The following is a summary of the October, 2004, issue of the St. Croix Review:

In the editorial, “Bad Manners, Hatred, a War Record, Class Action,” Angus MacDonald writes about the awful tone of the presidential election and the quality of President Bush’s critics.

Allan C. Brownfeld writes, in “Conservatives Are Increasingly Uneasy About Current Trends in Washington,” about growing doubts among conservatives as to the direction of the Republican Party. The conservative movement used to focus on defending the nation against Communism, and keeping the government within limits. But presently the Republican Party spends as much as the Democrats, and the “war on terrorism” could harm civil liberties. He also questions how far the U.S. should go in efforts democratize the Middle East.

Herbert London lists six reasons why the UN should be scrapped in “Why the UN Cannot Be Reformed”; he writes about the realities facing the nation in “Fighting a War for Survival”; and reports on the coverage the former president received in “Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Convention.”

Arnold Beichman says that Congress has the authority but lacks the courage to “Override the Supreme Court”; he pays tribute to one of the most influential books of the 20th century in “The Road Away from Serfdom”; he draws upon a resolution adopted in 1994 but ignored since to write: “UN Fraud on Terror.”

Murray Weidenbaum takes a look at an economic issue that has received hysterical coverage, and he reports much that has been overlooked in “Outsourcing: Pros and Cons.”

In “Waiting for the 60s” John Gardner relates his recent entry into a literary club in the New York countryside. He has found a redoubt of the politically correct, and we are let in on the quirks of his neighbors.

Richard Addison questions the motives of politicians who sink to low techniques in order to win in “The 2004 Campaign.”

Martin Harris draws connections between the Protestant faith, our republican approach to government, and Baron de Montesquieu, in “Protestant Citizen.”

Bryce Christensen counts many factors that have weakened marriage over the last four decades in “Why Homosexuals Want What Marriage Has Now Become.”    

In “A Win for Property Rights” John D’Aloia Jr. writes about a case involving eminent domain. A previous injustice had been overruled, and the original intent of the writers of the Constitution was the basis of the decision.

In “The New Barbarians” Anthony Harrigan compares the hordes of the dark ages to the Islamic extremists of today. He comments on the public’s resistance to see the current struggle in such stark terms. He also considers the actions of the media to be questionable, bordering on aiding and abetting the enemy.

In “Useful Idiots: Then and Now” Mona Charen compares the conduct of the left during the Cold War with their behavior today. Using quotes from liberal commentators, she shows that in both case the left has harsh words for those defending the nation and sympathy for the other side. 

Irving Louis Horowitz reviews President Bush’s policy towards the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and finds much that is positive in “American Resolve and Israeli Legitimacy.”