By James Thompson

As the capitalist mockery of democracy heats up, the Republican Party takes center stage in a parade of clowns never seen before. Many people are waking up to the fact that the so-called elections in the U.S. do not represent the will of the people, but only the will of the wealthy.

The majority of people in the U.S. are fed up with the wars that are draining our national resources even though many of these people don’t realize that the military takes up 58% of our Federal discretionary spending. This is compared to 4% spent for health care, 5% for education and 5% for health care. Of course, these facts are not covered by the national mass media.

Currently, there is a movement emerging that challenges the idiocy of the right wing dominating the talking heads on TV. The movement has seized on the fact that 1% of the population controls over 40% of the wealth and power in this country. They brazenly refer to themselves as the 99%ers who should control the wealth and power. They stop short and don’t call for the 99%ers to become the ruling class, but this may change over time. It does appear clear to the Occupy Wall Street movement that the 1% is responsible for the destruction of our infrastructure, including education, health care, and all public services.

The right wingers have been whining about class warfare and there are some voices who point out that the ruling class has been waging non-stop class warfare against middle and lower income people as long as capitalism has existed. Indeed, there has been no let up, but only periodic intensifications. We are in a period of intensification that stretches back to at least the 1970s, although some may argue that it reaches back to 1917, the birth of the Soviet Union.

Although most people in the U.S. deny it, the Soviet Union was established as the first experiment in socialism. It was largely successful in raising the standard of living of the Soviet people, but faced many external threats and attacks. One need only note the brutal invasion of the USSR by Nazi Germany, and the economic attacks by capitalism before, during and after World War II. Simultaneously with the attacks on socialism in the USSR, there have been attacks on trade unions and other progressive movements in this country and around the world. Witness the brutal attacks on Cuba and other Central and South American countries as well as countries in the Caribbean and around the world. As socialism has been beat down, so have labor movements. It is important to remember that the same people who attacked socialism have attacked other progressive movements including the civil rights movement, anti-war movement, and women’s rights movement to name just a few.

So back to the U.S. and our current distractions which serve as a mask of democracy hiding a legacy of greed, corruption, and theft of the wealth created by the working class in this country and around the world.

With the global economic crisis, the entertainment which the Republican candidates provide is comic relief for a dire situation terrorizing working people everywhere.

We have Mitt Romney, a former Republican governor of Massachusetts, who promoted a health care plan for Massachusetts which was promoted by the President and passed by the Congress. Would you think that the former governor turned Presidential candidate would back his own plan and claim credit? Wrong! He has now denounced his own plan in a display of incredible hypocrisy.

Michelle Bachman is a woman who is a candidate for nomination for President on the Republican ticket. Her wild religiosity has discredited her for the most part.

Ron Paul from Texas is a Libertarian/Anarchist who advocates the destruction of the Federal system and all government services. This whiney Texan is a laughable absurdity shadowed only by the other Texan, Governor Rick Perry. Perry is well known in Texas to be responsible for dismantling public services such as education, health care and law enforcement through drastic cuts in personnel while currying favor with his financial benefactors at a level that would make his predecessor, George W. Bush, blush. While claiming to be a job creator, he has destroyed the jobs and lives of countless Texans who held public service jobs.

Which leaves us with the current Republican front runner, and Presidential nominee du jour, Herman Cain. A former Godfather’s Pizza executive, many are waiting for him to announce his campaign slogan as “a pizza in every pot.” This laughable clown has proposed a so-called economic plan he has dubbed “9-9-9” which makes some of us think of the German words “Nein, nein, nein” or “No, no, no.” What a fitting name for a Republican plan which matches the Republicans in Congress who scream “No, no, no!” at the mildest reforms proposed by our President and progressive Congressional leaders, some of which are merely reworked Republican programs from the past. Analysts are showing that the 9-9-9 plan would result in the destruction of Social Security, Medicare and many other social services.

The ray of hope in all this insanity is the Occupy movement. It has the potential to lead the working class to respond to the class warfare tactics of the 1% with an all out effort to transform the working class into the ruling class. Only when the working class comes to power will the interests of the working class receive any serious attention. Since the Democrats only back minor reforms which are acceptable to the ruling class, they cannot be the vanguard party of the working class. Although reforms are important, working people need a working class party to lead them through the treacherous days ahead. It is time for the Communist Party to step forward and assume its historical role in leading the fight in the class war in this country and around the world. Unity of the people can win and establish permanent progress and make a qualitative change in our economic and political system. Working people have produced enough wealth to meet the needs of all the people in the world. However, as long as the current ruling class sucks the resources out of the various nations, many will continue to suffer. We need democracy for the 99%, not democracy for the 1%!