The following is a summary of the December/January 2015/6 issue of The St. Croix Review:

In "The West and Islam," Mark E. Mishanie remarks on the nature of Islamic ideology and Michael S. Swisher responds.

Don Lee, in "I Will Discriminate," distinguishes between politically correct notions and common sense judgment.

Thomas Martin, in "Who is in Charge Here?" offers Platonic wisdom.

Paul Kengor in , "Paris, Brussels, and Twenty-first Century Europe," sees post-Christian Europe as extremely vulnerable to Islamic conversion; in "Cherry-Picking Pope Francis," he makes the point the Pope is neither liberal nor conservative, but he is a dedicated proponent of the traditional family; in "Pope Francis vs. the 'Demon' of Gender Theory," he shows the Pope's passionate reinforcement of traditional views on gender; in "Surviving Hitler's 'Hell-Hole' . . . Remembering Frank Kravetz," he retells the story of how an airman kept his spirits up while he was a POW.

Mark Hendrickson, in "Feeling Good About America on a Chilly Autumn Evening," reminds us of the ties that bind us together; in "Thoughts on Jeb Bush's Tax Plan," he considers the pros and cons of the plan and looks beyond just the economic factors; in "Hillary Clinton's 'New College Compact' Raises an Important Question: Did She Ever Take Econ 101?" he sees layer upon layer of error; in "The 'Not Enough Jobs' Scenario: An Economic Fallacy," he contests the recurring arguments for more government interference by showing that economic freedom is the source of our prosperity.

Herbert London in, "The Iran Deal Is a Turning Point," he considers strategic consequences and ends with an intriguing question; in "Why Government Has Grown," he sees weakness in the mediating institutions that used to infuse vitality into society: the family, the schools, the churches, and the civil associations; in "Russian Attacks on U.S. Backed Rebels," he compares Russian goals and actions and President Obama's embarrassing ineffectiveness; in "Israel Defending Itself," he considers the perils Israel is facing due to President Obama's deal with Iran and Russia's aggressive posture in the region; in "Blindness in the Rationalist Tradition," he describes the mindset of President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry who refuse to recognize evil and who downplay the words "Death to America."

Allan C. Brownfeld, in "'White Privilege': Not a Term Generations of Hardworking Immigrants Would Understand," points to the difficulties Irish, Italian, and Jewish immigrants had upon their arrival in America, and he highlights the historical ethos of America - through hard work anyone can succeed; in "The Sin of Contemporaneity: Cleansing History by Applying Today's Standards to Our Ancestors," he cites the world-wide prevalence of slavery throughout history and at the Founding of America; in "Remembering a Time When Our Leaders Risked Their Lives and Fortunes for What They Believed," he compares the wisdom and courage of our Founders with the cravenness of modern politicians.

We have learned that John A. Howard, the former President of Rockford College and veteran of W.W. II, passed away this August at the age of ninety-three. John Howard was a long-time supporter of and a greatly appreciated author for The St. Croix Review. We are publishing "Some Reflections on Choosing a College," as tribute to him: he writes about the need to transmit the virtues necessary for self-governance to the young, and he explains how well our universities are doing (not well).

In "Obama's College 'Scorecard' Doesn't Measure Up," Paul J. McNulty, the current President of Grove City College, in Grove City Pennsylvania, shows how Grove City College is truly a school a cut above the rest.

Philip Vander Elst, in "Resisting Socialism in Early 20th Century Britain," shares the history of the Anti-Socialist Union, formed in 1908, as a pioneering organization promoting classical liberalism.

Alvin Shane, in "Political Outlaw," assesses Hillary Clinton's character.

Jo Ann Gardner, in "Reading Genesis from the Ground Up," presents a reading of the bible including the symbolic importance of shepherds.

Jigs Gardner, in "Letters from a Conservative Farmer: My Days as a Hedge Vet," tells delightful stories about a neighbor and caring for farm animals.

Jigs Gardner, in "The Scarlet Letter," considers Nathaniel Hawthorne's great novel.