politics @lemmy.worldEnglish · 2 days ago

‘Government by the worst’: why people are calling Trump’s new sidekicks a ‘kakistocracy’

www.theguardian.com

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‘Government by the worst’: why people are calling Trump’s new sidekicks a ‘kakistocracy’

www.theguardian.com

breakfastmtn@lemmy.ca to

politics @lemmy.worldEnglish · 2 days ago

The word is trending as Trump makes cabinet picks – but it’s not the first time it’s been used to describe lousy leadership

Matt Gaetz running the justice department. Fox hosts in charge of the Pentagon and transportation. Elon Musk as head of layoffs. And Robert F Kennedy Jr and Dr Oz overseeing the nation’s health.

Some have likened Donald Trump’s administrative picks to a clown car; others are calling our incoming leadership a kakistocracy, or “government by the worst people”, as Merriam-Webster puts it.

The word has been trending online, with a burst in search traffic in recent weeks and a new dedicated subreddit. It’s not the first time Trump has (accidentally) made the term famous; many discovered it in his first term. But the kakistocracy of 2016 looks like Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood compared with the president-elect’s new batch of sidekicks.

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“1880 was also a general election year in the UK, another country known for its contributions to the English language.”

Hilarious

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