Between Free Trade and Protectionism

Re “Price of Free Trade: Famine,” by Marc Edelman, Commentary, March 22: It is not free trade that causes famine and other ills in Latin America. Inept, corrupt and oppressive governments do the most harm. Rich countries do the rest by subsidizing and protecting their agricultural, textile and steel industries--the very areas where poor nations have competitive advantage.

The anti-globalization crowd is coy about broaching plans for development, but if you read between the lines they write you will find advocacy for the same misguided policies--state socialism and protectionism--that have caused so much human misery in the past.

We all share a concern about the world’s poor. But economic and political freedom is not the problem.

Terrence H. Witkowski

Professor of Marketing

and International Business

Cal State Long Beach