>Ultimately that means cheaper stuff and higher wages. There are bunch of historical examples where this does not hold true. It has been relatively common that

>Ultimately that means cheaper stuff and higher wages. There are bunch of historical examples where this does not hold true. It has been relatively common that the "new colony" pays all the taxes while the mother country reaps all the rewards. This was the case with UK occupying Ireland, Soviet union occupying Estonia, Germany occupying France and northern Italy occupying kingdom of Sicily. Only exception that comes to mind is east Germany, but there is exceptionally strong cultural affiliation. You should be able to gain all the positives with free trade. Without any of the negatives.