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.
Posted by Walter at September 20, 2003 08:36 AM