Unrestricted trade sounds great in theory, but here's the catch: it only really works when everyone major is playing by the same rules. The moment some heavyweight economies pull back while others stay wide open? That's when smaller economies get squeezed. Kenya's a perfect example—opening capital flows when bigger players aren't equally committed means becoming their economic shock absorber. Your growth gets tangled up in their adjustment problems. Smart move? Protect your economy from becoming someone else's pressure valve. Sometimes selective openness beats playing the game when others just bend the rules anyway.
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AllInAlice
· 8h ago
Ah, this is the truth of international trade—big fish eat small fish.
Kenya is indeed miserable; opening up has only made it a stepping stone.
There is no such thing as an absolutely free market; everyone plays by their own rules.
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AirdropHarvester
· 8h ago
Haha, the Kenya example hits the point. The feeling of a small country being used as an ATM is indeed uncomfortable.
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HodlTheDoor
· 9h ago
Players have different rules, so what freedom of trade are we talking about? Kenya was completely fooled by this scheme.
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BlockTalk
· 9h ago
Really, Kenya's example hit home for me. The game of big fish eating small fish has never changed.
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MintMaster
· 9h ago
ngl that's why small countries are always used as ATMs by big countries. Opening up is nonsense; the rules themselves are inherently unequal.
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OnChainArchaeologist
· 9h ago
Ha, this is reality. The law of the jungle where the strong prey on the weak.
Unrestricted trade sounds great in theory, but here's the catch: it only really works when everyone major is playing by the same rules. The moment some heavyweight economies pull back while others stay wide open? That's when smaller economies get squeezed. Kenya's a perfect example—opening capital flows when bigger players aren't equally committed means becoming their economic shock absorber. Your growth gets tangled up in their adjustment problems. Smart move? Protect your economy from becoming someone else's pressure valve. Sometimes selective openness beats playing the game when others just bend the rules anyway.