Economic globalization brings personal freedom

By Alex Singleton | 1 April 2005

Should economic freedom or personal freedom be the highest priority? Some think personal freedom alone should be pushed forward (or "tied") as a condition of foreign aid. Peronsally, I think both types of freedom should be part of the conditionality. By having such conditionality, you encourage the countries receiving aid to follow policies which mean they will benefit from the aid. We know that just writing blank cheques - seemingly advocated by the likes of Christian Aid - does not work.

Forgetting aid for a moment, should we worry if countries pursue just economic freedom and not personal freedom? Some Christians worry that, despite moving towards a market economy, China isn't going very far in personal freedom. Some advocate policies like sanctions against China for its persecution of Christians. Sanctions would be a mistake. Economic freedom, which China is gradually adopting, leads over time to greater and greater personal freedom.

Free trade brings together different peoples, and puts pressure on governments to implement more enlightened policies. As Richard Cobden said: "I see in the Free Trade principle that which will act on the moral world as the principle of gravitation in the universe - drawing men together, thrusting aside the antagonisms of race, and creeds and language, and uniting us in the bonds of eternal peace... I believe the effect will be to change the face of the world, so as to introduce a system of government entirely distinct from that which now prevails. I believe the desire and the motive for large and mighty empires and gigantic armies and great navies... will die away... when man becomes one family, and freely exchanges the fruits of his labour with his brother Man."