Another from the depths of the “K-Files”

[All three pages of an undated, unsigned letter to an unknown recipient.  The  first pages are lost – perhaps a blessing?]

“... a very emotional movie ['Tom Horn'].

“It's strangely coincidental, but as I wrote about the movie, I was listening to a selection from Lenau's 'Faust'. That story also has a good/bad ambiguity to it. Of course, 'Faust' ends on an upbeat note, whereas Tom Horn reaps the reward [hangman's noose] for his behavior. But anyway, the particular score I was listening to was very moody and seemed to capture the feeling of the wild, open spaces of Wyoming (or at least the scenes shown in the movie).

“On to another subject unrelated to the movie but in a way tied to the idea of losing simplicity, innocence, freedom.

“I've been listening to a little (very little) of the [Presidential] campaigning, and I'm quite dismayed about the choices, which I think are all pretty terrible (Reagan, Carter, Anderson).  The really bad thing about this election is, as Barry Goldwater put it, that we seem to be at a pivotal (& critical) point now.  What happens in this election (& the next administration) will have a profound effect on the whole world.  (We still hold a lot of sway throughout the world, but when we screw up, the negative effect is so much greater!)  The Russian strategic parity and our apparent unwillingness to be 'strongest' (and flex our muscle when necessary) is encouraging the USSR to proceed with its long-held plans for world domination.  Communists have repeatedly demonstrated their patience in seeking their goals.  What have we demonstrated?  Certainly not patience, perseverance, and willingness to sacrifice for long-term gains!  This election has shown that the American public can recognize the peril we're in now: Soviet combat troops in Cuba; the Afghanistan invasion; our humiliation at the hands of Iranian & Colombian terrorists; etc. But what choice(s) do we really have in this election?

“Anyway, working where I do, I am constantly reminded of the dangers we face because of Russia.  Everything points to their professed desire to dominate the world, and there's no evidence to convince me that world Communism would result in a utopian brotherhood of openness, freedom, etc.  On the other hand, nothing seems to point toward an American desire for aggressive domination.  Does the U.S. look like a society preparing for war?  We have, of course, made some serious mistakes in our relations with  other countries around the world, but can you compare our treatment of our allies (many of which were once our enemies at one time or another) with the Soviets' treatment of their allies -- Hungary & Poland in 1956, Czechoslovakia in 1968, Afghanistan in 1979, Poland... ?

“I'm not going to go into a long rundown of the dangers & contradictions of communism.

“The connection with the movie?  Simply that the increasing complexity of our world has forever removed our last vestiges of innocence.  We are, in a sense, trapped by our own 'advances and there's no going back.  It's no wonder that people are confused and unhappy.  Look at what kinds of horrors technology unleashed during WWII and how we nearly lost civilization as we knew it!  Look what is possible now!

“I still have faith in people -- Russians & Americans -- but we are all pawns of our leaders.  Their aspirations for leadership should give a clue that they don't want what we want.  They are products of many hidden desires (power, prestige, wealth?) and phobias.

“Well, I don't know if much of that made sense or if you could detect the 'thread' running throughout.”

Copyright © 2018-10-01, Mike Kruchoski, All Rights Reserved.