STOOPING TO CONQUER – US PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

You must wonder how the working class in America has suddenly been glorified in what is historically a capitalist country that has as motto enrich yourself. Bill's wife, Bomb Bomb McCain and Burning Spear Obama whose campaigns in the Rust Belt states of Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania have focused on blue collar masses as the key element in America. To swallow this baloney, you must forget the fact that GW Bush's globalization has seriously diminished the numbers and influence of this class and that the three candidates hypocritically have enriched themselves without getting dirt under their finger nails.

My recollection is that the worker's elevation in society began in the 18th century with the philosopher, Jean Jacques Rousseau from Geneva. He believed in the noble savage; that idleness and luxury lead to the corruption of society. He concluded that humans must band together to share the fruits of labor without government interference – such as it is, this utopian credo provided the underpinning to Political Socialism. Rousseau's so-called Social Contract theories were embellished by Marx and Engels who introduced class warfare as the industrial revolution developed. In the 20th century, Russians Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin forged class warfare as a revolutionary guide to action – and the world is still stuck with the remnants of this flawed ideology.

My experience as a young proletarian consisted of a collective year working in the steel mills of Indiana Harbor each year of summer vacation from Indiana University. I was an AFL card carrying iron worker and hod carrier; also had a CIO card as an oiler/mill wright and heat treater.

Be advised that there is nothing glamorous or romantic working in a steel mill. At that time my fellow workers were composed mainly of hillbillies, all of whom had a chip on their shoulder toward me – a college boy who escaped after few months from the industrial hell hole to frat beer busts, white bucks and consorting with easy coeds. Upon graduation, my father advised me that he set up jobs for me in the mills to vaccinate me from dropping out of college and failing to get a degree.


He was right. The work in polluted air was grimy, gritty and always suffused in clanging noise from the machinery. Work by local standards paid well, but there was no where to advance except to foreman after ten to fifteen years. The upper management role consisted of all college graduates. All workers looked forward eagerly to retirement on the West Florida coast. My fellow workers were from another planet who all seemed related to each other; they were ornery, skinny and had large adam’s apples. I never looked back.

There is not one ounce in Obama's background, character or life experience that links him to the working class; this is obvious from his comportment on the campaign trail. As a matter of fact, acting like soul mate of a blue collar worker would make him appear as ridiculous as Bill's wife who changes her accent to meet the local patois – take him or leave him; his charm and a flashing intelligence is his authenticity. His Rev. Wright problem is blown out of proportion; Wright has been painted by the media as a black power combination of Malcolm X, Paul Robeson, Jomo Kenyatta and Al Sharpton. Obama does not in any way exhibit any of their ideas. His main problem stems from “bitterly clinging to guns and religion" speech. As a result he has been branded as an elitist; a black man with his humble, complicated third-world origins is some stretch. Take your choice – stumbling bumbling GW Bush or an articulate unflappable Obama.

Bill's wife Hillary is just the opposite of Obama in values... She has what is defined as a fractured ego, i.e. that focuses on changing external influences rather than those internalized. Poor thing has recently dropped pronouncing the letter G at the end of words. Surprised she did not pronounce "D" for "TH" to appease the ethnic Slavs in Northern Indiana. The candidate is shameless. But those who vote for her are even more guilty with their stupefyingly bad judgment.

Bomb Bomb McCain, in league with Bill's wife, has aimed his fire on Obama. Also Limbaugh has encouraged the Republicans to cross over in the primaries and vote for Mrs. Clinton. There is no question the Republicans prefer to run against Bill's wife. McCain is flying around in his wife's airplane. At nearly every stop, he manages to blunder verbally. One thing his campaign learned is to keep him from the aircraft controls; the man has crashed three aircraft in training and has been shot down. As the Democrats settle on a candidate, McCain will be put at political ground zero by the Democrats. Bomb Bomb has no idea what it is to carry a lunch bucket or work for a living; his naval service certainly was imperfect. For him to brand Obama as an elitist as he flies around in his private jet is disgusting... What a guy.

There is nothing new for cynical, rich politicians to invoke false flags to demonstrate an affinity for the working class. Pathetic thing is the the working class always buys into it. Recollect the signs on the gates of NAZI extermination camps – WORK WILL MAKE YOU FREE – the final manipulation. Colonel Robert E Bartos USA Ret.

PS: Do you think Bill's wife will accept Bomb Bomb McCain's offer for Vice President?

* Photo: Portion of a mural painting by Diego Rivera