The following is a summary of the April, 2011, issue of The St. Croix Review.
Barry MacDonald compares the earthquake and Tsunami in Japan with the dissolution of marriage in America in "What's Important?"
Norm Swender responds to Jigs Gardner's first "Letters from a Conservative Farmer" in "Letters to The St. Croix Review."
Mark Hendrickson, in "The Debt-Ceiling Dance and the Annual Budget Ritual," explains why the big spenders always win; in "Wisconsin Unions vs. Governor Walker: A Battle for the Soul of America," he says the outcome will determine whether government force or individual freedom has the upper hand; in "America's Debts: Even More Calamitous Than We Thought," he details why the official debt of the federal government, $14 trillion, doesn't begin to tell the tale; in "Hu's in Town, Time to Talk "'Money,'" he says that a well-run, international financial system is impossible because governments always debase their currencies; in "The New-Old Barack Obama," he describes the changed rhetoric of a president seeking reelection; in "The Economics of the State of the Union," he says President Obama revealed an ignorance of basic economics and history; in "Honoring Reagan's Memory in the Most Honorable Way," he writes Reagan produced prosperity because he understood economics better than any other president. It's a tragedy that so few elected officials share his understanding.
Herbert London, in "Egypt and the Obama Administration," comments on unfolding events and the effectiveness of the Obama Administration; in "Coptics Under Siege," he sees the targeting of Christians in Egypt, and throughout the Muslim world, and notes the unconcern of UN authorities; in "Abbas Reveals His True Agenda," he shows that Abbas' vision of a Palestinians state is one without one a single Jew; in "Multiculturalism in Retreat," he believes the British Prime Minister's words signal a long-overdue demand that Muslims in Europe learn to respect and assimilate with their host nations; in "What Are Undergraduates Learning?" he cites a study concluding that many college students aren't learning cognitive skills.
Allan Brownfeld, in "The Need to Curb the Role of Public Employee Unions Is Clear as Bankruptcy Looms for Many States and Cities," writes public-sector union workers are paid a third more than private-sector workers, and they also receive much more generous pensions; in "Up from the Projects: The Life of Walter E. Williams," he relates the experiences of the black economist who became a proponent of the free market; in "A Thoughtful Look at Christianity as the Lifeblood of the American Society," he reviews a recent book by John Howard that records the prominent part Christianity had in America from the first colonies.
Paul Kengor, in "Changing the Mood: Two Inaugurals - JFK and Reagan," tells how both presidents changed the self-confidence of the nation; in "Ronald Reagan: The Anti-Nixon/Kissinger," he shows the contrast between the two in strategy, and in concern for the persecution of Soviet Jews; in "The Truth About Ronald Reagan's Mind - and Memory," he relates an anecdote that shows Reagan's mind to be razor sharp; in "Reagan and Alzheimer's: What the Public Doesn't Know about the 40th President," he relates a little-known example of Reagan's kindness.
In "A Tribute to Mihajlo Mihajlov," Rusko Matulic writes about his friend, on the first anniversary of his death. Mr. Mihajlov was a staunch anti-Communist and Yugoslavian patriot.
The editor has republished from 1988 Mihajlo Mihajlov's "Liberalization Within the Soviets." Writing during the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Mihajlov describes what happens when totalitarianism collapses, and draws upon then emerging historical facts to point at the evil heart of "real socialism."
Fayette Durlin and Peter Jenkin have started a new series: "Conservative Magazines: A Survey." In this issue they discuss Commentary, The Weekly Standard, The American Spectator, and First Things.
Jigs Gardner, in "Letters from a Conservative Farmer - Significant Knowledge," writes that environmentalists would have us return to a primitive, impoverished life, and abandon the slow, painful acquisition of knowledge that makes civilization possible.
Jigs Gardner, in "The Greatest Stories Ever Told," reveals the subtleties in the Book of Ruth of the Bible.
Joseph J. Horton marvels at the technological brilliance of computers, but believes we must think for ourselves in "'Jeopardy!' Champions: Humans Are Still the Masters."
Robert Wichterman provides samplings of President Obama's outsized ego in "Our Narcissistic President."
In "Five Lessons I Learned from a Successful New York Entrepreneur," Joseph Fulda tells a story about his friend Joel, who owns a shop in New York City.
