Progress Vs Parasites: A Brief History of the Conflict that's Shaped our World

by Douglas Carswell

The change in our ancestors' behaviour was barely perceptible at first. Only a few clues in the archaeological record – sea shells, ochre and stone tools exchanged over long distances – hint at what was to come. Today, a network of interdependence and trade spans the planet – lifting most of our species out of the grinding poverty of the past. But for much of history this engine of human progress stalled, with societies rigged in the interests of small parasitic elites. From the Greeks and Romans in antiquity, to China, India and Europe in the Middle Ages, the history of the world can be written as the constant struggle between the productive and the parasitic. Progress Vs Parasites charts this struggle. States rise and empires fall as the balance between the two shifts. It is the idea of freedom, Carswell argues, that ultimately allows the productive to escape the parasitic – and thus decides whether a society flourishes or flounders. A robust defence of classical liberalism, Progress Vs Parasites shows that the greatest threat to human progress today – as it has been in every age – is the idea that human affairs need to be ordered by top down design.

Genres: History

276 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 13, 2019

Reviews

[Rachel Welton · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started off well identifying problems within historical societies that caused the inequality of wealth distribution, such as greedy monarchs or churches. As the book continued, it became clear that the author was cherry picking data and information to back his opinions. He is exclusively concerned with progress as defined by monetary changes, and ignores other measures such as happiness indicators or work life balance changes. He has no understanding of environmental issues, dismissing them as radical environmentalism. A better understanding might have been to bring up the Travesty of the Commons, or the overfishing of our oceans, or other pertinent examples of how things go wrong when everybody's self interest is allowed free rein. He is under the impression that an acre of grazed, degraded grassy monoculture is the same as an acre of primary thriving rainforest.
He praises the economic leaps during the industrial revolution as due to free trade eg in the cotton industry, whilst failing to mention the poverty and hardship imposed on Indians as their livelihoods were stripped away.
He dismisses historical exploitation and unfairness as pessimism - throwing everything from slavery, mysogeny and racism into that category.
Finally, and unsurprisingly, his views on the EU have major gaps in understanding. He criticises EU standards as crushing innovation rather than providing a level playing field. Why, he asks, can we not allow every country to set their own standards for product approval? Um, really, Douglas? Two seconds thought would show you why this is a bad idea. Multiple standards mean poor quality goods would be sold alongside safer products. Which section of society would buy the less safe goods, which would naturally cost less? Hmm?
This book is generally disappointing because it slips from history into propaganda, and lacks the rigor of a convincing argument.

[Christian Oltra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obra divulgativa no académica sobre las causas del progreso social y el desarrollo económico en las sociedades. Al estilo de "Por qué fracasan los países", el autor explica cómo la presencia de elites e instituciones extractivas, soportadas por ideas anti-libertad y anti-comercio impiden el desarrollo del comercio, la especialización y la división del trabajo. El autor recalca la importancia de las ideas en la forma de las instituciones. A veces simplista, pero los ejemplos de Venecia y Los Países Bajos son muy ilustrativos. Una lectura bastante recomendable.

[Ben Garrett · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was interesting in places, especially the discussion of the past systems and how empires rose and fell, but beyond that it was mainly an attempt at downplaying poverty and the impoverished in today’s society as “oH bUt ThEy HaD iT mUcH wOrSe In ThE pAsT”. No shocks from a Tory MP. There were some interesting points about the rise of populism but in the end it was a lot of drivel

[Mr. Ronald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think and do for yourself

DC is the brains behind Dan Hannan. His analysis is well done and he does not JSU away from presenting ideas to resolve the problems.

[Trinity · Rating 1 out of 5]

Insane capitalistic free-market hawk propagandising with no introspection of own (very apparent) biases.