Free trade brings economic balance. Given that we are at the top of the economic food chain, that can only mean bringing down our overall economy in order to share it with others. I'm sorry but Ugandan's are never going to buy more of the American products (at American prices) than we will buy of their products at cheap Ugandan prices. So free trade is is great if your only goal is to get $500 flat screen tvs. Free trade is great if you want to export our pollution causing industries to countries that care less about it. Free trade is terrible if you want to maintain non-service based localized industry.
I'd also note that "free" trade has effectively allowed for slave labor to become rampant throughout the world. Yea, the 12 year old in Vietnam earns $1/day while the Nike CEO makes $40M/yr off the product produced. His primary skill? Identifying the countries that allow for these types of near slavery conditions in order to drive the greatest profit for himself and shareholders.
Free trade has benefits, and I would be lying if I said I was not a receipient of those benefits. That said, free trade has societal costs and I think we sweep those under the rug.
