Evgeniy’s most recent piece ends with a question that I think goes unasked way too often. He writes:
Мне вот интересно, как борются с предрассудками среди населения в других странах?
[I’ve been wondering how to fight prejudice in the population in other countries?]
My own answer is probably a little predictable, but the surest way to combat foreign prejudices is through free trade. Nothing will ever eliminate social prejudices, at least not in our lifetimes, and this is especially true in regards to all things foreign.
If humanity were to ever adopt the central tenants of libertarianism, namely that the individual is the most important social unit, then I think prejudices of the kinds that cause our societies strife (racial, ethnic, religious, etc.) would cease to exist. In fact, I am so sure of libertarianism’s ability to eliminate the bad -isms of the world that I have decided to devote a portion of my otherwise exciting, prosperous and non-conformist life to this blog in order to further the case for liberty.
The best way for me to argue free trade’s case for combating prejudice in foreign affairs is by bringing up the European Union. After World War 2, the US and Great Britain had to find a way to make the French and the Germans play nice so that yet another major war could be averted. They found their answer in free trade: French and German statecraft began to focus on how to operate within a bound-together framework, rather than on how to outmaneuver the other. The French and German people, as we all know, have known nothing but peace since free trade between them has been implemented.
Free trade doesn’t have to be this abstract idea, either. Every time a Russian citizen watches a Pixar film, he is becoming less prejudiced against Americans. Every time an American citizen takes a shot of vodka from the motherland (giving toasts as he does so), he is becoming less prejudiced against Russians. Without free trade, these two consumer goods – movies and vodka – would have a hard time reaching foreign customers who desire them.
Notes On Liberty 
It’s very true. More trade and relationship between different countries – less prejudice between them. But sometimes people don’t think about these things. They just watch XX Century FOX films, buy vodka and other traditional stuff – and nothing more. And it’s bad.
Free trade is definitely not a panacea for the world’s ills. Heck, just thinking about the social tensions within American society is proof enough that free trade cannot, by itself, accomplish love and brotherhood. Nevertheless, it cannot hurt to take steps in that direction.
Another step in the right direction, I think, would be to work on furthering the practice of equality under the law. For most of our history this practice has not been applied, and I think a lot of social ills stem from the unequal terms laid down by political and legal regimes.
It has only been in the past 40 years in the freest polities of the world that equality under the law has been applied in practice as well as in theory. We have a long way to go, especially given that few polities in the world today are liberal.