Dissent: A Pillar of Democracy
April 18, 2024
Yesterday, I couldn't find the time to blog. My schedule was packed, and it was chaotic. Not only were there continuous meetings, but numerous reports needed to be finalized, and my inbox was flooded with emails. On top of that, I had to record two talkshows as a guest from 4 to 8 PM. For Saturday, I'm booked to participate in a webinar, and in the meantime, the reports keep flowing in. There's the new master plan for tourism in Curaçao and a note from the IMF about the world economy, each spanning about 200 pages. But my job is to distill the essence and establish connections.
Often, my mind struggles to understand why the reports are so extensive. Take the IMF report, for example. It tells me that there will be economic growth of approximately 3.2%, and there will be inflation due, in part, to geopolitical developments such as the Middle East and Ukraine. The tourism master plan essentially suggests that we need to involve the population more in experiential tourism to ensure they benefit and to prevent anti-tourism sentiments. I still need to review it, but I don't think the master plan says much about carrying capacity.
In the midst of this whirlwind, it's essential to recognize that dissent is crucial for a functioning democracy. It's through questioning and analyzing information that we can truly understand and shape our society for the better.
Miguel Goede