Reply #16: As Krugman states:

[prolesunited]

"Our political leaders are doing everything they can to fortify class inequality, while denouncing anyone who complains--or even points out what is happening--as a practitioner of "class warfare."

Here's an excellent deconstruction of the term that traces its roots and development in the GOP lexicon:

A proxy for policy
Apparently confident that "class warfare" is a powerful tool in their rhetorical arsenal, Republicans have been using the phrase frequently during the current debate. But Democrats seem well aware of how powerful the term has become and are launching a major effort to reclaim the term they thrust into the political vocabulary, turning it back against Republicans. Regardless of who wins the current debate, what's most notable about the rise of the term "class warfare" is how one phrase has become so central to economic debate in American politics, simplifying complex issues concerning tax and spending priorities into a back-and-forth over the meaning of just two words.
http://www.spinsanity.org/columns/20030115.html