Originally Posted by Charlatan

As far as I can see, open markets are generally a good thing and for nations such as China, India and South East Asia, that have embraced increasingly open markets it has served them well. They are increasingly democratic, their population's general incomes are coming up and thriving.

Nations, such as those in the Middle East, that are increasingly closed are economically stunted and are hotbeds for fundamentalism (fundamentalism being the purveyor of the ultimate in closed markets).

That said, there are situations where some subsidies and regulations can help to grow sectors of individual economies as well as protect from illegal activities.