HST Discussion Meeting

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Thursday, July 21st, 2011
5:00 PM to 8:00 PM

The HST is a very important issue which will affect all British Columbians.

Is the increased tax revenue necessary to pay for and maintain social programs and infrastructure, or is it just a tax grab to line politikos' pockets and recoup lost revenue from poor decisions?
This is 1 example of the kinds of questions people naturally might contemplate upon consideration of the HST vote.

It is great to see how engaged and passionate many people are about the issue, and is a clear indication that humanity is moving inexorably towards a more egalitarian / engaged society.

I think it would be fantastic though, if everyone cast their vote
with the sure knowledge that they had polled the issue thoroughly, and really explored both sides of the debate.

To this end, I propose that interested people get together to "study" and "debate" the issue.
Corporations, Scientific Researchers, Non-Profit Organizations, all types of groups get together to debate the enactment of important decisions.
Why not citizens with a vested interest in the implementation of additional taxation on their income?
Sounds like a reason to meet and discuss to me.

The Format :

- # of people : I think somewhere between 4 people minimum to 10 people maximum is good. Somewhere between a the number of people in the typical university "study group" and the typical "board of director's" meeting is good. Enough minds to provide a good pool of intellectual diversity, not so many people that everyone doesn't get ample opportunity to share their thoughts.
- Location : Restaurant. Cafe. Pub.
Food and Drink is important.
Discussing intense topics is energy consuming and should be conducted with energy restoration mediums close at hand.
- COMPUTERS : I believe that it is "essential" everyone bring their own laptop with WiFi capability if at all possible. Making an "informed decision" requires being "well informed". The great tool that is the internet ought to be used to advantage, so that people can state their opinion and corroborate it with information visible and examinable by everyone.

Additional Reasons :

1. Study - Just like in University, complex topics are best tackled in a group, with several minds working on the problem and sharing their unique insights and perspectives. Something somebody else points out might just make you change your mind.
2. Night Out - It's not precisely "fun", but a good debate is always interesting, particularly when it's about an important issue which affects one directly. It's a chance to meet new people who you share a common interest with. Not exactly "a mixer", but maybe meeting people in an environment of important discussion is a better way to connect than just drinks and hunting for some common interests.

Conclusion and Future Vision :

I think humanity is going to become an egalitarian, demodigo (Gk. demo - people, odigo - guidance, direction).
Not a democracy, which is "rule" by the people, but a style of society which is not top-down, hierarchical ( which always leads into a "trickle down economics" style state), but rather a cross-section, mutual respect and appreciation for unique individual insights, style society, with a population of individuals making decisions from a position of knowledge and confidence.

With this goal in mind, I think it would make a "massive" difference in our society if people were regularly engaged in active study and discussion on political / social decisions and were empowered to make decisions they felt well-versed and confident in.

Here's to an empowered humanity. d >_< b (double thumbs up)."