Warner CrockerI know the term Kakistocracy is popular these days, justifiably so.
But given how miserable messaging is on the Left, it probably would be wise to ditch the fancy name and just call it Thugocracy. #politics #kakistocracy #thugocracy
Pass the Dutchie@WarnerCrocker or mafia state.
quangobaudWe've all grown-up using particular words, such as "hooligan" without knowing how they actually came into everyday usage.
As "thug" derives from "the Thuggee cult" it could be contentious as recently there has been a spread of people of Indian (Bharat) origin achieving positions of political power around the world. But, this seems to be happening with selections for positions in the Trump administration, too.
Thuggee activity against the British rule in India gives "thugs" a suggestion of fighting oppression. A religious cult also known for banditry and murder. The idea of thugs being henchman comes later from it being a commonly known term. I imagine english-speaking people started saying of gang members and hired muscle in the pay-of-others, "They're like the thugs" and it developed from there.
While I don't know of any word beyond "khaki" that sounds like the latin derived word "caca", I reckon "kakistocracy" cannot be miscontrued as anything other than rule by shits.
@miguelpergamon Seriously appreciate the etymology.
But given how ignorant, willingly or not, at least half of our population here in the US is, I'd stick with US slang since it's what most have a chance of understanding.
If we've learned nothing, it's how easy words fail us with folks who don't want to understand them.
@WarnerCrocker
Appreciated.
It came to my mind as there was a 2010's US trend to associate "thug" with "black" which also began to be reflected in UK media (the rightwing kind) over the last two or three years. I think before the 80's it was used generically in the US to mean any hoodlum or brute but the later 80's and 90's saw it increasingly used to describe "urban street people" (and "muggers") instead of "hustler" and connected with the Rap scene. (Mainly I'm going by memory and how these things presented to me.)
Appreciated.
It came to my mind as there was a 2010's US trend to associate "thug" with "black" which also began to be reflected in UK media (the rightwing kind) over the last two or three years. I think before the 80's it was used generically in the US to mean any hoodlum or brute but the later 80's and 90's saw it increasingly used to describe "urban street people" (and "muggers") instead of "hustler" and connected with the Rap scene. (Mainly I'm going by memory and how these things presented to me.)
semitone@miguelpergamon @WarnerCrocker Latin? From the word itself I had assumed that is derives from Greek kakos (bad).
@semit0ne @WarnerCrocker
It's more likely that!
Though I don't know the greek usage or origin.
edit: googled kakos and was reminded that it's used in "cacophony"