating the West into believing he represents Russia’s only realistic possibility for change and economic transformation. Neil K. Malik Attleboro, Massachusetts