BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Palaner//palaner Single Event//EN
METHOD:PUBLISH
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:meetup-5fe0983a20@palaner.app
DTSTAMP:20260802T150627Z
DTSTART:20260820T230000Z
DTEND:20260821T003000Z
SUMMARY:Meritocracy & Independence – What Happened to the West?
LOCATION:Pickle Barrel
DESCRIPTION:Saved in Palaner as: saved\n\nPalaner match: 18% · why: lots of
  people going\n\nJoin Liberty Labs Toronto for our thirteenth meetup on Th
 ursday\, August 20\, 2026\, at 7:00 PM near Yonge and Eglinton!\n\nThis mo
 nth we’re examining one of the biggest cultural shifts of our time: how th
 e West has moved away from a culture of meritocracy and personal independe
 nce toward something very different.\nWe’ll discuss:\n\nThe classical libe
 ral roots of Western success\, individual responsibility\, equality of opp
 ortunity\, and the belief that outcomes should largely follow effort and a
 bility\nHow those norms have changed (equity over equality\, safetyism\, i
 nstitutional capture\, declining trust in competence)\nThe consequences fo
 r innovation\, social mobility\, free speech\, and personal agency\nWhethe
 r these shifts are reversible\, and what individuals can do to preserve or
  rebuild independence in their own lives\nOpen floor for examples\, counte
 r-arguments\, and real-world observations from Canada and beyond\n\nThis i
 s a free-flowing\, evidence-based conversation. No orthodoxy required\, ju
 st honest discussion from a liberty-minded perspective.\n\nWhat to expect:
 \n\nOpen discussion and idea-sharing\nComplimentary appetizers\nEveryone w
 ho attends will receive a million-dollar Zimbabwe note as a fun take-home 
 reminder of real value vs. fiat illusions\nConnect with 10-20 liberty-mind
 ed Torontonians\n\nVenue: Pickle Barrel (2300 Yonge St\, at Yonge & Eglint
 on)\, right above Eglinton Station. Easy parking in the Yonge Eglinton Cen
 tre garage or nearby Green P lots.\nRSVP to save your spot.\n\nLet’s talk 
 about what the West once valued — and what it will take to keep those valu
 es alive. See you there!
URL:https://www.meetup.com/liberty-labs-toronto/events/315819125/
CATEGORIES:palaner,saved
STATUS:TENTATIVE
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR