Global opinion about free trade divides along class lines.

Trade liberalization is often portrayed as a moral imperative because it is claimed to be good for the masses of impoverished people in the Third World. This summary post at Eyes on Trade, linking to this long, fact-filled analysis at Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, reveals that the elites of the Third World are as much at cross purposes with what their populations want as are US elites like Fareed Zakaria, whose claim to speak for the global poor is refuted in detail. For example, polls show that populations in the Third World believe their governments should include higher labor and environmental standards in trade agreements, but standards are opposed by their own governments and elites, as well as by ours. Governments must choose between promoting trade and globalization and promoting democracy.