We're doing the wrong things. Instead of helping build local businesses and economies, thus developing these nations, we're instead letting big multinationals who prey off of the low labour costs.
'prey'? An inappropriate word. Where I live we love it that big multinationals 'prey' off our low labour costs. We try to keep our currency low so we can be preyed on more. Oh and its making people steadily richer and richer! Sure there are local exporting companies too, which are a major part of it (and treat their workers even worse). But they can't do it all by themselves.
Wow, did you notice what I just said? Local companies treating their workers worse than big multinationals. I thought local business was a good thing?!! Why do poor people prefer to work for big multinationals? Oh yes, they can get paid more and treated better.
So you acknowledge that international trade hasn't _caused_ people to be worse off in poor countries. Sure that may have happened, but it was for other reasons.
That's quite an important step. It means blocking trade may not help people. Haha that sound almost funny - blocking trade is how countries try to punish each other. It's surely a bad thing in almost every case.
What's really bad is local political problems. But we probably shouldn't go there.
