Work and Trade - Free Trade: Some win a lot, some lose a lot…

Unfortunately, the world we live in is strongly controlled but the wealthy and powerful. And what is even worse is that the wealthy and powerful want even more wealth and power, thus creating an economically progressive policy misnamed as Free Trade. Is Free Trade good? The quick answer can be very easy, depending on what stand you take; the capitalist’s economic stand (Oh Yes!) or the populist’s moral stand (Hell No!).
Yes, Free Trade in the long term will help the economy of countries that have a comparative advantage at a certain industry. Also, it will provide cheaper and better options for the consumers and is generally economically progressive but only after paying a price, for some is small, for others, is big. The price being a major re-shaping of many economies and industries, and by re-shaping I mean lay-offs, industries going down et cetera, of course, which is a loss for working class people and smaller industries. There is that issue, and also the slave-labor phenomena in many developing countries where the poverty level is so low that people are pushed to work in terrible conditions with minimal pay just to survive and to provide for their families.
Back to the first issue, what is to be done with the laid off work force which can be as old as fifty and have been working in the now non-existent industry for years and have no other skills? The young might go back to school and get new skills, if they can afford it, but what about the rest? The ones with families to provide for or sick ones to care for, especially since in the US there is no universal health care and such programs that help the needy. So there is that price to pay what for? For the rich to get richer. Thus, for me to even consider being with Free Trade, just like the policy was created, I would like to see a policy that will protect those people I talked about, and make it in life to see the fruits of Free Trade that we were all promised and for which they made the biggest sacrifice.
So where did these industries move to? Oh yes, to help the developing countries! Of course! Help, is a relative term. Yes, they might provide jobs for the poor people of those nations but will they provide them with a healthy working environment and good pay? Current situation proves the opposite. Companies, unless forced, pay the absolute minimum wage and could not care less for the working environment. Thus, specific work environment and pay standards should be enforced all around the globe in order to protect the poor and weak people and for trade to be free and fair. Fair Trade is another policy created to improve the economies of nations and make trade more progressive economically, however, it is not as free as Free Trade, as in, the big companies are not free to do as they please, they have to provide a good working environment and basic pay for the work force they hire in developing countries. Fair, right?
Fair Trade is not perfect, and definitely is better than Free Trade but should be improved and worked on more. As for Free Trade, as nice as the thought of freedom is, there should be enough preparation done to introduce it into action. The world should not be a free place for the powerful and wealthy to use and abuse for their own good, but should be free and fair for all to live a happy, healthy life and provide the basic needs for it.