Overlook DC

I'm here to protect the natural rights from our Founding Document, The Declaration of Independence... This is *not* about Gorsuch.

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/commentary-neil-gorsuch-the-wrong-choice-for-supreme-court/EfRvRUsXXNdQhqnL1j7RGO/

Commentary: Neil Gorsuch is the wrong choice for U.S. Supreme Court Donald Trump’s nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch, should be rejected.

This is not a partisan issue. This will affect everyone far beyond. Civil servants are protected from the machinations of political life because we need knowledgeable people with history and experience doing the daily operations of the government. Putting them in the cross hairs because of their research or for doing the work they have been told to do does not warrant abuse and "payback"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/house-republicans-revive-obscure-rule-that-could-allow-them-to-slash-the-pay-of-individual-federal-workers-to-1/2017/01/04/4e80c990-d2b2-11e6-945a-76f69a399dd5_story.html

House Republicans revive obscure rule that allows them to slash the pay of individual federal workers to $1 The return of the “Holman rule” threatens to upend the 130-year-old civil service

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10210734391903136&id=1449636499

This story requires your attention. Everyone knows someone whose life would have been radically different without the social safety net. This program has been supported by the participants during their work lives and regularly raided for its resources throughout its existence. Far from broke and frequently maligned, the net has saved many from sure ruin. Now it is in serious peril and is one of the most critical programs sure to be affected. Let us not be complacent on this one

Paul Ryan's Medicare Plan Hinges on American Stupidity. Prove Him Wrong. The elderly are depending on you.

http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2016/11/21/learning-history-can-save-america-tyranny

This is a well-written article that draws from the experience of others who have previously weathered a societal shift such as that which is occurring now.

What you — yes, you — can do to save America from tyranny | Commentary | Dallas News Americans are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Na**sm or communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from...

Overlook DC People's Party, People's Court, People's Executive, People's Economics

OverlookDC: Inaugural Book Challenge:

If you have read the OverlookDC Charter and wish to participate...

These 2 separate works are both critical for understanding the "Playing Field" we face.

Choice #1 - "Blaming the Poor" (Susan Greenbaum) is a fun read and affords an increased understanding of issues of institutionalized inequality facing poor people. From anthropological and historical perspectives it scientifically dispels the myth of Patrick Moynihan's "Culture of Poverty", which has become a policy-defining perspective in U.S. government, especially in Conservative politics. It also deconstructs the fundamental problem Moynihan faced by confusing "correlation" with "causality".

Choice #2 - "Political Animals" (Rick Shenkman) is a wonderful treatise about "thinking on the margins". It is about how we fall into specific, definable cognitive "traps" while we analyze or react to politics. Information contained here is crucial for anyone focused on understanding and building a bridge of dialogue across dissonant messages, voices, cultures, and outcomes.

Please select 5 or 10 main points from your choice, for discussion at the Event:

From the Founders and Board of Directors of OverlookDC:

Please do *not* post on Overlook before reading our Charter and Constitution document here. All pending posts are reviewed by Moderators for compliance to this Charter prior to getting posted... Read the Charter and Constitution here:

OverlookDC Founding Charter and Constitution

"A Manifesto for Democracy", or
"Advanced Playground"
(take your pick)...

But if you don't like to read, there is an alternate version of our constitution here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UpL01WCmLg

Version: 2016-11-26
Executive Summary and Statement of Purpose

Like many people in the U.S., the founding members of OverlookDC are deeply concerned about the direction of our political and economic future. We also recognize that any political or economic future in the U.S. requires accomodation of a rich and diverse set of rational and articulate voices; liberals and conservatives, people of faith or otherwise, women and men, young and old, wealthy and poor, gay, straight, or other, and people of all shapes, sizes, colors, cultures, and geo-demographics. These are all the potential, no, indeed the critically necessary members of OverlookDC.

As deeply concerned as the OverlookDC founders are about the direction of our political and economic future, they are also just as deeply studied in many elements of what make up our society and the issues it faces.

This study includes a diverse set of topics and ideas; such as a conservative versus a liberal "mindset", or how human beings fundamentally communicate and make decisions. A political economy embracing ideas of anthropology, biology, culture, geography, and economic and representational equality are also a focus of our effort. Our study is in many ways mature in the public square and we draw from widely-available literature.

Using this available literature we will challenge and guide the discussion in specific directions if not toward specific outcomes, while maintaining consistency with high-level goals. Events may be created around specific selections chosen for discussion; a kind of round-table book review. Participants in these "Book Events" may be challenged to write a short essay or report on their ideas and conclusions, for presentation to the group.

Critically, a member on "an opposite side of an agenda" might be challenged to digest a specific work which may contradict their current perspective and may subsequently be asked to report their conclusions; how their thinking may have changed, or to re-defend their original position. Or, both.

The founders recognize a critical need for members of our society to understand a wider set of issues, to understand the issues more deeply, and to be able to articulate their positions more effectively in order to function as socio-effective agents of the electoral and democratic processes. This education is a fundamental goal of OverlookDC.

The passion level and ability to communicate ideas from individual group members may thus be assessed, and passionate change-makers may be invited to participate more directly. Eventually, a core group of size to be determined will be chosen to participate in a national convention.

OverlookDC is conceived as a "Fourth Branch" of government in the United States. It is envisioned to exert ongoing influence on our political and economic processes. It is envisioned to infiltrate government and commerce to an extent whereby political and economic decisions can no longer be made without taking into adequate consideration the best interests of all "classes and categories" of people.

As described here OverlookDC will yield a large body of "subject-matter experts" from all walks of life able to defend group ideas and decisions in the public square and other change-related forums, as well as to participate directly in effecting real outcomes in OverlookDC spheres of influence.

As economics plays a primary role in the positions we occupy within our societies, is our . We will be focused on effecting change in the three existing branches of U.S. government, as well as changing the way political campaigns are financed and presented to the voters, the responsibilities candidates have to the electorate and the way campaigns are conceived and operated, and to close the influence peddling from, and the revolving door to, "K St".

[author's note: here we must draw a distinction between "class" and "category". Because a significant focus of OverlookDC will be on U.S. Constitutional Law and Interpretation, this distinction is crucial. The U.S. Constitution indeed recognizes certain "protected classes" in various ways. To those constitutionally-protected classes, the OverlookDC discussion adds some "categories of interest", such as The Poverty Class. Being poor or a U.S. Citizen's economic struggle is not currently protected from discrimination by the U.S. Constitution. Mind the distinction.]

Founding Principles

Article n.
The Founders of OverlookDC are... The Founders and other committed members are responsible for officially-posted OverlookDC content, as well as for reviewing member posts and participation. While it is OK to watch the discussion and learn as you do, the success of OverlookDC in impacting our future, indeed your future, will be determined by it's participants. So, participate.

As the group grows a Board of Directors (Size tbd) shall be selected by the founders from committed and participatory membership as well as from external sources. The operation, goals, strategy, and all other related matters shall be chosen by the OverlookDC Board of Directors, guided by members of the group.

Article n.
This Charter and Constitution document defines the goals, values, and strategy for OverlookDC. This OverlookDC Charter and Constitution document is a "living document" and shall be ammended from time to time by the OverlookDC Board of Directors with assistance from the group membership as well as from external sources.

Article n.
The highest goals of OverlookDC are to function as a "Fourth Branch" of government in the United States in a manner consistent with restoring representative government and eliminating institutionalized underrepresentation of any class or category of society, while simultaneously heightening the state of political and civil dialogue and discourse available.

Article n.
OverlookDC engages a discussion from all reasonable, rational voices within a worldwide community interested in improving the governmental and economic representation of citizens and the socio-economic and political-economic outcomes for those citizens. Initial focus of OverlookDC is toward understanding and improving outcomes in the U.S.

Although, members are free to join and post to the group from anywhere in the world, within the constraints of this document. These International perspectives are crucial for understanding perspectives in the U.S. and will be useful in taking the movement global at the appropriate time. They shall be filtered, channeled, and archived accordingly.

Article n.
Membership in OverlookDC is open to all voices, classes, categories, and backgrounds. All posted content is reviewed by moderators for conformance to this document prior to being posted. The only constraint to being admitted and maintained in the group is a requirement to follow OverlookDC posting policy and rules. Members who violate this policy in a gross one-time manner or who consistently fail to respond appropriately to suggestions or concerns afforded by group moderator(s) will be removed from the group.

Article n.
The Organizing Goals and Principles of OverlookDC are these:

I. Through group-focused and moderated discussion, to reach concrete and informed internal positions in the following general domains and on other issues deemed by the group to be important issues for our society.

A. The United States Congress; ( )

B. The Executive Branch (United States President and Cabinet; )

C. The United States Supreme Court; ( , )

D. External actors or agents and other special-interest influence on government in the United States; for example campaign finance and undue influence by "K St." on all branches of the U.S. government. (generally, )

[author's note: recognize the obvious interdependence here between and , e.g. Citizen's United, or between and (as the U.S. Congress purports to be in control of the Constitution, while all political decisions made in interpreting the Constitution come from the Court.) These interdependencies will be catalogued and discussed for improved understanding and vision.

As the discussion grows the posts can be filtered to discover members care-abouts, passion, thus driving the design of challenges to the group and member-subgroup assignments as defined below...]

[another author's note: In my estimation, the challenge to The People is one of pure Economics. While in order to define and execute real outcomes we need to stay focused individually on the 3 branches, ultimately bringing those perspectives together to effect the desired change or outcome, it is also the author's estimation that the politicians have "had their chance". For them at best, they need much help and guidance.

To make the politicians less relevant we will need to control commerce. With the top of the middle-class at such a historically low-level, and with such large sub-middle and poverty classes today, it shouldn't be hard to convince people, even if it might be to organize. Plenty of history and precedent for this thought; but that was then, this is now. Let's allow the super elite to cater to themselves! See 3, below.]

II. Focus groups for each of 1A-1D above, shall be created. Moderators and focus-group members for each will be selected by invitation from members of the wider group based on posted content and response to Events/Challenges.

Through these focus groups and by subsequent discussion recommendations will be made to the Overlook Board of Directors for concrete plans-of-action designed to affect changes in U.S. government, industry, and commerce. Hashtags are used to direct content into the appropriate channel, consistent with OverlookDC posting policy.

III. Certain citizen-classes or citizen-categories of our society, whether protected by the United States Constitution or not, are singled-out by OverlookDC for special treatment. Specifically, in order to yield politicians and commercial interests in the United States less relevant in the lives and economic futures of the underclass in the United States, educational programs will be designed and executed to assist and empower the underclass, as a class, in plying this "political and commercial playing field" while improving their own economic futures.

Article n.
Expectations and Rules for Content Posted on OverlookDC:

Only original, thoughtful, articulate content will be approved for posting on OverlookDC. Posted content should be specifically designed to "move the discussion forward". That also means that sometimes it will be necessary for potential posters to "abandon one's current line of posting-thought" in order to stay current, while rather engaging a more current line of thought on a specific or related thread or topic.

So, if the discussion has moved forward from a position on which one might comment, please move your understanding forward in parallel, otherwise consider posting a contradictory position or a different perspective. Ask good, respectful questions.

Obviously within this framework, relevant ideas are nonetheless relevant and should be posted. Just make sure YOUR part of the discussion is moving forward. The Moderators will facilitate, and we all learn together.

All posted content will be reviewed for Hashtag compliance (i.e. , , , , , etc) to a defined focus-group.

Any new Hashtag suggestions in Posts under review will be considered by Moderators for inclusion in the discussion. Please limit the use of new hashtags in general, and never use more than one (1) new suggestion per Post.

Because real, definable outcomes are interdependent across each of these disciplines, Moderators will be looking for inter-domain concepts, ideas, and information for next-level idea management.

end...

And you can always download the PDF here:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5vtwg6qi5zoqgo7/AAAj_RBSDkR-eknxT0G-794ta?dl=0

Charter&Constitution Shared with Dropbox