[Toddsterpatriot]

We neither exploited them nor did they exploit us,

Excellent. I'm glad you realized your error.

[quadrant]

Precisely my point. True free trade is not about exploitation. Western Europe and Japan were in a state of collapse but were still countries with educated and talented people. They needed capital to rebuild. Within a decade or two, our former enemies regained their economic health.
Do you really believe that countries of the Third World will make such rapid progress?