Sceptical Europhile
From Mr J.M. Dyson Sir: Presumably Peter Jones did not read Daniel Hannan's excellent article (`They don't know what they're talking about', 13 November) before writing last Week's Ancient and modern.
Peter Jones seems to take it for granted that William Hague's anxiety to protect the interests of British beef farmers against the illegal actions of the French can only be the result of ignorant xenophobia. He exhorts Hague to follow the example of Herodotus, and learn something about foreign cultures. He concludes with the vulgar and insulting remark: 'Read Herodotus, little Willie, and grow up into a Big Boy.'
Daniel Hannan points out that, while it is central to the Europhiles' case that their opponents are hampered by prejudice and ignorance, in his experience as a Euro MP Eurosceptics tend to be far more familiar with foreign cultures than are Europhiles. Certainly our European partners do not feel that it is in any way uncultured to pur- sue their national interests, even if they do not all do so quite as ruthlessly as the French; nor, incidentally, did the Athenians of Herodotus' time, whether against the Persians or their fellow Greeks.
.1.M. Dyson
20 Keats Grove, London NW3
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