kicking away the ladder

The "dominant theory" is that of the rich and powerful, who have regularly advocated liberalization for others, and sometimes for themselves as well, once they have achieved a dominant position and hence are willing to face competition on a "level playing field"--that is, one sharply tilted in their favor. The stand is sometimes called "kicking away the ladder" by economic historians: first we violate the rules to climb to the top, then we kick away the ladder so that you cannot follow us, and we righteously proclaim: "Let's play fair, on a level playing field."
(Excerpts from "Hopes and Prospects" by Noam Chomsky)
"kicking away the ladder"、日本語でも梯子を外すという表現がありますね。
眼から鱗の説明でした。