Letter: Price of unrest

Watching television pictures of riots for a better life across the Middle East, coupled with the large-scale industrialisation of hitherto peasant economies, we British should be aware that a gigantic rat-race has developed amongst the uncounted millions of the world's have-nots.

Up to quite recently, they made up the base of the economic pyramidved a rightful place near to the top of. But, in a world of finite resources, this developing rat-race is already forcing the large increases in the prices of basic essentials like food and oil we are having to pay weekly.

Debt-ridden Britain is ill-equipped to compete in this rat-race that stretches out interminably in front of us.

IRVINE INGLIS

Reston

Berwickshire