[Ads-l] kakistocrat

[David K. Barnhart]

kakistocrat, n. {w}  a person who supports or participates in a kakistocracy
(government by the worst politicians).  Standard (used in contexts dealing
especially with government; frequency?)

 

The bottom line is that we are being governed by "Kakistocrats," the worst,
least principled, most incompetent among us. Unfortunately, that applies to
state as well as federal government. Investors Business Daily recently
opined that Rep. Barney Frank and Sen. Chris Dodd should be in jail for
their parts in the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac meltdowns. Instead they are
overseeing our recovery.  Joseph Vargo, "Who to blame for meltdown,"
Monterey County Herald [Calif.] (Nexis), April 14, 2009, p not given

 

In President Trump's cabinet of kakistocrats, it's the scoundrels and fools
who often get the attention. There's Ben Carson and his magic dining set,
the Blue Angels dropping hundreds of thousands in taxpayer cash on first
class and private air travel, and Rick Perry suggesting we subsidize coal.
There's also Ryan Zinke, a Blue Angel himself, who's looking at selling off
around the edges of every national monument you can think of. But the
serious ones-the Adults in the Room-don't feature as often.  Jack Holmes,
"No one knows how anything works," Esquire (Google News), March 28 2018,

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a19618473/trump-wall-pentagon-budget-m
attis-kim-jong-un/

 

There's a psychological phenomenon known as "the backfire effect": the
tendency of some people, when shown data disproving a preferred belief, to
believe it even more strongly. Though not confined to a single demographic,
studies show prominence among self-identified conservatives, a convenient
fact for exploitation by "truth doesn't matter" political purveyors.
(Liberals' information-processing deficits seem mostly to revolve around
"alternative" medicine, anti-vaccination, and anti-GMO nonsense. Bad enough;
but at least it doesn't elect autocrats, kakistocrats and theocrats.)  Sid
Schwab, "April Fools' Day may last all year if we don't wise up," HeraldNet
[Everett, Wash.] (Google News), April 7, 2018,

http://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/schwab-april-fools-day-may-last-all-year-if
-we-dont-wise-up/

 

[1990]  Shortening (clipping): formed from kakistocrat(ical) (eOED: 1641)
[ultimately from Greek κάκιστος, meaning "worst"].  Compare kakistocracy
(eOED: 1829) and kakistocratic (DC File: 2005).  See -ocracy.

 


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