European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 30, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Retailers feel the Pinch class warfare by David Lauter los Angeles times for generations the United states has been the Only major Western democracy whose political parties were not based on economic class. Today with the Economy heading into recession and shouts of Quot tax the Rich Quot echoing through the Halls of Congress is this american exception coming to an end is America finally in for class warfare after All at first Blush there Are some signs that class skirmishing at least is already breaking out a in Iowa populist democratic sen. Tom Harkin is blanketing his states airwaves with political advertisements featuring Champagne pouring into a Pyramid of glasses As a narrator describes his opponents votes to reduce taxes for the wealthy. Quot the Choice is Clear More tax Breaks for the Rich or Tom Harkin fighting for us a the narrator says As the Glass Pyramid crashes. A in Vermont president Bush spent a Day campaigning for the state s at Large Republican congressman Peter Smith whose votes on the budget have put him in jeopardy against socialist Bernard Sanders who is running As an Independent. A and in Kentucky where the fire eating tradition runs deep even Republican sen. Mitch Mcconnell is airing commercials touting his willingness to raise taxes on the wealthy. But according to academics and practising politicians alike there is less to this talk of class based politics than meets the Eye. Clearly the tone of american politics has changed a and changed quickly a during the years since former president Reagan ran for re election with the slogan Quot morning in  and they be changed even in the less than two years since Bush won the 1988 presidential election promising to carry on the Reagan program. Quot the 1980s Are being rung out As a decade More abruptly than any decade i can think of since the 1920s,&Quot said University of Texas political scientist Walter Dean Burnham. Quot there is a pent up demand for payback time. A morning in american has become the morning after in  and on both sides of the political Divide democrats a hopefully a and republicans a anxiously a have begun contemplating what the politics of the \. 1990s might look like. The possibility they see is that economic issues May dominate the decade rather than the social issues a ranging from crime in the streets and prayer in the schools to abortion a that so strongly aided the campaigns of Republican presidential candidates since Richard m. Nixon. But if that change comes the Center of the debate will be the economic concerns of individuals not of classes political experts predict. The two sets of concerns overlap at times but often Are far different. For example individuals who believe that they May one Day move to a different rung on the economic ladder May Well support policies that require More wealthy people to Bear a heavy part of the Burden of paying for government. But at the same time they will tend to Stop Short of measures to redistribute wealth radically a just on the Chance that they themselves become wealthy one Day. Slightly higher taxes May get support. Confiscatory taxes almost certainly will not. The reasons go to the heart of How american politics works and How americans View their society and Economy. The United states is and always has been a society deeply divided by class. Take one statistic the one fifth of american families at the Bottom of the economic ranking receives Only about 7 percent of total . Income. The top fifth receives More than five times As much. In spite of this however the nation remains largely without class consciousness. Quot americans Don t feel they belong to any class Quot said labor Leader Gus Tyler of the garment workers Union. Quot you ask 80 percent of americans they will say Middle  a from 1962 to 1985, the United states went through an Quot unprecedented Quot increase in the ability of the children of the working class to Rise into the ranks of better paid higher status professional and managerial jobs largely because of the tremendous growth of Public College systems said University of California Berkeley sociologist Michael Hout. During roughly the same years the 1960s and 1970s, inequality in american society a the Gap Between Rich and poor a shrank. Over the past few years however americans have seen those trends change. The improvement in Equality stopped and then reversed itself during the 1980s a years of relative economic stagnation a noted University of Maryland economist Frank Levy. European Mai Unish Chi Nimie l a n Wpc octet a a Ino mud a business Ladbroke top East closing Sale at the cold War cold store i revealed How top firm bowed i �?i-1------ii. Aids drug Man in a no Crook inn he it a amp a a a the european that Speaks your language the european is the Only English language newspaper devoted entirely to Europe from insights into business opportunities and jobs to investments holidays fashion sports and More. The european also brings you essential information on the environment health lifestyles and education. In Short its a weekly look at the news and events that concern All of us in  european is now available for $1.25 at most stars and stripes bookstores. Tuesday october 30, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 17