Making rich people richer doesn't make the rest of us richer.

Assume the worst about people and you get the worst.

As South Korea shows, active participation in international trade does not require free trade. Indeed, had South Korea pursued free trade and not promoted infant industries, it would not have become a major trading nation. It would still be exporting raw materials (e.g., tungsten ore, fish, seaweed) or low-technology, low-price products (e.g., textiles, garments, wigs made with human hair) that used to be its main export items in the 1960s.

The higher education system in these countries (US, Korea etc) has become like a theatre in which some people decided to stand to get a better view, promoting the others behind them to stand. Once enough people stand, everyone has to stand, which means no one is getting a better view, while everyone has become more uncomfortable.

Financial markets need to become less, not more, efficient.

Low inflation and government prudence may be harmful for economic development.

Countries are poor not because their people are lazy; their people are 'lazy' because they are poor.