“The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles. Freeman and slave, patrician and plebian, lord and serf, guild-master and journeyman, in a word, oppressor and oppressed…” Karl Marx, The Communist Manifesto, 1848.

Proletariat vs. Bourgeois, Oppressor vs. oppressed. Businessman vs. worker. Rich vs. poor. Almost* everyone in one camp or the other; the oppressed masses or the oppressing few. This is the dirty old window through which the left still views humanity; how Obama views humanity. Obama knows class struggle.

Thus it was that when Obama met Joe the Plumber, he was able to place him in the proper camp within a matter of seconds, the space of one question from Joe.

To the casual class-war practitioner, Joe fits neatly among the oppressed masses. He is after all a tradesman, working with his hands for an hourly wage, and all for the benefit of some oppressing businessman. But Master Class Warrior Obama was not fooled by appearances. Obama answered as if Joe already had his means of capitalist production (business) and was already oppressing the proletariat (his employees).

How did Champion Obama so quickly recognize Joe as an enemy of the masses, and consign him to the proper camp? Class-war privates, pay attention if you ever hope to become lieutenants.

Joe’s question revealed his dream, his hope for a better life, his entrepreneurial spirit. It showed most especially that he was not of the dependant class, that he intended to make it by his own hard work. He did not ask for Obama’s help, he just wanted Obama NOT to impede him.

Big mistake. Because while almost* everyone is in one of the camps, Obama is in a very, very special group. History doesn’t really name his group, but call it the Hero group, the Rescuer group, the Anointed group, the Savior group: and it’s very small indeed. In Marx’s book, the Communists were the heroes; the Ones who would gather the oppressed masses into a class, give them their identity, and lead them to rise up and punish the oppressor class.

Joe wasn’t one of the downtrodden masses wearily awaiting rescue from Robin ObamaHood. For that crime, Joe the Plumber became Joe the Bourgeois. Ooh, sorry Joe. Wrong camp. And yes, in fact, Obama does want to punish Joe (his minions started that right away).

Because Joe is the oppressor, his imaginary employees, the oppressed, and Obama the One, the savoir of those imaginary oppressed.