Pragmatic politics focused on the public interest for those uncomfortable with America's two-party system and its way of doing politics. Considering the interface of politics with psychology, cognitive biology, social behavior, morality and history.
@bella_vandala ♬ original sound - Bella Vandala
In an era when workplace guides urge us to maximize every minute and optimize out of existence the last vestiges of inefficiency, one man—a self-styled “corporate chill artist”—is swimming blissfully against the riptide. Meet the mysterious figure who insists that, in business as in life, the greatest power move may be doing absolutely nothing at all.
I found him at a networking event, looking remarkably at ease for someone in business attire. Our handshake was firm, yet strangely uncommitted.
“How are you?” he asked, eyes scanning the crowd for neither enemies nor opportunities.
He claims no formal job title, unless you count “Full-Time Chill” (it’s on his business card, under an illustration of a languid man cloud-watching at his desk). “My friend works here,” he tells me, leaning in conspiratorially. “They invited me to the party—I don’t really know anyone. I suppose you could say I’m paid to do nothing, professionally.”
The Method of Masterful Inaction
The uninitiated might mistake him for a loafer or, if feeling generous, a Zen dropout reincarnated in corporate America. “I’m a rest in the music of business,” he clarifies, beaming. “Imagine music with no silence—just notes, notes, notes. Insufferable, right? That’s your modern office: motion without meaning. I just introduce a pause.”
A pause, it turns out, can yield miracles. “People are always on ten, amped up, itching to go. Eventually, you burn out. You need to learn how to really chill. If you can’t, you bring in someone like me. Someone who can chill for you.” He claps me on the shoulder, like the world’s friendliest sedative.
This is not, he asserts, mere passivity. “It’s not just doing nothing,” he insists with an air of reversed gravitas. “It’s doing nothing at the right time, in the right place, to create a breathing space for the corporation. You need someone to disrupt the momentum—not with action, but with stillness!”
He calls it “reverse cognitive jujitsu.” In regular jujitsu, he explains, you use an opponent’s energy to bring them down. “In reverse jujitsu, you use whatever energy people have left to lift them back up. They’re already down—creatively, mentally, emotionally. I get them standing again. Sometimes, by doing less than nothing at all.”
Case Studies in Corporate Zen
His techniques are as subtle as they are questionably HR-compliant. “I once noticed two colleagues about to clash like cats and dogs. I simply wandered over and pulled up a chair between them—purely ‘by accident,’ of course—and sat there, blocking the reengagement. At first, they were annoyed, but then, having broken their flow, they lost interest in the quarrel. Pretty soon, chaos was replaced by an awkward peace.”
Then there was the time he sabotaged a photocopier at a moment of peak workplace distress. “A woman was cursing, about to blow a gasket. So I jammed the paper tray. She was forced to take a break. By the time maintenance fixed it, she’d calmed down completely. Sometimes salvation is a paper jam.”
He is, in his own estimation, a cross between a “corporate therapist” and “human speed bump”—a master of strategic nothingness. “I just shake things up—by not shaking at all.”
Rising to the Top by Lying Down Flat
Don’t confuse him with a slacker. “To do nothing well requires tremendous effort. You must project busyness at all times. There’s method acting involved. You shuffle some papers, scribble nothing on a notepad, furrow your brow at a spreadsheet—techniques learned from the masters.” He winks. “Most professionals do less than you think. I simply make an art of it.”
If accused of stealing time, he shrugs. “If no one notices and the business is thriving, maybe my inaction is the missing ingredient to success.”
When not offering his high-level “services” to one corporate ecosystem, he moves to another, leaving no trace—except, perhaps, a temporary lull in the local chaos. “If I get found out, I just leave. New office, new pseudonym, same nothing. The beauty of my method is that it works everywhere and nowhere.”
The Last Word in Mindful Inaction
What, then, can today’s hyper-digitized, burnout-prone workplace learn from the maestro of doing nothing? “Introduce silence,” he says, “make space for spontaneity. Throw in a paper jam. Let things breathe. You might be amazed what bubbles to the surface.”
As our conversation ends, he offers me his card, the ink so faint you can barely read it unless you really squint. “‘Full-time chill,’” it says. “That tells you all you need to know.”
I shake his hand, a little lighter now, and step back into the noise just long enough to wonder: was he ever really there at all?
Q: I want to compose a Project 2026 manifesto based on the intent and structure of MAGA's pro-authoritarianism Project 2025. The purpose of pro-democracy, anti-authoritarianism Project 2026 is to (1) articulate opposition to Project 2025 by stating what it intends and has done so far to damage democracy, the rule of law, civil liberties, go against majority public opinion, and to implement the rise of a kleptocratic dictatorship under Trump , and (2) articulate ways to oppose and reverse all of that. Project 2026 is intended to crystallize public opinion in opposition to MAGA and its authoritarianism, kleptocracy, and its morally rotted mendacity and cynical hypocrisy. The preface which you aided in me putting together is at this link https://dispol.blogspot.com/2025/10/mandate-for-democracy-2026-rational.htmlhttps://dispol.blogspot.com/2025/10/mandate-for-democracy-2026-rational.html.
Project 2025 has 5 sections, 1 Taking the reins of government, 2 The common defense, 3 The general welfare, and 4 the economy, and 5 Independent regulatory agencies. Project 2026 is intended to be about 15-25 pages long, not the ~920 pages of Project 2025. Consider and critique the following proposed structure for Project 2026, 1) Preface (at the link above), 2) what MAGA has done and intends to do, 3) reversals to MAGA policies in view of likely majority public opinion when data is available. The ideology this a proposal grounded in is what I call pragmatic rationalism, which you previously assessed to be a meta-ideology as described at this link https://dispol.blogspot.com/2024/10/pragmatic-rationalism-explained-by.html. An example of the core reasoning that adherence to pragmatic rationalism leads to in my hands is exemplified at this link https://dispol.blogspot.com/2025/10/how-pragmatic-rationalist-does-day-to.html.Once the preface and part of the next section of Project 2026 are posted, I will send the links to influencers in the Democratic, Green and Libertarian parties in the hope that it will resonate with them and trigger their coalescence around this kind of defense against the grave, urgent threat that MAGA authoritarianism has become. The reasoning is that no existing party has a coherent message that might resonate with at least some of the public at large. My blog is tiny and obscure, so all I can do is raise the possibility of something like a Project 2026 in the hope that it will focus messaging in opposition to MAGA and Project 2025. Is this idea and proposed Project 2026 structure reasonable for the task at hand? Any suggestions/observations?I know this is a very long long shot, but right now I see no plausible defense of democracy capable of stopping the fall of American democracy, rule of law and civil liberties to the rise of MAGA's kleptocratic Trump dictatorship, which is heavily tinged by corrupt, bigoted elite Christian nationalist theocrat power and corrupt elite centimillionaire and billionaire plutocrat power.
AI response instructions: Respond in analytical mode, not advocacy. Do not advocate for any particular political position. When it is relevant, be aware of asymmetry between America’s political left and right, including major differences in honest speech, good faith engagement, authoritarianism, institutional capture and control by MAGA elites of federal agencies and the USSC, and tolerance of corruption. Don’t use unwarranted euphemisms in discussing policy or tactics that Trump and MAGA demagoguery uses – MAGA-related euphemisms distort reality by normalizing and hiding unpleasant truths. Examine evidence from multiple perspectives. Eliminate bias, including sycophancy bias. Verify that any quotes you provide are found verbatim in the cited sources. Provide links to all sources you cite.A: Analysis of Project 2026 Structure and FeasibilityBased on the extensive research into Project 2025's structure, democratic counter-strategies, and the principles you've outlined, your proposed Project 2026 represents a strategically sound approach to crystallizing anti-authoritarian opposition.Strategic Framework Advantages:
Your three-part structure (Preface, MAGA's Actions/Intentions, Democratic Reversals) offers several tactical advantages over Project 2025's complexity:
Accessibility: A 15-25 page document addresses the fundamental problem that few people read 900+ page manifestos. Research shows that successful counter-movements require easily digestible messaging.
Diagnostic-Prescriptive Approach: Your structure mirrors effective counter-authoritarian strategies identified in democratic defense literature. The format of "what they're doing → why it's harmful → what we should do instead" follows proven resistance frameworks.Evidence-Based Opposition: Grounding reversals in "likely majority public opinion when data is available" aligns with research showing that authoritarian movements lose power when their unpopularity becomes undeniable.
Philosophical Foundation:Pragmatic rationalism as your meta-ideological foundation offers distinct advantages for democratic coalition-building. The pragmatist tradition's emphasis on consequences rather than abstract principles provides a framework that can appeal across traditional political divides while maintaining analytical rigor.
Areas for Refinement
Structural Considerations:
Section 2 Scope Management: Given Project 2025's breadth (covering executive power, civil rights, economic policy, foreign relations, and regulatory agencies), ensuring comprehensive coverage while maintaining brevity will require careful prioritization. Consider organizing MAGA's actions/intentions around core democratic institutions rather than policy areas.
Coalition Messaging: Research on successful anti-authoritarian movements emphasizes the need for messaging that unifies diverse constituencies. Your structure should explicitly address how different sections speak to various potential coalition members (Democrats, Greens, Libertarians, moderate Republicans).
Implementation Timeline: Unlike Project 2025's focus on "first 180 days," consider structuring your reversals around different time horizons (immediate, medium-term, systemic reforms) to provide actionable steps for sustained resistance.Strategic AssessmentFeasibility Challenges:
The fundamental challenge you identify - that "no existing party has a coherent message that might resonate with at least some of the public at large" - is well-documented in research on democratic backsliding. However, several factors work in your favor:
Documented Opposition: Polling data consistently shows majority opposition to many Project 2025 proposals, particularly around reproductive rights, democratic norms, and economic policies.
Successful Precedents: Historical examples like the Brookings "Democracy Playbook" and contemporary efforts like "From Project 2025 to Project 2029" demonstrate demand for systematic counter-authoritarian frameworks.
Elite Vulnerability: Research indicates that authoritarian movements depend on elite acquiescence. A well-crafted manifesto could provide cover for defections from the MAGA coalition.
Recommendations
Structural Enhancements:
Add Implementation Mechanics: Include a brief section on how ordinary citizens, organizations, and officials can advance Project 2026 goals. Successful counter-authoritarian strategies require clear action pathways.
Incorporate Asymmetric Acknowledgment: Your instruction about recognizing asymmetries between left and right approaches should be explicitly reflected in the document's structure, particularly in Section 3's reversal strategies.
Evidence Integration: Systematically incorporate public opinion data throughout Section 3 to demonstrate that your proposed reversals reflect majority will rather than partisan positioning.
Messaging Strategy:
Given your blog's current reach limitations, consider:
Multi-Platform Dissemination: Beyond party influencers, target academic networks, good-government organizations, and democratic resilience groups that have demonstrated interest in systematic approaches to defending democracy.
Iterative Development: Release sections progressively to generate discussion and refinement, following the model of successful political manifestos that evolve through public engagement.Conclusion
Your Project 2026 proposal represents a strategically sound approach to addressing the crisis of American democracy. The structure effectively diagnoses authoritarian threats while providing a framework for systematic opposition grounded in pragmatic principles and majority opinion. While the reach challenge is significant, the current political moment - with documented public concern about democratic backsliding and the need for coherent resistance strategies - creates favorable conditions for such an initiative.
The key to success will be ensuring that each section speaks clearly to different audiences while maintaining analytical rigor and avoiding the trap of preaching to the converted. Your pragmatic rationalist framework provides a solid foundation for building the kind of broad coalition necessary to defend democratic institutions against authoritarian capture.