this post was submitted on 17 Jan 2025
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Summary

In his farewell speech, President Joe Biden warned of a growing "oligarchy" in the U.S., where extreme wealth and power threaten democracy.

Comparing modern elites to 19th-century robber barons, he called for reforms to hold the wealthy accountable, as done in the past.

Biden also criticized a "tech-industrial complex" concentrating power and spreading disinformation, weakening democracy.

His remarks sparked a surge in Google searches for "oligarchy."

The speech comes amid rising concerns about policies favoring billionaires, like Trump’s tax cuts and potential cuts to social safety programs.

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[–] itsonlygeorge@reddthat.com 46 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (5 children)

You might as well search for kakistocracy as well.

kakistocracy /kăk″ĭ-stŏk′rə-sē, kä″kĭ-/ noun

  1. Government by the least qualified or most unprincipled citizens. 
  1. Government by the worst men. 
  1. Government under the control of a nation's worst or least-qualified citizens. 

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition 

[–] NauticalNoodle@lemmy.ml 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)
[–] aesthelete@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I read Ken Klippenstein and he was heralding 2024 as the year of the gerontocracy starting to fail and be left behind and I'm like dude, we just elected a fucking 78 year old Hitler wannabe as president. The gerontocracy only gets worse.

[–] ZMoney@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Yeah, one of the major reasons the Soviet leadership failed too

Ah, so that's where "Heritage Foundation" comes from.

[–] Whats_your_reasoning@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Fun fact: the Greek word kakistos (meaning "worst"), from which the first part of kakistocracy derives, comes from the Proto-Indo European root *kakka- which means "to defecate." Source: Etymonline

In other words, kakistocracy can be considered: Being governed by shit.

ETA another related fact.: the word cacophony (meaning "harsh or unpleasant discordance of sound") also shares this root. It came to English via Latin, so the spelling is different, but the origin remains the same. Which is to say, a "cacophony" is a shitty sound.

[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Top kek, I mean kak.

[–] whoisearth@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 year ago

kakistocracy - see South Africa. Lol