time to lie back and think of england

robin grebson, London,

Western society does not only (re)produce people; uniquely, it produces advanced machines – machines of ever increasing intelligence. Truly intelligent machines are widely conceived as possible. What impact will they have on the world? This is an aspect of Western culture that, surely, also needs to be considered?

keith campbell, Johannesburg, South Africa

Despite the reviewer's obviously intended juxtaposition of "sane and serious" with "like a maniac" (the latter, one trusts, in the sense of "with focused dedication"), it's worth making clear that Steyn's writing is anything but maniacal or uncontrolled.

That Steyn is not a racist is a point that Mr Amis has got right, unlike some other British reviewers of this book, and that is a relief. But the humor was rarely, if ever, distasteful, at least on my palate.

The review was a little thin, though. Perhaps I just wanted more Amis.

Charlie Garlic, Brisbane, Australia

Paradoxically, it seems that the more space given to sex and sexuality in the media, the less reproduction takes place (Steyn/Amis cites Ireland, Finland, Denmark and Holland as the EU reproduction leaders).
The solution to the "culture" debacle would be to divorce Church and State in countries where this has not happened, e.g. Britain. Then adherents to any particular religion whatever their inclination will have to obey the law of the land.

Mike Parsley, Pizarra, Spain

Feminism, and sadly, the western liberal humanism that gave birth to it, contains within itself the seeds of its own destruction. Indeed, the culture of choice will inevitably give way to the culture of life. It is ironic that we treat the moral pronouncements and prescriptions of Feminists with all the reverance of an ancient mother godess fertility cult, and yet thanks to the womans right to choose (a carreer, an abortion) western civilisation will simply vanish through the death of fertility. In 200 years time, instead of the decaying culture we have now, Europe will again be a spiritual place, where the old are respected, where wisdom is venerated, and where individuals are people with obligations to each other instead of atomised pleasure seekers armed with a list of selfish 'rights'. The natural order will be resumed and the previous centuries of narcisstic feminism will appear as some kind of Shakespearean Tragedy as to the consequences of disturbing the balance of nature.

Gareth, Madrid,

I don't really understand. Are you saying that the book is wrong in what it says, or are your objections "stylistic," that the words are too crude? You seem to accept the truth of what he says but (1) resent that a "plebian" like Steyn is one to say it; (2) wish that someone more stylsh could be found to author a properly "intellectual" book on the subject or (3) stigmatize the message by associating it was Stalin. We face a global threat: "fundamentalist" or Salafist Islam. It teaches that Infidels can only be (1) converted, (2) "dhimmified"; or (3) killed. The West has faced this threat before. The last time it did not end until it reached the gates of Vienna. Islam launched piracy raids against Ireland as recently as the Fourteenth Century. Now, such piracy and hostage-taking has resumed, at least in Iran. Meanwhile, our "intellectuals," instead of trying to awaken us to the threat, lament that the unwashed are getting agitated. God help us.

Joseph MdNulty, Greensboro, NC, USA