For the past 50 years, the United States has provided economic assistance to dozens of countries.

Central to this effort has been “trade liberalization” — the idea that the United States can help developing countries by importing more of their goods. Its proponents call this “trade, not aid.”

But in reality, these efforts have failed to boost living standards overseas. Instead, they’ve benefited multinational firms seeking the lowest-wage labor — and enriched the corrupt oligarchs that still control much of the developing world.

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