A recent editorial calls the government of Zimbabwe a thugocracy -- somewhat different from the kleptocracy we called it in a recent thread.

Have others seen the former term? Comments on its meaning, and on the distinction between the terms?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0203020185mar02.story: The Europeans also froze the foreign assets of the president and the leaders of his thugocracy.
http://wordsmith.org/board/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=words&Number=52419

Kleptocrats are capable of subtle thievish tactics. Thugocrats just smash and grab. I have seen thuocrat used before.