I DO not always agree with L Spiteri but have always admired his lucidity. Not so his letter of September 24 about accusations of being unpatriotic.

H G Wells was a Fabian bewitched by socialists' impossible dream of global equality and unity. This has nothing whatever to do with patriotism.

Samuel Johnson's quotation contradicts the definitions of patriotism and scoundrel given in his Dictionary of the English Language.

A patriot is a person having intense love for, and pride in, his native country and is prepared to defend it at whatever cost.

These are not the qualities likely to be found in a scoundrel who is a selfish, dishonest and/or unscrupulous person.

I am at a loss to understand Mr Spiteri's reasons for using these quotations, nor what he was trying to prove.

I M JARVIS,

Worcester