What is the "free" world's obligation to oppressed populations trying to achieve a better life, if the "free" world is dependent on them staying poor?

What do you do
if you possess a brief case that may contain either $0 or $1,000,000,
and are offered $200,000 for the case?

What if the majority of a civilization collectively chose the case and lost,
but don’t know?

We can ignore reality,
but we cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.

Ayn Rand

If technological civilization
advanced more in the last 10,000 years than the previous 1,000,000,
the last 1,000 than the preceding 10,000,
and the last 100 than the prior 1,000
and the last 10 compared to the last 100 with a petroleum based economy
as the number of humans more than tripled,
what could happen if many come to believe Earth’s population is unsustainable
if oil and food supply fails to meet demand,
or it becomes too expensive,
or unavailable?