Absolute poverty in the globalizing developing countries has dropped sharply in the last 20 years. Free trade is also about freedom. And habits of liberty create expectations of democracy. And as the political system in Mexico has been liberalized, NGOs and a truly independent press have sprouted. At the recent Summit of the Americas, the leaders agreed that any unconstitutional alteration or interruption of the democratic order in a state of the hemisphere would disqualify that government from further participation in the Summit of the Americas process.
Open trade means more competition, less government regulation, and less red tape.
That translates into fewer opportunities for corruption. Corruption is a rot that chokes off economies and undermines political legitimacy. We need to pursue free trade in a way that is consistent with our values and draws on our compassion - whether as conservatives, liberals, or European socialists. This flexibility, afforded by the major international trade agreement on intellectual property, enables countries and companies to help deal with this tragic pandemic by encouraging low-cost access to critical medicines.