THE CZARIST RISE AND THE AMERICAN POLYCRACY

By Jason Spencer (Libertarian)

With the Obama administration now in full force, a special mutation in government expansion can be seen. It is the rise of a horizontal network of competing agencies headed by “super aides,” known as “czars” in the media, to run the bloated and powerful executive branch. This system is otherwise known as a polycracy, which is system governed by many rulers. Thus, this unique horizontal mutation has moved away from the traditional vertical hierarchy seen in the past. However, I must say that the pathogenesis of this mutation was bequeathed to the present administration from prior ones. Only as a result of Mr. Obama’s brand of government expansionism has the mutation become so glaringly obvious to the public.

To date, there are currently 32 Czars in the Obama administration. Apparently, Mr. Obama cannot wait on the traditionally slow legislative process to execute his ambitious agenda and needs action now! So, he appoints “czars” to “stay above” the usual Washington “fray” to execute his policies while so many of the Cabinet members become wrapped up in countless Congressional hearings to justify bloated budgets, which amounts to nothing more than political grandstanding. (Note: The thesaurus recommended synonyms for “czar” include: “despot,” “tyrant,” “dictator,” “slave driver,” “duce,” “oppressor,” and “Führer.”

For the record, the current czarist mutation is not the first of its kind seen in presidential administrations. According to Wikipedia, 47 “czar” appointments have been made in US presidential history (32 are currently active). George W. Bush bequeathed 17 “czars”, well over half of the current appointments, to the Obama administration. The precedent of establishing “czars” was set by “Raw Dealer” Franklin D. Roosevelt in December of 1941, with the appointment of Byron Price to the Office of Censorship as the Censorship Czar.

This mutagenic expansion of US departmental power from its traditional organizational structure is reminiscent of the polycratic system seen in the Nazi government. According to The Hitler State by Martin Broszat, the Third Reich’s government resembled an “Organizational Jungle” of competing agencies. Today, similarities are very apparent in the current American polycratic system in which this “jungle” has a “Mideast peace czar” (not to be confused with the “Mideast policy czar”), a “Sudan czar” and a “Guantanamo closure czar.” Now, don’t forget the “Great Lakes czar” or the “WMD czar,” who no doubt overlap with the “terrorism czar.”

In the final polycratic illustration, the White House press secretary (a.k.a., the “propaganda czar”---I made that one up.) Robert Gibbs could not accurately articulate the difference in roles between the Health and Human Services secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, and the president’s Health czar, Nancy-Ann DeParle. Mr. Gibbs initially said the czar would be in charge of health care reform but then had to recant that statement, after realizing that is the role of the secretary, recognizing the redundancy in the two appointments.

In the current government power vacuum already infested with duplicative bureaucracies, adding more mutagenic layers with overlapping responsibilities seems cannibalistic. With the ongoing accumulation of power in individual US agencies, it is not difficult to imagine a “Political Darwinism” within our own government departments. This type of political struggle is much akin to the political power grabbing that ensued within the ranks of the Third Reich. It was this kind of political cannibalism amongst the Nazi henchmen that allowed Hitler to stay in power and avoid being unseated for so long (despite many attempts). Wouldn’t you pay money to see a bunch of armed IRS agents (yes, there is such a thing) seizing the “ill gotten gains” from the DEA?

Furthermore, politicians in both parties have become drunk with power, with each party having seeded the government with their share of “czars.” Czarism’s fate in polycratic America is tied closely with the main theme from The Lord of the Rings: power is inherently evil and it corrupts the most virtuous and well intentioned of men. Thus, so is the case with these newly appointed “czars” in that they will be seduced by the power entrusted to them, just as the wearers of the One Ring became simultaneous slaves and wielders of great power. In essence, the Ring not only conferred great power but it also imposed serfdom on the wearer. Therefore, the rise of Czarism in American polycracy will be difficult to control or dismantle.

The mutagenic changes plaguing our government organizations into a polycratic system is a stark warning sign that the Constitutional checks and balances outlined by the Founding Fathers are being usurped. The increase of power and resources given to appointees and departments, without much Congressional oversight, produces counter-productivity and jealous infighting among them. It leads to power-mongering among individuals who carve out niches within the organization for their own agendas and benefit. For example, one need to only study the history of the first Director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, and see how he used that agency as his own personal intelligence gathering and blackmail cartel. If this growing and metastatic polycracy within the U.S. government continues unchecked, citizens will be subject to an increasing schizophrenic government having turf wars with itself--all in the name of supposedly promoting the general welfare of its citizens.

EDITOR’S NOTE: With the formation of a Libertarian Party in Southeast Georgia and Camden County, this article is the second of a series of articles on and by the Libertarian Party, its platform, and its principals. The views of the party and its members do not necessarily represent those of the editor or any of the staff. However, we do encourage the presentation of all views. Our masthead reads: THE CLARION ISSUE: Counter Editorials and Opinions on Current Events and Attitudes.