Discussion Questions
(The following questions were generously submitted by a LitLover reader and contributor. Many thanks!)
1. At the beginning and end of his narrative Anderson recounts two near death encounters – one at the hands of rebels and one at the hands of Russian troops. They form interesting bookends to the narrative. How do these encounters symbolize everything sandwiched between them? What was different and what was similar about the experiences?
2. He speaks of the “shattered sadness” and “crushing apathy” of those facing death at the hands of another. What reaction does that provoke in you?
3. How would you describe Fred Cuny’s character? What motivated him as a man? Were there any clues in his youth that might explain his passion?
4. How would you respond to his assertion that humanity was inherently good in light of all that he saw and dealt with throughout his career?
5. He left his son for extended periods of time and was never able to maintain a relationship with one woman because of his work and yet he seemed troubled by this. Could he have achieved a better balance in life and still accomplished what he did? What are the trade-offs for such a man?
6. Beginning in Chapter 4 Anderson lists Cuny’s goals that he created around his thirtieth birthday. How realistic were these goals (given his busy life) and did he achieve any of them? Is there a point to making a list of goals (that are perhaps unachievable) like this? If so, what does it accomplish?
7. Would you agree with the author that “life’s disappointments have a way of tempering youthful dreams”? Why, do you think, did they have the opposite effect for Fred Cuny?
8. Why would Cuny have placed the poem to his son in a sealed envelope taped to the back panel of his desk? At what point in time do you think he wrote it?
9. George Soros is introduced as the wealthy financier who bank-rolled much of the relief work that Cuny became involved in. What do you know of Soros and his foundations? What was his motivation for pouring money into these projects?
10. In the era when US foreign policy was to prop up dictators who positioned themselves as ‘Anti-Communist’, how was Cuny’s philosophy of using disasters as a catalyst for social and political reform—his talk of agrarian reform and wealth redistribution—viewed by “The Establishment”?
11. What did you find most remarkable about Cuny’s work in Sarajevo and Kurdistan?
12. What, do you think, drew Cuny to Chechnya in the first place?
13. Relating to Chechnya, Anderson states there are three mistakes you can make:
- That there is any pattern or logic to the conflict.
- That one side is better (more compassionate, less vicious) than the other.
- The belief that you can change things or make a difference.
Was Cuny blinded by his own belief system to the reality of Chechnya?
14. It would appear that the US Administration had an agenda in supporting Boris Yeltsin’s prosecution of the war in Chechnya. What concerns were driving their agenda?
15. While there is no evidence to suggest Cuny’s involvement with the CIA, he seemed to revel in the aura of suspicion that it placed around him. In what way could that have back-fired on him? Is it conceivable that in some way he was willing to pass information back to the CIA on what he saw while on the ground?
16. What do you make of Anderson’s assessment that to the Russians and Chechens, lying was first nature not second nature? Would you agree with his rationale for that statement?
17. Given the events that had recently transpired with his team at the Russian checkpoint and his own apprehensions, what do you think motivated him to go back into Chechnya in general and to Bamut in particular?
18. With all of the disinformation and lies surrounding the disappearance of Cuny and his party, how would you characterize the conclusions reached by Anderson?
19. According to a Wikipedia article, the smart bombs that killed Dzhokhar Dudayev, the Chenchen Rebel leader, were American technology – something the Russians didn’t possess at that time. In what way would it benefit the US Government to assist Yeltsin in eliminating this man?
20. In the afterword (to the 2000 publication), Anderson recounts the rise to power of Vladimir Putin who was responsible for the slaughter of many Chechens during the second Chechen war. He says it is likely that the West will have to deal for many years with Putin who he calls “an extremely cunning leader”. How have you seen that played out over the last decade and a half?
21. In conclusion, how would you sum up the life and work of Fred Cuny?
(Questions developed by a LitLovers contributor.)
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