Thomas Sowell has a fantastic articled titled Dismantling America (H/T Instapundit). It discusses the influence of the administrative state on our freedom, and particularly the role of President Obama’s “czars.”

Just one year ago, would you have believed that an unelected government official, not even a Cabinet member confirmed by the Senate but simply one of the many “czars” appointed by the President, could arbitrarily cut the pay of executives in private businesses by 50 percent or 90 percent?

Did you think that another “czar” would be talking about restricting talk radio? That there would be plans afloat to subsidize newspapers– that is, to create a situation where some newspapers’ survival would depend on the government liking what they publish?

I am working on some research on the appointments clause, and whether the role of Czars is so significant that i should require advice and consent of the senate. See some of my thoughts here.