Toadfrog, You mean suffering at the hands of American businesses like British Petroleum (BP)? And note that the Bushes made their money from Texas oil, not Nigerian or Azeri oil, except for "W", whose oil ventures didn't work out, and made his money in baseball--and now curse you, for making me defend the Bushes! As DougR must remember, I am not really the greatest fan of the Bush family--

In "underdeveloped" countries, the ordinary people do benefit from the influx of cash that trade (though not just with the US) brings them--It is certainly true that the wealth gets distributed more equitably in some countries than others, (it gets distributed much better in the US than in, say, the Arab oil countries) but it is a stretch to blame us for economic inequalities in countries that don't do things the way we do--Still, trade brings money, which does trickle down--not as much as we'd like, but things get worse in every way when we stop trading with countries because we don't like their human rights records--

Personally, I am a bit troubled when I see members of the wealthy 5% of certain Middle Eastern nations in London, gambling, drinking, and frolicking in other ways that are forbidden by the strict Koranic Laws back home, while other of their kindred are back home, dressed in rags, and making a living by begging and culling trash in the City of the Dead--don't think it is my fault, though--