Kaput

The history of some words is a real masterpiece. For instance, kaput. The original word was the Latin "caput" - "a head"; and the way from "a head" to "the end of everything" is rather long.

This razor is kaput.

My car went kaput.

His career is kaput.

Her marriage went kaput.

German propaganda loudspeaker: […] The Statue of Liberty is KAPUT. Captain Miller: "The Statue of Liberty is kaput" – huh, that's disconcerting.

In the book, his conclusion is simple: capitalism is kaput, celebrity charity won’t plug holes, revolution is the only solution. Yet it also feels like a bit of a cop-out: he insists all this can be achieved through love, peace and understanding.