"Kleptocrat."

That's the new word Jim Hightower uses to describe the types who have taken over our government and our corporations:

"The Kleptocrats have taken over. Look at America's leadership today--not just political, but corporate, too. Tell me you wouldn't trade the whole mess of them for one good kindergarten teacher.

...

"Yes, they're in charge! Here we are, living in the wealthiest country in history, a country of boundless possibilities, a country made up of a people deeply committed to democratic ideals, a country with the potential for spectacular human achievement--but we find ourselves ruled (politically, economically, culturally, and ethically) by a confederacy of Kleptocrats...

"The unforgivable transgression of today's leaders is that they have abandoned this common wisdom of the common good and quit striving for that world of enlightenment and egalitarianism that the founders envisioned and that so many throughout history have struggled to build. Instead, whether from the top executive suites or from the White House, the people in charge today are aggressively pushing a soulless ethic that shouts: 'Everyone on your own, grab all you can, and if you've got enough money, secure yourself in a gated compound.'

"Not only are the Kleptocrats stealing our country from us, they're stealing our democratic ideas--the very idea of America. And it's time to take them back..."