Personal Musings

kleptocracy

What Merriam-Webster says:

Main Entry: klep·toc·ra·cy
Pronunciation: \klep-ˈtä-krə-sē\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural klep·toc·ra·cies
Date: 1819

: government by those who seek chiefly status and personal gain at the expense of the governed ; also : a particular government of this kind
— klep·to·crat \ˈklep-tə-ˌkrat\ noun
— klep·to·crat·ic \ˌklep-tə-ˈkra-tik\ adjective

What Wikipedia says:

A kleptocracy (sometimes cleptocracy, occasionally kleptarchy) (root: klepto+kratein = rule by thieves) is a term applied to a government that extends the personal wealth and political power of government officials and the ruling class (collectively, kleptocrats) at the expense of the population.

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I normally don’t do political posts… I hate exhausting myself and having little to show for it. I’m not convinced that people read blogs/news/publications with an open mind — they are mostly just looking for confirmation of ideas they already hold (call me a pessimist). And besides that, there are too many other people who can say exactly what I want to say but with more elegance. I leave it to the professionals. That said, I am thoroughly disgusted with the current state of affairs in our country. I would encourage everyone to write their congress/person/ and share your thoughts about the bail-out, but that would imply they’d actually listen. I know plenty of folks will argue this is our only chance to avoid another Great Depression (dear hubby included) — but I think it is only a delay. We are encouraging bad practices, and punishing the responsible to support the irresponsible and/or greedy. Makes me sick to my stomach.