John Mills

• JOHN Mills’s Forum article seems to be an attempt to prop up capitalism instead of changing it (An idea to aid our troubled economy, October 6).

Its whole emphasis is on expanding the present economy. But every country is trying to expand. All countries want to export. No country wants to import.

Instead of a constant emphasis on exports, we should be producing what’s needed in this country, while also producing enough to export for mainly necessary things.

There is a contradiction where capitalism is concerned. All private businesses, large and small, need to make the maximum profit to prevent being taken over by a competitor.

In order to achieve that they need to keep their costs to a minimum, and their biggest cost is their wages bill. But by holding wages down it means that people have less money to pay for things.

How is that dilemma to be solved? We need a planned economy, one in which the resources of the country are put where they are needed not necessarily where they will make the most profit.

P WAGLAND, N19