class warfare

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class warfare (uncountable)

1. (sometimes derogatory) Conflict between sociopolitical classes.

   Synonyms: class struggle, class war

   • 1906, John Spargo, The Socialists‎, page 71:

     To end this class warfare is the conscious aim of the Socialist movement.

   • 1994, Charles M. Kelly, The Great Limbaugh Con: and other right-wing assaults on common sense‎, page 79:

     There's been a marked increase lately in Limbaugh's rhetoric about, of all things, class warfare.

   • 2004, Paula S. Rothenberg, Race, class, and gender in the United States: an integrated study‎, page 590:

     It is class warfare under the theory of 'let's get the rich guy, the richest 1 percent. ... Once again, we are engaging in classic class warfare.

In contemporary political discourse, the term is typically applied (derogatorily) to efforts at achieving wealth redistribution and a significant reduction of income inequality. The term can, however, also be applied to efforts from the side of the wealthy to protect their wealth from (and/or at the expense of) poorer segments of society.