Your recent correspondent, Peter Smith, appears to have completely missed the point in my critique of the admirable Tony Benn. His wordy diatribe on the social history of mankind is irrelevant and has no bearing whatever on the subject I raised.

My piece was entirely apolitical and in no way concerned with the respective merits of either socialist or capitalist systems. It was merely to expound on which of the two philosophies were most akin to mankinds instinctive bent.

Man is a competitive animal in a highly competitive world, a world where the attributes of aspiration and endeavour are paramount and enterprise and achievement properly rewarded. A socialist system on the other hand rather stifles ambition and enterprise, together with those qualities in nature which make the human race so special.

No system is perfect of the choices we have, the best we can do is surely to harness the best in human nature and apply its potential to the common good.

Harold Rushen, The Pitchens, Wroughton, Swindon