WHEN IN DOUBT, MUMBLE

The late James H. Boren, a mostly forgotten humorist, bureaucrat, and erstwhile philosopher (as well as the brother of former Oklahoma Senator David Boren) is credited with discovering the powerful doctrine of "dynamic inaction." Boren was already semi-famous inside the Beltway for his profound little volume, When in Doubt, Mumble, A Bureaucrat's Handbook. He defines Dynamic Inaction with one pithy aphorism: "When in doubt, mumble; when in trouble, delegate; when in charge, ponder." Nowadays we call it gridlock. And despite all the jeremiads coming from the talking heads and pundits in the commentariat lamenting political dysfunction and the imminent collapse of civilization, Dynamic Inaction might just be our salvation.