The Word of the year- from The Economist

[SteveG]

A kakistocracy is a government run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens. The word was coined as early as the seventeenth century.


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The term saw frequent use about the first presidency of Donald Trump, going viral in 2017 when used by MSNBC host Joy Reid and again, in 2018 when former CIA Director John Brennan used the term. The term also was used by commentators in numerous newspapers, political publications,and books to describe the first Trump administration.

After the 2024 election, the term was used again regarding the prospect of nominations Trump began making for offices in his second term, who would have to face review and consent by Congress following inauguration in January 2025. Through comparison to the first administration he had put into place that was criticized as kakistocractic, many initial nominations announced by Trump in November 2024 were characterized as even more significantly kakistocratic.

[Lemon Drop]

Catastrophic
Kakistocratic

Kleptocratic

[AllGold]

My first thought was the word was based on kaka, meaning excrement, but while it would be accurate that word is spelled caca, c-a-c-a. It's from a Greek word meaning worst.

[Lux Interior]

Say the word and you'll be free
Say the word and be like me
Say the word I'm thinking of
Have you heard the word is...

[bfd]

This is an Idiocracy, and it was predicted, though much further into the future than 2024…

[gabester]

Say it with me kids...

Christo - having to do with christian
Krypto - having to do with the hiding of information or, now, money
Klepto - having to do with thieving
Kakisto - having to do with the worst, least capable, unprincipled
Fascism - authoritarian governance exalting the nation and often of a specific cultural subgroup with a dictatorial central leadership characterized by cruelty and inflexible adherence to an incomplete ideology

Usage:

In 2024, only two score years belated from Orwell's famous novel, the United States voted to convert from end stage corporatist capitalist representative democracy to perpetual ChristoKryptoKleptoKakistofascism.

But with a little levity, perhaps it will be more like Hogan's Heros.

[hal]

I read that the word of the year was enshitifcation - referring to new car designs

[mrbigstuff]

AllGold wrote:
My first thought was the word was based on kaka, meaning excrement, but while it would be accurate that word is spelled caca, c-a-c-a. It's from a Greek word meaning worst.

That's exactly what I thought, and it was a frequently used word in childhood.