LETTER: In reply to Dr Brower, I am travelled and knowledgeable

In reply to Dr Brower's letter (The Buxton Advertiser, March 9), which rather rudely implies that I am probably '˜a little Englander' who has never travelled and, therefore, has no understanding of life beyond these shores, I would like to disabuse him of his assumptions.'¨Contrary to his perception of me, I have travelled extensively for pleasure and business to America, New Zealand, Australia, Israel and the Middle East. '¨I also ran a business in Paris for eight years in partnership with French colleagues. '¨In addition, over 50 years I have taken two or three weeks holiday all over Europe, skiing, mountain climbing and family holidays. '¨Consequently, I am well aware that, regardless of what country I am in, most people are just like us.'¨Regarding Greece and its debts, I find it preposterous to say a '˜firm of accountants' put the financial numbers together for Greece's application into the EU. '¨Everyone knows that Greece would not be eligible for entry had the truth of their situation been published but such was the will of the EU to extend it's domain that '˜any numbers' would have been accepted. The accountants would have colluded with both parties in order to massage the figures to get to the end results. '¨The Greek Government, not the accountants would have put forward the figures. '¨Further, I didn't say the '˜majority will' of Ukraine was ignored.'¨I said they chose to ignore the history and monumental suffering of the USSR in the past which inevitably created a reaction from Russia when they saw NATO and the EU '¨advancing on their borders. '¨A broader understanding of the long history of Europe is required to understand some of the current conflicts. '¨Something quite lacking in the current debate.