Telecommunication corporation advocates no doubt will criticize Dante Ramos harshly for advocating government intrusion in the market economy (“Wiping out net neutrality helps only big telecom firms,’’ May 25). But actually Ramos is being a good capitalist.

More than 200 years ago, Adam Smith, often called the father of modern capitalism, argued that any suggestion for government policy coming from businessmen should “be listened to with great precaution,’’ and should only be adopted after careful examination, “not only with the most scrupulous, but with the most suspicious attention.’’

Why is suspicious attention necessary? Smith wrote that the interest of businessmen is not the same as the public interest, and that they “have, upon many occasions, both deceived and oppressed’’ the public.

John E. Hill

Milton

The writer is a professor emeritus of politics and history at Curry College.