But it doesn't direct local resource to unprofitable forms of work, it directs local resources to less profitable local forms of work rather than more profitable foreign forms of work. That seems like a perfectly reasonable trade-off for a community to make.

I doubt the consequences are worse than those of not having a functional banking system.

Nope, not necessarily unprofitable. Sometimes it’s enouh to be _less profitable_ to be taken offline.

You should probably google ‘comparative advantage’