the.com/cronyism
Hiring your golf buddy instead of the best candidate, then acting surprised when the roof leaks.
means Giving jobs, favors, or contracts to your friends and pals based on who they are rather than what they can actually do.
from From 'crony,' meaning a close, longtime friend. The word traces to 17th-century university slang, likely from Greek 'khronios' meaning 'long-lasting' — fittingly, a crony is someone you've known a long time. 'Cronyism' itself surfaced later, in the 1800s, when people needed a sharp word for friends-in-high-places getting the spoils that merit should have earned.
- not nepotism
- friends and allies, not family, get the favors
- ancient roots
- word traces to greek crony, meaning longtime friend
- hidden cost
- competence quietly replaced by loyalty, everyone pretends not to notice
- thrives where
- oversight is weak and favors are easy to hide