Why do some societies prosper, while others stagnate? In this episode of the Solutions With David Ansara podcast, I speak with economic historian, Johan Norberg, about the importance of openness for social and economic advancement. 

Johan and I discuss his book, 'Open: The Story of Human Progress', which draws extensively on historical examples to unpack the origins of economic development. 

Johan's thesis is that open societies are more permeable to new ideas, more competitive, and tend to be better at innovating their way out of problems. Closed societies are inward-looking and parochial, which actually makes them more fragile.

Openness is not exclusive to a particular culture. We discuss many examples of societies throughout the world that have experienced alternating periods of being open and closed. 

What we discover is that open societies tend to promote higher degrees of individual freedom. Freedom to trade, to move about, and to develop new ideas is what allows us as individuals to improve our lives – not the diktats of central planners or politicians. 

Openness is not limited to policies or institutional arrangements, it is a mindset that we can cultivate in ourselves. 

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Intro

(00:39) Johan Norberg on open vs. closed societies

(03:53) Johan Norberg on cultural differences

(07:52) Johan Norberg on free trade

(10:49) Johan Norberg on hostility to free trade

(13:24) Johan Norberg on localisation policies

(15:54) Johan Norberg on the short term effects of free trade

(20:28) Johan Norberg on Sweden's economy

(24:07) Johan Norberg on the European Union

(30:26) Johan Norberg on supply chain shortages

(32:29) Johan Norberg on lessons from the Pandemic

(38:40) Johan Norberg on open borders

(43:17) Johan Norberg on individual freedom

(46:02) Johan Norberg on China's growth model

(50:49) Johan Norberg on openness in your daily life

(54:27) Conclusion

RESOURCES

BOOK: 'Open: The Story of Human Progress' by Johan Norberg (2020): https://www.amazon.com/Open-Story-Progress-Johan-Norberg/dp/1786497182

Stephen Davies on the political realignment | Solutions With David Ansara #25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ5HvatKSx4