It is clear that free trade is the path of the future. Despite the best efforts of governments and individuals everywhere, the trend for the foreseeable years ahead is the lowering of barriers to trade and the increase in the exchange of goods, labor, and capital across the planet. Some might decry this as necessarily a bad thing, but instead it must be viewed as a positive asset, primarily through its increase of material wealth and standards of regulation.

Obviously, increased trade brings about increased material wealth. This is fact. Despite the uneven distribution of such wealth, its spread across the globe has still brought millions of individuals out of poverty. Globalization has resulted in the greatest decrease in poverty since the Industrial Revolution, and thus it is clear that globalization has had obvious benefits.

What is not obvious is the benefit towards policies on the environment and labor. On the surface, it would appear that increased globalization has made it so that countries have lowered their economic policies and made labor regulations weaker. There are two counters to this problem. First, increased material wealth makes it more possible for poorer and developing nations to care about and protect environments and their working forces. Second, increased globalization has also brought increased international attention through the media, and thus has helped focus a spotlight on environmental and labor abuse in developing nations that would otherwise go unnoticed. Such international attention has helped to reduce the overall problems of environmental damage and labor force abuse.

It is clear, then, that globalization has been a force for good in this world. Not only has it brought about increased material wealth, but it has also helped protect global environmental and labor standards. Despite the sacrifices that have been made, the inexorable march of free trade and globalization is poised to make the planet a better place to live in.