Again, this and similar statements can be undermined with ease: terms of trade obey basic rules of long term demand and supply and may not be negative; international capital flows, while not exempt from risks, allow many LDCs to tap into external savings and smooth consumption patterns; technology transfers are one of the benefits associated with Foreign Direct Investment; political oppression, where it many exist, has causes other than economic interactions with the developed world; public consumption patterns in the poor countries, while certainly skewed in ways uncongenial o development, can be better explained by reference to domestic political economy factors ... It is indeed difficult to soundly uphold many of the specific claims of dependentistas.