> one of the major promises was that free trade would liberalize the world
This was wish a mix between wish-fulfillment and propaganda used to reverse the effect of Cold War propaganda. The main goals of globalization were economic and diplomatic, and those have been wildly successful. Billions of people have been lifted out of poverty, and nuclear war is completely unthinkable.
> Instead, China has taken all the benefits and used our money to build a system of oppression that would make George Orwell blush.
You don't need technology to build an oppressive regime. China were still closed off to international markets, they would be a lot closer to North Korea than it is right now.
This was wish a mix between wish-fulfillment and propaganda used to reverse the effect of Cold War propaganda. The main goals of globalization were economic and diplomatic, and those have been wildly successful. Billions of people have been lifted out of poverty, and nuclear war is completely unthinkable.
> Instead, China has taken all the benefits and used our money to build a system of oppression that would make George Orwell blush.
You don't need technology to build an oppressive regime. China were still closed off to international markets, they would be a lot closer to North Korea than it is right now.