Douglas Carswell on Progress vs. Parasites

What are the drivers of human progress? Why are some countries prosperous, while others remain mired in poverty?   

In this episode of the Solutions With David Ansara podcast, I speak with former UK Conservative Party MP, Douglas Carswell, about the origins of human progress.   

Douglas and I discuss his book, 'Progress vs Parasites' (2019), which chronicles the history of human development as an ongoing struggle between the productive and the parasitic.   

Douglas notes that the division of labour, specialisation and exchange are key determinants of economic development. He argues that progress is emergent and spontaneous, but not inevitable. If left unchecked, powerful vested interests can easily frustrate progress as they seek to extract advantages from the system under their control.   

We also look back on Douglas' role in the campaign for Britain to leave the European Union (EU).   

Douglas explains why he believed Britain was better off outside the EU, and how he persuaded Britons to vote 'Leave' in the 2016 referendum. 

Douglas argues that the 'European project' was fundamentally flawed, as it sought to concentrate political power in the hands of unaccountable bureaucrats in Brussels, and undermined the sovereignty of the United Kingdom.   

We conclude the conversation by discussing the importance of political decentralisation and the devolution of power for democratic accountability.

TIMESTAMPS  

(0:00) Intro

(0:20) How Douglas Carswell became politically active

(1:53) The origins of human progress

(7:25) The causes of poverty and prosperity

(12:34) The relationship between political and economic freedom in China

(17:38) The role of political institutions for human development

(21:55) Why Douglas Carswell supported Brexit  

(28:54) The failure of the European Union

(31:34) How Brexit was won

(36:17) How Douglas Carswell persuaded voters to support Leave

(39:54) The benefits of free trade

(45:49) The importance of the decentralisation of political power

(50:52) Conclusion

RESOURCES 

READ: Progress Vs Parasites: A Brief History of the Conflict that's Shaped our World by Douglas Carswell (2019)

Mississippi Center for Public Policy

VIDEO

WATCH this episode on YouTube