The End of the World as We Know It

Stirling

I've been reading a good book lately and thought I would share it with you guys. The author is Mark Steyn and its called America Alone - The End of the World as We Know It.

I don't know how well known Steyn is in other parts of the world (though I hear he is on FOXNews in the USA quite a bit and I'm pretty sure he's in a UK paper - The Telegraph?) but here in Canada he writes in a weekly newsmagazine called The Western Standard. He is without a doubt the most insightful and at the same time most humourous columnist I've come across.

Basically the thesis of his book is that demography is 90% of life. What that means is that the future belongs to those who are reproducing, and that is not the West, with the exception of the USA.

Birth rates in Europe and Canada are well below replacement level. Some countries (Greece, Spain, Portugal) are at levels from which a society has never recovered (1.3 children per couple).

On the other hand, the countries with the top 5 birth rates are all Muslim. Likewise, the most common name for a newborn male in the Netherlands and a couple other European countries is - get this- Mohammed.

You can see where this is going.

Has anyone else read America Alone?

I'll report back as I read more...
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Stirling

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Stirling · Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 10:35 pm Post subject:

Some more disconcerting thoughts juxtapositioned with pithy writing by Mr. Steyn tonight.

Steyn outlines how progressives in the West hope to 'reform' Islam, but don't realize that the reform may already have taken place; radicalized, jihadist, Wahhabism IS the reform.

Likewise, progressives hope to 'Westernize' Islam, but perhaps this too has already taken place - they have adopted Western ideas about victimization and are making full use of the welfare system (most of the significant characters in bombings in recent years have been on the dole) as well as adopting the lingo used by feminist and homosexual rights activists. As far as Western ideas around tolerance, peace, co-existence, freedom etc. Mr. Steyn doesn't see these catching on quite as much.

Finally the author explores the existence of 'moderate Muslims' and sums up his view like this: there may be moderate Muslims, but there is no such thing as moderate Islam. While some may be moderate in practise, they don't have the theology to back it up.

Where I live its all Catholics and Protestants so its pretty hard to judge. That reminds me of the old joke: Ireland, a country of 5 million Catholics and 1 million Protestants. And not a Christian among them.
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Stirling

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Bob Johnson · Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 5:16 pm Post subject:

Normally I keep this hidden on most forums. I've read and enjoyed Mr. Styn. The hiding though is I'm part Canadian and grew up (debatable) in Vancouver.

Stirling · Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 8:52 pm Post subject:

You've probably heard then that Mark Steyn is in trouble with provincial 'Human Rights' Tribunals:
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/media/story/2007/12/05/muslim-macleans.html

Somehow I don't think he's losing any sleep over it.
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Stirling

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Bob Johnson · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 12:20 pm Post subject:

No he's not losing sleep. But those tribunals are a slippery slope in the wrong direction! Trudeau and Chretien, did the most damage in their lengthy terms as friendly dictators! Would have been nice to grow up in the days, when being a British Common Wealth was something to be proud of. If Britain had warmth, of say Las Vegas; I'd live in London in a heart beat.