Vancouver Discussions Meetup Group

### 🧠Is America Entering Its Endgame?

Inspired by:
🎙️ Joe Rogan Experience #2349 – Danny Jones (Epstein files, institutional distrust, media control)
📺 Recent U.S. indictments, cultural shifts, and global political realignments

📅 Date: Sun, August 17th
🕐 Time: 11 AM
📍 Location: (Vancouver Central Library) 350 West Georgia Street · Vancouver, BC

We will be in:
L4 North (492) Meeting Room

Event Description:
From Jeffrey Epstein’s shadowy web of secrets to the media’s handling of war, whistleblowers, and elections—something feels like it’s cracking.

Is the American Empire in decline? Or just evolving?

In this provocative discussion, we’ll explore the idea of political collapse—not as conspiracy, but as historical pattern. We’ll draw from:

• Joe Rogan’s explosive episode with Danny Jones about Epstein files and political coverups
• Recent headlines suggesting deepening political division and institutional erosion
• Past empires and how they fell—and whether we’re seeing echoes of Rome or Great Britain

Some questions we’ll dive into:

• Is the U.S. facing a historical breaking point?
• Can a democracy survive when trust in media and government is gone?
• What does it mean to “collapse”? And what comes after?

There’s no agenda—just smart, curious people meeting to talk openly.

📩 RSVP now and come share your brain.

### WOULD YOU TAKE THE RED PILL?

Psychedelics, Consciousness, and the Future of Thought

What if reality isn’t what you think? Would you risk seeing the world differently, even if there’s no going back?

This week, we’re inviting you to a discussion that blends ancient traditions, mind-bending science, and the digital future—psychedelics. Whether you’re curious, skeptical, or somewhere in between, this is your invitation to take the “red pill” and dive deep.

We’ll explore:

• What psychedelics reveal about consciousness, creativity, and mental health
• The newest science: therapy, brain imaging, and Silicon Valley trends
• Whether these substances are keys to awakening—or just a wild ride
• How society, law, and culture are scrambling to keep up

Fresh listens & watches (optional, for extra flavor):

#### Podcasts

• Joe Rogan Experience #2050 — Hamilton Morris & Paul Stamets (2024)
  A deep dive into the latest science, legality, and cultural change around psychedelics.

#### Video/Docs

• YouTube: Vice – “Psychedelics: The New Science of Mental Health” (2024)

☕ As always, we’ll grab coffee, circle up, and see where the conversation takes us.

No gurus. No hype. Just real people, real ideas.

RSVP to save your seat—new faces (and minds) always welcome.

### ✨ Choices, Free Will, and Fate – Short Story Meetup

📅 Date: August 31
⏰ Time: 1 PM
📍 Location: Loblaws Starbucks (658 Homer St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2R4
Vancouver)

Ever wonder if we really control our own destinies—or if we’re just following the script written by society, biology, or the universe itself? This week, we’re diving into two iconic short stories that ask those very questions, in ways you won’t soon forget:

Stories:

• “All You Zombies—” by Robert A. Heinlein
  A wild, brain-bending journey through time travel, paradoxes, and the meaning of self. Can you really change the past—or are you trapped by it?
• “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
  A small town’s tradition takes a dark turn in this classic exploration of conformity, fate, and the human cost of following the crowd.

No homework, no pressure. Read one or both stories, or just come to hear what others have to say. Expect lively debate, plenty of laughs, and maybe a little existential dread (in a good way). Whether you love sci-fi, social satire, or just deep conversation, you’ll fit right in.

Bring your opinions, your questions, and your weirdest “what if?” theories. New faces always welcome.

# Ben Franklin’s Autobiography

Details
📅 Date: Sunday Sep 14th
⏰ Time: 11 AM
📍 Location: library room 492

A year of big ideas, tiny habits, and better conversations (no homework police).
I’m doing a personal project this year: working through the Harvard Classics, one short work a month, as a way to think clearer, live better, and finally read the books I always said I would. If that sounds like you too, come join me.
Why join?

• We read to improve, not impress.
• Short, friendly pace: one slim work per month (or just key passages).
• Come even if you didn’t finish, I’ll bring summaries and the best quotes.
• We pull 5 practical takeaways you can try the following week (tiny habits, Franklin-style).

Kickoff book (free online):
Benjamin Franklin — The Autobiography
Ambition, discipline, and Franklin’s 13-virtues system—surprisingly modern and actionable.
How the meetup runs (60–90 min):

1. 10-min primer (who/what/why this matters)
2. we go around and talk about a short passage or two that resonated with you/
3. Open convo: what lands, what doesn’t, what we’d actually try in real life
4. Optional: pick one micro-habit to test until the next meetup

Low pressure, high signal. Newcomers welcome. No academic gatekeeping.

Details
📅 Date: Sunday Sep 14th
⏰ Time: 11 AM
📍 Location: library room 492

💻 I’ll share a free PDF and a 1-page cheat sheet in advance. Comment/DM for the link.
Coming up (sneak peek): Emerson essays, Marcus Aurelius (selections), Plato (short dialogues), Montaigne (selections). Mix of short reads and “greatest hits” excerpts—always doable.
RSVP if you’re in. Bring curiosity, not perfection. ☕️