Steve Dasbach, one time National Director of the Libertarian Party, has parlayed that experience into a guest writing slot at Samizdata. That has to be an upward move for him.
His article points out how G.W. Bush is much like his predecessors - style over substance.
[George W. is] going to - drum roll, please - appoint a manufacturing czar [the proposed formal title: Assistant Commerce Secretary for Manufacturing and Services].
It's a classic political move. If a president wants to make it look like he's doing something, but has no idea what to do, he appoints a 'czar'. However, a 'Manufacturing Czar' will do nothing to help the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs.
President Nixon started the trend in 1973 by appointing John Love as Energy Czar.[...]
Since then, we've been blessed with Drug Czars, Heath Care Czars, Aids Czars, and Privacy Czars, to name just a few.
President Clinton even appointed a 'Counter-Intelligence Czar' just before he left office, charged with developing:
'a national counterintelligence strategy identifying and prioritizing the keys to American prosperity and security. Informed by such a strategic analysis, the czar will then coordinate the efforts of the intelligence, defense and law enforcement communities.'
We saw how well that worked on September 11, 2001.
