A funny term, presumably advanced by the texts of Marx and Engels. In American politics, it's often used by conservatives to attack, e.g., "the politics of envy" - translation: some "liberal" is bitching about tax breaks that favor the rich or corporations. I propose a new definition: the assault on or demonization of the powerless by the powerful, often in the guise of offering "solutions" (as in "final"?). See: unions, welfare reform, school vouchers, flat tax.