Her attack on shrinks convinced us it was time to try therapy. So when, a few months back, she announced that men were deeply misunderstood, that everyone should stop being mean to them and give them a job and a sex life and a reason for living, there was clearly no alternative but to go over to the other side.
Shame about that. For a year or so, I had been telling female friends that they should give men a second chance, that the new emotional incontinence might even turn out to be a positive thing. I had been in favour of educational discrimination to give boys a chance against the new generation of heartless, noisy, overconfident teenage girls. IT’S A fairly reliable rule of intellectual life that once you find yourself occupying the same hillock of moral high ground as Fay Weldon, it’s time to move on.

Sir: I disagree profoundly with your editorial on global warming (“Stop talking about the weather – do something about it”, 15 August)?

Although Washington didn’t suffer a downpour immediately after Mr Gore had stopped speaking, Americans were all too well aware that the Vice- President had previously declared the month of June to be the hottest on record. We now know that, despite the Texan heatwave, most of America was some 2 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than on average in June, including the capital city.
Climate always changes, and it will continue to change whatever we do to greenhouse gases. How is it that these changes, which are so startlingly visible, are not noticed or referred to?
Perhaps public appreciation of the true circumstances in Russia would be transformed if future changes in tax regulations brought the “grey” economy, which is where activity and growth are focused, into the compass of official statistics.Having established my company in Russia in 1992, I have found educated Russians to combine intellect and skill with an extraordinary capacity for hard work. With this kind of capital, and the many natural advantages of the country, the long-term prognosis for Russia should be one of great optimism.NICK MARISMaris MultimediaLondon E1.

Sir: The latest wash of financial speculation which has driven down the Russian stock market and overwhelmed the rouble has also given rise to a flood of stories about the state of Russia and the despair of its citizens. What is neglected is the real transformation of the economy, from a fictional construct of political theorising to one which is vigorous and fast growing. What sensible person would make a major decision on the advice of someone who has never made, and learnt from, life’s humbling mistakes?ROBIN E J CHATERSecretary GeneralFederation des Employeurs EuropeensGuildfordSurrey. Sir: Your report “Ministers outlaw age limits on jobs” (14 August) omitted all reference to the prospect of European legislation in this sphere. The Amsterdam treaty contains a clause which will provide a legal basis for future EU directives prohibiting ageism.
It is quite clear that the European Commission intends to draw up draft legislation during the next two years.Evidence from the United States is mixed, but the federal age discrimination law appears to present few problems in practice.Companies who want to discard people with the most experience can, in fact, be expected to perform less well than those who are hoodwinked by the got-the-degree-where’s-the-BMW types in their 20s. To that I add pounds 25 for the organist and that’s it! Considering the work that goes into preparing for and conducting weddings, I consider that fee (none of which comes to me personally) to be quite reasonable.