You're hearing the word, "feckless" in foreign policy discussions a lot these days. Let's learn about this word.

Merriam-Webster feck·less   adjective \ˈfek-ləs\: having or resulting from a weak character or nature                                  

See feckless defined for English-language learners »   Examples of FECKLESS  She can't rely on her feckless son. 

feckless response to the rise in school violence

Origin of FECKLESS  Scots, from feck effect, majority, from Middle English (Scots) fek, alteration of Middle English effect

From the Free Dictionary:

 1. Lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective.

2. Careless and irresponsible Thesaurus.net lists synonyms: incompetent,

                                           inept, irresponsible.

 

Thomas Sowell uses the word in a sentence: Our Feckless First Leader ;  

An appearance on Letterman trumps meeting with Netanyahu.

"During the same week when the American ambassador to Libya was murdered and his dead body dragged through the streets by celebrating mobs, the president of the United States found time to go on the David Letterman show to demonstrate his sense of humor and how cool he is.

 

"But Barack Obama did not have time to meet with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of a nation repeatedly threatened with annihilation by Iranian leaders who are working feverishly toward the creation of nuclear bombs."