Chomsky on the Middle East

Professor Noam Chomsky, in an essay that encompasses a lot more, puts it accurately and eloquently:

The most extreme protectionism was during the Reagan years—accompanied, as usual, by eloquent odes to liberalism, for others. Reagan virtually doubled protective barriers, and also turned to the usual device, the Pentagon, to overcome management failures and “reindustrialize America,” the slogan of the business press. Furthermore, high levels of protectionism are built into the so-called “free trade agreements,” designed to protect the powerful and privileged, in the traditional manner. Imminent Crises: Threats and Opportunities

It's a long essay, and one that points to the huge gap between ordinary people, in rich and poor countries, and the governments that are supposed to represent them.