Who is Brian Deese & Why Should You Care?

Brian Deese is a 31 year old White House aid who, in the words of the New York Times, “finds himself dismantling General Motors and rewriting the rules of American capitalism.”

The Times’ unctuous article focuses on Mr. Deese’s biography, and the exhilaration experienced by such a young man  having such enormous responsibility.  The Times apparently isn’t troubled with the concept of an aid to the political elite in Washington “rewriting the rules of American capitalism.”

Mr. Deese has a degree in political science, and has attended but not finished law school.  He has no formal training in business or economics, and no employment experience that is even remotely related to manufacturing, marketing, distribution, engineering, or corporate finance.

Like his boss, Barack Obama, Mr. Deese presumes to be able to conquor massive complexity, repeal immutible laws of economics, and overcome the inevetible negative consequences, with a combination of simplistic rhetorical bromides and raw political power.

That such a young man, with no relevant education or experience, commands such enormous power over the lives of so many millions of people is preposterous.  But the larger point is that this President, his cabinet and apparently most of the Congress actually believe the federal government can and should be the primary decision maker for the auto industry, the energy industry and the health care industry.

With staggering speed and arrogance, President Obama is moving toward the goal of, in his own words, “fundamentally changing America” from a nation of individual liberty and relatively free markets, to a command-and-control, bureaucratic aristocracy where liberty is severely constrained and markets are dominated by government.