Editor & Publisher of the St. Croix Review.
Our vision is to reawaken the genuine American spirit of living in a good, great, and growing nation of freeborn individuals.
Our mission is to uphold American liberty, prosperity, constitutional law, and humble government.
You Will Be Missed, Rush Limbaugh
Barry MacDonald — Editorial
I remember the first moment I heard Rush Limbaugh. I had returned to America in 1996, 25 years ago, after having lived in Japan and taught English there for nine years. I was driving around the Stillwater, Minnesota, area, trying to obtain job printing to supplement my income from The St. Croix Review. I had a habit of switching through the AM stations looking for the music I liked. I was arriving back at our combination office and printshop when I heard Rush’s voice. I stayed in the garage for 10 minutes with the engine off and the radio on because I was captivated.
Rush was confident, wickedly funny, and he was an America-loving patriot — this much was clear from the first moments that I heard him. I was reacquainting myself with America after a long absence, and Rush had a colossal impact on me. He was impetuously brash and courageous. He was like a stand-up comic, with expert political insight. If you were a nationally recognized, nasty, and crooked politician, Rush Limbaugh was a fearsome menace.
Rush had a penetrating intellect and a humane and compassionate heart. This is an aspect of his personality that people who never heard him — and who judge him, based solely on the disparaging opinions of his political opponents — will not understand. Rush would often ask his new listeners to wait for three to six weeks before judging him, especially if they held contrary political views. It would take time for some people to comprehend him and to come around to his way of thinking. Over my 25 years of listening to his program, I can testify that Rush had tremendous success in converting people to the Conservative cause, because I heard them say so repeatedly on air.
I didn’t need six weeks to understand Rush — I loved him immediately.
During the days following his death on February 17, 2021, the guest hosts on The Rush Limbaugh Show played many segments of Rush speaking on-air. A few days ago, while I was driving about the Stillwater area and conducting my business, I heard Rush say again what I had originally heard him say years ago: That people may forget the exact words that a prominent person said to them, but they will always remember how that important person made them feel.
My experience of living through the political drama of the Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama presidencies proves Rush’s statement. There were so many events involving an almost incomprehensible amount of contradictory detail that happened over the years. I read the news reports, editorials, and essays, and watched the broadcast news as I was diligently processing articles and writing for The St. Croix Review. And I listened to Rush Limbaugh. There were so many scandals with complicated and conflicting narratives, with the facts slowly coming to light. There were so many pivotal turning points of American history: President Clinton’s re-election: the Clinton-Gingrich duel; the Lewinsky scandal and Clinton’s impeachment; the first attack on the World Trade Center; the contested Bush election, with hanging chads in Florida; the 9/11 attacks; the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq; . . . you get the point.
Of all the news sources I have consumed to gauge the direction of American politics, touching on the motivations, techniques, and the personalities of national politicians, Rush Limbaugh has proven to be an outstanding and invaluable source of insight and analysis. From my perspective, Rush’s opinions were consistently validated by the outcomes of events over 25 years.
Rush Limbaugh shared vital attributes with Ronald Reagan, whom Rush nicknamed in admiration, “Ronaldus Magnus.” Both men were starkly different from the other public figures of their times. Both were optimistic and depended upon their faith in God. Reagan perceived Soviet weakness while the experts of both parties were intimated by Soviet propaganda, ideology, and missiles. Reagan based his policies upon the ingenuity and reliability of the American citizen and worker, and he believed in the underlying strength of the free American economy. And Reagan was right — the economy revived and prospered under his governance, and the Soviet Union dissolved soon after Reagan’s presidency.
Likewise, Rush Limbaugh extolled the ingenuity, independence, and entrepreneurial spirit of the American people. His entire radio career was a crusade dedicated towards the freeing of the American people from the arrogant, dispiriting, disparaging, and burdensome meddling of corrupt government. Rush was a solutions-oriented guy. He wanted the American worker to be left alone, so that the worker’s native talent and intelligence could be unleashed for his own and his family’s benefit. He didn’t suppose that Americans were better than people of other nations, but he did believe that Americans were gifted with a rich legacy by our enlightened Founders and our unique Founding documents. Americans are born into a nation that cherishes individual liberty — it was Rush’s mission on Earth to preserve American liberty and prosperity.
Like Ronald Reagan, Rush never tired of celebrating the Founders, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the American people, American history, the American dream, American generosity to the nations of the world in tragic times, the rule of law, justice, free enterprise, and the American military. Both men were unapologetically patriotic. Both saw America as an exceptional one-of-a-kind nation. To them America was a good and a just nation. They thought that American history should be celebrated and truthfully taught in American schools.
How did Rush make me feel? He made me feel proud and lucky to be American. Rush instilled enthusiasm and energy in me. He motivated me to watch the events and the contest of American politics carefully. He guided my understanding and deepened my perspectives. I placed my faith in God, like he did. I have come to distrust and have aversion for the endless barrage of accusations directed against innocent good-hearted Americans by the Left. Rush Limbaugh helped me to understand the deceitful ploys of Leftist politicians, media, and Hollywood stars.
I believe conservative intellectuals make a great mistake when they assume that they can inspire and direct a movement strong enough to counter Leftist propaganda and the Leftist agenda solely by making superior intellectual arguments. Our spokespeople must establish a heartfelt connection with the American people. Our conservative leaders must be living examples of courage, intelligence, enterprise, and patriotism, as Rush Limbaugh was. Compare Rush Limbaugh with the condescending personage of George Will.
Americans listened to Rush Limbaugh while they were driving in cars, working in shops, loitering in garages, gathering in restaurants, sitting in specially arranged “Rush Rooms,” or serving in the military and stationed overseas. Rush Limbaugh’s message reverberated at the grassroots of American culture, with an impact that the likes of George Will can never dream of equaling. Rush could persuade blue-collar workers to become Republican voters.
Rush had a tremendous impact on the course of American history. Newt Gingrich doubts that the Republican party could have won the House majority in 1994, for the first time in 40 years, without Rush’s influence. At the end of his 33 years on air promoting American liberty and prosperity, he was affiliated with 650 radio stations nationwide. He pioneered and paved the way for the entire Talk Radio industry — which is a working-man’s conservative movement. Talk Radio is a medium of communication that conservative intellectuals would do well to appreciate, respect, and promote. I don’t believe the conservative movement can succeed without Talk Radio.
One of the greatest accomplishments of his life’s work is that Rush inspired a multitude of talented imitators to carry on his mission: Dennis Prager, Buck Sexton, Todd Herman, and Mark Steyn are good examples — there are many more.
I listened to Rush Limbaugh for many years while I was operating a printing press. The mission and vision statements above the title of this editorial were inspired by Rush Limbaugh and Ronald Reagan. Rush Limbaugh will be remembered — and greatly missed. *
The following is a summary of the April/May issue of the St. Croix Review:
Barry MacDonald, in “You Will Be Missed, Rush Limbaugh,” on the occasion of Rush Limbaugh’s death, describes the radio personality’s lasting impact on American culture.
Paul Kengor, in “Death of a Defector: Ion Mihai Pacepa, R.I.P.” reveals many Cold War secrets, along with the astounding successes of a determined Soviet disinformation campaign to divide and weaken the West; in “Warping the Credit for Trump’s Operation Warp Speed,” he gives deserved credit to President Donald Trump for the production of a vaccine for COVID-19 in record time; in “Pagans for Biden,” he forcefully refutes The New York Times, and breaks down how religious affiliation played out in the 2020 election.
Allan Brownfeld, in “The Assault on Teaching the Classics: Identity Politics Replaces a Color-Blind Society,” he makes the case that such prominent blacks as Martin Luther King and W.E.B. Du Bois would consider today’s “identity politics” to be an anti-intellectual form of racism; in “Changing the Names of 44 San Francisco Schools: An Assault on American History,” he offers rebuttals from historians to the hasty actions of the San Francisco Board of Education; in “Attack on the Capitol: What Would the Founding Fathers Think?” he quotes the words of our Founders, reflecting their opinions of the difficulties of government and of freedom.
Mark Hendrickson, in “Wall Street Outsiders Versus Hedge Funds,” explains the esoteric Wall Street games of “short squeezes” and “short selling” with an incident in January when the big-boy hedge funds got caught flatfooted; in “The Problematical COVID-19 Relief Legislation,” he details the outrageous overspending of the Washington, D.C., mindset.
John A. Sparks, in “On the Impeachment and Conviction of President Trump,” looks at the case against the former president and finds it lacking in merit.
Timothy S. Goeglein, in “Why Oval Office Art Matters,” informs us of President Biden’s choices of portraits — and their implications.
Ronald Everett, in “Family Memories,” describes the harsh conditions his relatives endured living under the tyranny of East German Communism.
Matthew B. Wills, in “General T. J. Jackson — Better Known as “Stonewall,” describes a great Confederate general of the Civil War.
T. David Gordon, in “Why ‘No Justice, No Peace’ Is an Unjust Slogan,” reveals what separates Marxist movements, like “Black Lives Matter” from other, more humane systems of governance and justice: violence has been from its origins, and is today, an essential component of Marxism.
David L. Cawthon, in “Marx on Leadership: Necessity Abhors a Vacuum,” he outlines the governing ideas of one of history’s most pivotal philosophers.
Francis DeStefano, in “Marty,” reviews the “sleeper” hit-movie, “Marty,” that won the 1955 Academy Awards with four Oscars, fronting Ernest Borgnine as a second-generation Italian American looking for love in the Bronx; in “Betsy’s Wedding,” he reviews another movie concerning third- and fourth-generation Italian Americans as they grapple with pride and “mixed marriages,” class and generation conflicts, and a complicated mish mash of differing expectorations.
Thomas E. Wilson, in “The Life of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,” writes about the great American poet’s accomplishments and his sorrows.
Jigs Gardner, in “Letters from a Conservative Farmer — Significant Knowledge,” launches a forceful refutation against the ignorant and simplistic views of “green” environmentalism.
Jigs Gardner, in “Writers for Conservative, 86: Jane Austen,” reviews the interwoven family drama of Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen.
Our vision is to reawaken the genuine American spirit of living in a good, great, and growing nation of freeborn individuals.
Our mission is to uphold American liberty, prosperity, constitutional law, and humble government.
Holding Republicans Accountable
Barry MacDonald — Editorial
President Trump has been given too little credit for his tireless efforts in making the United States the good and great nation it is capable of being. He has been tarred by slanderous press coverage throughout his presidency. The Democratic Party and the bureaucracy of Washington, D.C., have been fanatically hostile from his inauguration day, mounting a years-long bogus investigation, founded on a fabricated Russian collusion narrative and a fanciful charge of abuse of power concerning Ukraine, which culminated in his impeachment.
Unfortunately, what has also become apparent during the Trump presidency is the timidity and reluctance of elected Republicans both in Washington, D.C., and throughout the country, to defend the rule of law, constitutional principles, and now voter integrity and fair elections.
It was a great disappointment during the first two years of President Trump’s term that the Republican leadership in the House and the Senate failed to repeal and replace The Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare. If the Republicans had dared to replace the bureaucratic monstrosity of health care in America, they might have been damaged politically in the short term. But once ordinary Americans would have experienced a more market-based and a patient-centered approach, the Republican Party could have earned the long-lasting respect of the American people. And the Republican Party, its officeholders as well as its loyal voters, could have relished what it feels like to be doing beneficial, worthwhile, and morale-boosting work for the good of all Americans.
There were many votes for show when Republicans controlled the Senate during the Obama presidency with Mitch McConnell leading and with John McCain supporting. Republican senators made a great pretense of opposing The Affordable Care Act. But when Mitch McConnell and John McCain had a president, Donald Trump, who had the courage to take upon himself the full weight of the maniacal vitriol of the opposition, Senators Mitch McConnell and John McCain chose to do nothing — the senators enforced the bureaucratic status quo, they demoralized their own voters, and, subsequently, the Republicans lost their majority in the House in the midterm elections.
A pattern that was apparent before President Trump won the presidency has become starkly obvious now. Too many elected Republicans in Washington, D.C., are steadfastly unwilling to oppose and stop the pay-for-play corruption of powerful government officials. The Clinton Global Initiative and the Clinton Foundation were used as vehicles to enrich Hillary and Bill Clinton and their cronies — this is old news. But last year the self-serving and questionable dealings between Joe Biden, his son Hunter Biden, and the governments of Ukraine and China came to light. To prove the allegations of corruption against the Clintons and the Bidens, we needed a Republican Party with the willingness and fortitude to launch and complete investigations. Unfortunately, Republicans and Republican officials at the Justice Department and the F.B.I. were unwilling to uphold transparency, integrity, honesty, and the rule of law in the conduct of public service.
One must ask the question: Why are elected Republicans incapable of defending the compendium of their professed principles? Are they hoping to share in the largess of the tax-collected wealth that accurses to Washington, D.C.? Are they co-opted and corrupted by the allure and arrogance of power? Or are they simply overwhelmed and intimidated?
It is clear now that too many elected Republicans are turning a blind eye toward mendacious government — we don’t know why.
The Navarro Report, “The Immaculate Deception: Six Key Dimensions of Election Irregularities,” makes shocking allegations about the presidential election that resulted in Joe Biden’s “supposed” victory:
Americans who yearn for honesty, transparency, and beneficence in government are in difficult circumstances these days. The St. Croix Review will continue to publish essays that uphold the ideals of honesty, decency, and Constitutional principles.
For the welfare of the future of America, faithful Americans and Trump supporters must take upon themselves the arduous task of finding officeholders worthy of election. *
The following is a summary of the February/March issue of the St. Croix Review:
Barry MacDonald, in “Holding Republicans Accountable,” questions the fortitude and willingness of elected Republicans and Republican officeholders to uphold their professed principles.
Allan Brownfeld, in “Christmas Comes Just When We Need It,” comments on two great British expositors of Christian ethics, G. K. Chesterton and C. S. Lewis; in Remembering Walter Williams: A Crusader for Individual Freedom and a Color-Blind American Society,” he memorializes a trail-blazing black author and teacher; in “The Strange Case of Jonathan Pollard: Parole Ends for a Spy for Israel Who Was Surprisingly Supported by Many Americans,” he makes the case that Pollard should be viewed as a spy and not a hero.
Paul Kengor, in “George S. Patton and Christmas 1945,” reviews a recent book and movie about the great American General and he looks into his iconic status and the odd and mysterious circumstances of his death.
Gary Scott Smith, in “I Like Ike,” considers the influence of one of America’s most religiously motivated Presidents — Dwight Eisenhower.
Earl Tilford, in “Looking Back at a Year and Past Christmases — and Toward a Better 2021,” points toward optimism even in the midst of difficult circumstances.
Caleb Fuller, in “The ‘E’ Stands for ‘Excellence’: Remembering Walter E. Williams,” memorializes the life of an incisive economics professor who was also a humorous, down-to-earth, equal rights crusading, and, most of all, decent human being.
Paul Suszko, in “Conservatism: What Then Shall We Conserve?” answers by referring to the profound wisdom of the ages, and in consideration of our current controversies.
Philip Vander Elst, in “C. S. Lewis: Political and Cultural Conservative,” illuminates the Christian thinking of a 20th century British literary giant.
Robert L. Wichterman, in “Memories of the Fun Years in Small-Town America,” penned a memoir about growing up during the Depression and World War II.
Jerry Hopkins, in “What Do We Need?” writes about taxation, limited government, and the seen and unseen.
Francis DeStefano in “Sully” reviews a movie, directed by Clint Eastwood, about the forced landing of US Airways flight 1549 in the Hudson River by New York City on January 15, 2009; in “LaLa Land,” he reviews a love story about a man who dreams of operating a jazz nightclub and exhibiting his talent as a jazz piano virtuoso, and an actress who dreams of being a leading lady in movies.
Jigs and Jo Ann Gardner, in “Letters from a Conservative Farmer — In Memory of Jesse Jenkins Gardner, 1956-2020,” memorialize the life of their son.
Jigs Gardner, in “Writers for Conservatives, 85: An Important Book on Abraham Lincoln,” he reviews Lincoln’s Rise to the Presidency, by William C. Harris (2007).
Our vision is to reawaken the genuine American spirit of living in a good, great, and growing nation of freeborn individuals.
Our mission is to uphold American liberty, prosperity, constitutional law, and humble government.
America Is at a Turning Point
Barry MacDonald — Editorial
At the time of this writing, after a spiteful election season, the outcome of the 2020 presidential election is being disputed. President Trump is contesting the result. President Trump should be granted the opportunity to make his case in an unhindered fashion before the entirety of the American people.
President Trump must be permitted to challenge the results of the election. The American people need to rely on the accuracy of the election; otherwise, a large percentage of Americans will lose trust and faith in the honesty of future elections — the legitimacy of government is at stake.
If Joe Biden and Kamala Harris prevail, and the Democrats gain control of the presidency, the bureaucracy, the House of Representatives, and especially of the Senate, then we may expect an onslaught of hard-left, socialistic, governing policy the likes of which America has never experienced. American conservatives may be facing difficult days ahead.
Regardless of which direction the nation takes, the editorial posture of The St. Croix Review remains steadfast. Our authors write for good-hearted Americans who seek a balanced perspective of America’s best qualities, along with a clear-eyed presentation of America’s real challenges.
We believe America has exemplary and humane ideals, and exceptional principles of law and governance. We cherish our freedoms of speech, belief, religion, association, commerce, contracts, and livelihoods. We uphold visions of fairness, of decency, of justice, and of law. We defend our right to face our accusers in open court and we are willing to abide the decisions of the juries of our peers. Our self-reliance and independence from the coercive force of government is supremely important to us.
We reject and repudiate the attempts of leftists to impose a sense of collective guilt upon us for America’s Founding and settling. American history is an inexhaustible source of inspiration, discovery, achievement, excellence, and heroism. Our children should be taught the genuine history of the American people.
America has always beckoned to the nations of the earth as a light of liberty amidst a world history that is typified as a chronicle of tyranny. America has demonstrated how to create liberty and prosperity. Our Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights serve as a shield protecting the American people from the arrogant and aggressive agents of a ruthlessly self-interested governing class.
If our Constitutional protections are overcome, an ascendant leftist governing class and its partners — bureaucrats, crony corporations, big tech giants, mainstream media, Hollywood entertainers — would subject the working and middle classes of America to a relentless campaign of disinformation, mal-education, and crushing taxation and regulation.
Our continuing prosperity depends upon the maintenance of our liberties as established by our Constitutional framework. The American dream appears as a vision of opportunity, enticing the vigorous and the enterprising to create for themselves, through the virtue of their own labor, a home, a garden, a farm, a livelihood, a fellowship, a neighborhood, and a community out of chaos.
American liberty preceded American prosperity. A broad-based and sustainable American prosperity will not long survive the subjection of American liberty.
American liberty is a fragile and precious experiment. American liberty is fragile because its precious quality is not recognized and not given the preeminence it deserves in our educational system. Politicians are constantly tempting the American people to relinquish their freedoms and opportunities in exchange for fraudulent promises and visions that are impossible to fulfill without impoverishing the nation.
The St. Croix Review is dedicated to preserving and honoring the prerequisites of American liberty. Some of these prerequisites are included in the following:
The St. Croix Review is on the verge of entering its 54th year of publication! We have no intention of compromising our principles. *
The following is a summary of the 2020 December/January issue of The St. Croix Review:
Barry MacDonald, in “America Is at a Turning Point,” restates the continuing editorial principles of The St. Croix Review.
Paul Kengor, in “Pennsylvania Bombshell: Biden 99.4 Percent V. Trump 0.6 Percent,” documents overwhelming and ghastly evidence of voter fraud in the presidential election; in “Fifty Years Ago Solzhenitsyn Received the Nobel Prize for Reminding Us of a Forgotten God,” he demonstrates how an all-powerful state is jealous of power and conducts war against religious institutions.
Matthew B. Wills, in “Robert E. Lee, Virginian,” provides insight into a decent, a principled, and an exceptionally able general of the Civil War who was forced to make agonizing decisions during a period of American history that was fraught with complexities.
Michael S. Swisher, in “What Do Conservatives Wish to Conserve?” offers comprehensive and historical answers.
William Bonner, in “Relating to the Pilgrims after 400 years,” presents the transcendent meaning of “Thanks Giving.”
Allan Brownfeld, in “Rediscovering American Uniqueness at Thanksgiving: Celebrating the 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower Compact,” celebrates American immigration and heritage as the land of opportunity and liberty; in “Democratic Societies Are Fragile — They Can Break,” he warns against the constant danger of would-be-tyrants who hide among our people; in “Moving Toward a Color-Blind Society,” he shows how much progress has been made, warns against cancel culture, and believes there is more to do to overcome racism in America.
Mark Hendrickson, in “More Mischief About Income Inequality,” exposes the underlying fallacies of those who decry income inequality in America, and he explains the virtues of a market economy; in “Why Fracking Is a Big Issue,” he explains the humane, geopolitical, health, environmental, and economic reasons why developing natural gas is important.
John A. Sparks, in “Court Packing — Destabilizing and Unnecessary,” provides a history and an assessment of the qualities of the Supreme Court, and explains why he thinks increasing the number of justices on the court is a bad idea.
Earl Tilford, in “History and War: A Veterans Day Reflection,” writes about living for 40 years in both Sparta and Athens.
Thomas E. Wilson, in “Legacy of Lies,” reviews a novel written by Henry G. Gole about the waning days of the war in Vietnam. Henry Gole served two combat tours in Vietnam as a commander in the Special Forces.
Tim Goeglein and Craig Osten, in “Restoring Virtue in America,” name four virtues that promote the healthy cohesion of society.
Al Shane, in “The Way I See the Swamp,” decries the nastiness as well as the phony and scurrilous charges that President Trump, his family, and his associates endured during the entire length of his presidency.
Francis DeStefano, in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” reviews a classic film that critics dismiss as “sentimental,” and he provides details of the life of the legendary and pioneering Hollywood film director Frank Capra; in “The Third Man,” he reviews a film regarded as one of the greatest films of all time, starring with “a great writer, a great director, a magnificent cast, a great setting, innovative black and white cinematography, and a wonderful music score.”
Jigs Gardner, in “Letters from a Conservative Farmer — The Old Red Mill,” writes about the joys of cider pressing, boiled cider, and boiled Cider Pie.
Jigs Gardner, in “Writers for Conservatives, 84: Thomas Sowell’s Personal Odyssey,” writes that “Thomas Sowell has gone his own way, uncompromising, making a place for himself as a brilliant thinker and writer.”
Our vision is to reawaken the genuine American spirit of living in a good, great, and growing nation of free-born individuals.
Our mission is to uphold American liberty, prosperity, constitutional law, and humble government.
American Ingenuity
Barry MacDonald — Editorial
The St. Croix Review and its readership are a fellowship of people who believe that America is the home of free-born people. We want a good education for ourselves and for our children and grandchildren. We want to choose professions that suit our abilities and our independence. We look forward to bettering our economic circumstances through the unhindered application of our talents and energy. We believe it is our birthright to live in a location and to associate with the people of our choosing. We expect that as long as America remains America we, with our families, will be able to worship God as we are called to worship God — without interference from the government.
The St. Croix Review and its readership cherish religious faith. We believe in ordered liberty with the prescription that we conform our conduct to a moral code that gives meaning and dignity to our lives. Material prosperity is not an end unto itself, but instead leads the way to freedom from poverty and despair. Raising a family; nurturing and educating our children; engaging in civic institutions; attending a church — these are the durable satisfactions of our lives. Our relationships are based on love, compassion, empathy, tolerance, mutual aid, and shared strength.
One of America’s great strengths is to have a numerically large, adaptable, intelligent, and energetic middle class. Small businesses throughout America have created the ferment and cross-pollination responsible for our prosperity. Individual Americans who live anonymously and far from the limelight of celebrity are tending to their own shops and acquiring the technical sophistication necessary for success. They are hiring and training competent employees. They are creating the goods and services that their fellow Americans desire — these individual Americans are the heroic engines of American prosperity! American wealth arises from the unfettered ability of free Americans who exercise their God-given talents to the furthest extent possible.
American ingenuity and optimism and genius arise as often as not from the ranks of the middle classes and from people who come from humble and disadvantaged circumstances: Oprah Winfrey is an entertainment star; Steve Jobs founded Apple Corporation; Larry Ellison founded Oracle Corporation; Michael Dell founded Dell Incorporated; Michael Bloomberg is a billionaire businessman; Thomas Boone Pickens, Jr. is the chairman of BP Capital Management. All of these people arose from humble circumstances in America.
America is a good and great nation. When we are able to apply our unhindered talents to our own self-interests, the nation, as a whole, benefits. Our American freedoms have propelled our prosperity. Our religious faiths have enabled us grow into good-hearted, strong, moral people. The exercise of our liberties and our faiths have prompted the fortitude and the energy necessary to achieve great accomplishments. What kind of world would we be living in today if America’s ingenuity and determination hadn’t been marshalled and directed against the fascist forces of World War II and the Communist menace of the U.S.S.R?
It is the mission of The St. Croix Review to defend the American liberties that were gifted to us at the birth of our nation. The charter of our American liberties are the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Amendments to the Constitution. Americans enjoy a unique foundation compared with the nations of the world: Our nation was designed to protect the individual citizen from the despotism and tyranny of a too-powerful government. *
The following is a summary of the October/November issue of The St. Croix Review:
Barry MacDonald, in “American Ingenuity,” asserts that our freedoms have propelled our prosperity, our religious faith has made us a good-hearted people, and the exercise of our liberties and faiths have prompted the fortitude and the energy necessary to achieve great accomplishments.
Allan Brownfeld, in “The New York Times 1619 Project: Revisionist History That Doesn’t Belong in Our Schools,” points out that the latest assault launched upon the character of the United States unjustly reduces the complex issue of slavery into a “blinding moral certainty”; in “The Dangerous Assault on Free and Open Discussion and Debate,” he reproves leftist intolerance occurring on campus, in newsrooms, and in society; in “We Need Police Reform — Not Defunding or Abolition of the Police,” he points to polling evidence that shows a majority of black Americans would like to see more, not fewer, police on the street; and he asserts that fewer police officers results in increased levels of crime.
Paul Kengor, in “Why Not Cancel Karl Marx?” reveals that the leftist icon was a seething racist and anti-Semite; in “Marx on Christianity, Judaism, and Evolution/Race,” he debunks the association of socialism and Marxism with Christianity, and he describes Marxism as atheistic, materialist, and Darwinian at its core; in “Remembering and Teaching 9/11/01,” he expresses his surprise and sadness that the students he encounters in class appear uninformed about Osama Bin Laden and the terrorist attack on 9/11; in “Tear All the Statues Down?” he has a simple visceral proposition for those who want to destroy monuments.
Mark Hendrickson, in “The Paradox of Prosperity,” laments and explains why capitalism has often been misunderstood and villainized compared with socialism since capitalism’s inception in the late 18th century; in “Jimmy Lai, Billionaire Freedom Fighter,” he tells the story of a rags-to-riches young man who fled Communist China for Hong Kong, where he rose from factory worker to be the owner of a factory, and to be the founder of a pro-democracy newspaper in Hong Kong, the Apple Daily; in “The Problem with Inheritance Taxes,” he exposes the inherent we-know-best arrogance behind any scheme to leverage government confiscation to enact socially engineered goals; in “Self-Exposure: The Left in Their Own Words (and Deeds) he exposes public figures by republishing their ugly and vicious words.
Earl H. Tilford, in “Antifa: A History Lesson from the German Street,” compares some similarities between Antifa and the Nazi SS; in “September 11: Nineteen Years On, A Remembrance,” he recalls the events of 9/11/2001 and on the day that followed on the campus of Grove City College; in “Confessions of a Draft Dodger,” he explains how he avoided the draft during the Vietnam war by volunteering to serve in an Air Force intelligence unit in Thailand that oversaw the top-secret air war in Laos.
Philip Vander Elst, in “C. S. Lewis: Political and Cultural Conservative,” illuminates the Christian thinking of a 20th century British literary gaint.
Jerry Hopkins, in “Corrupting Others,” uses Socrates and Plato to bring the genuine relationship between our society and government into focus.
Tim Goeglein and Craig Osten, in “Restoring Virtue in America,” name four virtues that promote the healthy cohesion of society.
David L. Cawthon, in “Rousseau on Leadership: Guiding the Wills of Men,” delineates the philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
William Adair Bonner, in “Constitution and Citizenship Day,” takes the occasion of a national holiday to present how the charter of our liberties, the Constitution, is under assault today.
Francis DeStefano, in “Pinocchio,” reviews Roberto Benigni’s 2002 film — dismissed out of hand by American critics — and finds magical qualities within it; in “The Leopard,” he reviews Luchino Visconti’s 1963 masterpiece, starring Burt Lancaster, involving the civil 19th century turmoil for unification in Italy, called the “Risorgimento.”
Jigs Gardner, in “Letters from a Conservative Farmer — COVID-19 Comes to the Countryside: A Hoax?” he shares the experience of the virus at the local county nursing home, and he addresses whether he thinks the virus is a hoax.
Jigs Gardner, in “Writers for Conservatives, 83: Science Under Siege,” reviews Michael Fumento’s book, Science Under Siege, that debunks climate alarmism perpetrated by the Left.
Our vision is to reawaken the genuine American spirit of living in a good, great, and growing nation of free-born individuals.
Our mission is to uphold American liberty, prosperity, constitutional law, and humble government.
America Needs the Police,
America Needs Leaders
Barry MacDonald, Editorial
Amidst the ongoing contagion and resurgence of COVID-19 infections, there has been a cascade of terrible news in America. The tragic and unjustifiable death of George Floyd triggered an awful series of events. The manner in which George Floyd died was horrible, and he certainly didn’t deserve the treatment he received. America grieves for him and for his family.
Since George Floyd’s death on May 25, chaos has been unleashed across America, and we have witnessed widespread violence. The mayhem has been spiraling out of control and into madness that is transforming the nation. The initial impetus was a protest of police brutality, but within days riots and lootings arose in Minneapolis and have spread to other major metropolitan areas. A conflagration of rage has been set loose that has become entirely untethered to the memory of George Floyd.
Jacob Frey, the mayor of Minneapolis, made a catastrophic display of weakness in the face of rioters when he ordered the Minneapolis police to abandon the third precinct, which was subsequently burned to the ground. Mayor Frey signaled that there would be no response to mob violence.
Also, at a moment of culminating crisis, Bill De Blasio, the mayor of New York City, made a needlessly inflammatory statement that was broadcast nationwide. De Blasio said: “George Floyd was killed because he was black” — thus De Blasio exacerbated an already volatile situation. De Blasio’s words poured gasoline on a fire.
In Minneapolis, peaceful protests during the day were followed in the evening by the actions of a more determined sort of people who intended wanton destruction. Rioters burned and looted local businesses and restaurants, the very businesses that local people depended on for services. After several days of dithering confusion, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz finally deployed the National Guard to disperse the mob with a show of force and with tear gas. However, a conflagration had been sparked by the governor’s waffling: his vacillation did not appease the mob, but instead only indulged and encouraged the mob.
What has followed has been a month of copycat riots erupting across America, in New York City, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, and in many other cities. More than 300 hundred police officers were injured in two weeks of riots in New York City. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor De Blasio responded with confusion and indecision, as neither the governor nor mayor were moved to deploy the National Guard, even though it was apparent that the police were outnumbered and incapable of quelling the mob using only the limited techniques they were allowed to use. The New York City Police Department is reputed to be one of the best in the U.S., and perhaps the police could have controlled the streets, but under the mayor’s orders they were not allowed to exert the full measure of force they are capable of.
Also under the “no bail” policy in effect in New York, many of the rioters were released back onto the streets almost as soon as they were arrested — which must infuriate and dispirit both the police and law-abiding citizens.
There has been a long history of animus between Mayor De Blasio and the New York City police, whom the mayor has repeatedly branded as racist. Taking advantage of the intense anti-police emotion of protestors and rioters, Mayor De Blasio and the New York City Council decided to defund the police by $1 billion a year, redistributing the money to other social services. This gesture of appeasement did not mollify the mob, as evidenced by the statements made by a gathering of agitators who are presently camping on the streets near City Hall, and who are calling themselves the “Occupy City Hall” protestors. The “City Hall” occupiers are complaining that the $1 billion funding cut is not enough.
This summer, all across America we are seeing repeated standoffs between the police and rioters. Lines of police are standing in riot gear — in the summer heat — composedly and bravely absorbing the vilest verbal abuse that the mob can hurl at them. It is a sad and a frightening spectacle. The police en mass are living up to the highest of ethical standards. They are following orders and showing restraint. They are quiet and strong under seemingly unendurable pressure. They have the ability to quickly quell any disturbance, but they are following orders. They are absorbing abuse from a motley assortment of arrogant louts and criminals.
And hardly any elected officeholder in America is willing to support them or to praise their heroic efforts. The police seem to be on their own, with very few defenders. Is it any wonder that there’s a surge of retirements among them?
Seeing the police facing the mobs alone is frightening, because it seems that they are all that stands between civilized society and the mob. What would happen to America if the police were stretched to a breaking point, and they began to lose faith with their fellow citizens? What would happen if they began to walk off the job? What would we do if we couldn’t enlist enough young recruits to replace them?
With the exception of our bellicose and resilient President Donald Trump, few politicians are defending the rule of law, equality before the law, the presumption of innocence, the ideal of a colorblind society, the right to hold private property, and the right to the security and safety of one’s property and person. All of these precious American ideals are up for grabs in the coming election in November. If we want to preserve our constitutional republic, and if we believe we are endowed by our Creator with inalienable rights — the rights to life, to liberty, and to the pursuit of happiness — we have no choice but to dominate and defeat these mobs.
In their dithering confusion, what are Republican senators doing? They seem to be like Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey when he abandoned the third police precinct to the whims of the mob. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. But Senators Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) are concerned about the extra expense and the loss of productivity that comes with adding another federal holiday to the calendar. Senators Johnson and Lankford have proposed an amendment to the bill to eliminate Columbus Day and add Juneteenth. The senators believe that Columbus Day isn’t much celebrated anymore — so why not forget it?
Instead of defending hallowed American institutions, Republican senators are hoping to mollify the mob. *
The following is a summary of the August/September issue of The St. Croix Review:
Barry MacDonald, in “America Needs the Police, America Needs Leaders,” describes the cascade of terrible events that has followed the tragic death of George Floyd.
Michael S. Swisher, in “Animadversions,” looks at the devolution of American culture from old America, to the riots of the 1960s, and to the riots of today.
Mark Hendrickson, in “Cops, Protesters, and Weeding out Bad Apples,” offers American commonsense suggestions for reform for both the nation’s police departments and the organization of protests; in “Three Lessons from the Pandemic and the Lockdown,” he warns us of the malevolence of the Chinese Communist Party, the inevitable incompetence of big government, and the hostility of the Green movement toward economic prosperity; in “Why Has Three Percent Economic Growth Been So Elusive?” he believes that too many idle males of working age, accumulating debt taken on by individuals, businesses, and governments, and nonsensical government interventions are putting a long-lasting strain on the U.S. economy.
Allan Brownfeld, in “American History Is Complex: Its Critics Are Ignoring Its Extraordinary Achievements,” explains the glories that the Founders accomplished, and the dilemmas they faced; in “Slavery Was a Great Evil — But It Is Important to Get the History Right,” he reviews the world history of slavery; in “Police Reform Should Be A Compelling Issue for Both Conservatives and Liberals,” he considers the difficult issues involved in the dangerous profession of policing and makes suggestions on reform; in “Thomas Sowell at 90: A Prophet in His Own Time,” he celebrates Thomas Sowell’s insights into race relations, the immigrant experience, and the importance of individualistic effort in achieving success in America.
Paul Kengor, in “Burying Memorial Day 2020,” relates the sad forgoing of Memorial Day parades this year due to the Coronavirus; in “Astronauts, Riots, and Pandemics: 2020 vs. 1969,” he compares the heartbreak and turmoil of two similar years and point out events worthy of celebration.
Earl H. Tilford, in “Antifa: A History Lesson from the German Street,” compares some similarities between Antifa and the Nazi SS.
William Adair Bonner, in “Celebrating the 4th of July Weekend,” reviews the sacrifice of American Soldiers at Valley Forge and their long odds for success; and he also comments on the Marxist subversion of America’s schools and universities.
Don Lee, in “Why Is Leftism So Appealing? Why Do Leftists So Hate Conservatives?” suggests: Leftists want Easy Answers.
Philip Vander Elst, in “Two Prophetic 19th Century Anti-Socialist Satires,” presents imaginative an imaginative and a chillingly accurate depiction of what living under a socialistic system would be like.
Francis DeStefano, in “The Best Years of Our Lives,” reviews the film made in 1946 about three veterans returning home from World War II; in “Hidden Figures,” he reviews the 2016 film about the young, intelligent, and skilled black women who were vital at NASA in doing the calculations necessary for astronaut John Glenn’s first mission to succeed — he also shares some thoughts on the segregated schools of the ’50s and ’60s.
Jigs Gardner, in “Writers for Conservatives, 82: Lincoln’s Rise to the Presidency, by William C. Harris,” writes about Lincoln’s education, his “sketchy” jobs, his sociable personality and insight.
Jigs Gardner, in “Letters From a Conservative Farmer — A New Series,” writes about his childhood attraction to the countryside.