I realize that working in a sweatshop for 9 cents an hour sure beats not working at all for many people in poorer countries. That’s just looking at the bright side of a really bad situation. Like “Hey I work 16 hours a day 7 days a week, but I can at least afford a bowl of rice for my family.” Those poor people deserve better and their lives haven’t improved enough to say free trade is making their lives easier. Their labor is still extremely undervalued and the benefits their getting from working in the shops that are “getting rich” from free trade isn’t anything to brag about.

Like I said, I’m for economic freedom, but whether it’s helping the poor is very questionable.