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JACK THE BLASTER explores the history of the Volkswagen Beetle and the Ford Model T two iconic cars with dark origins which became vehicles of the peoples liberation

THIS IS a story of two cars, a president and a Nobel Prize-winning author.

President Jose Mujica of Uruguay (pictured), the one-time political prisoner turned enlightened leader, has been radical and successful. He legalised abortion and gay marriage and his investment in green energy has made his country an net exporter of renewables.

His decision to tackle the drugs trade by treating drug use not as a criminal offence but as a medical issue made him a poster boy for evidence-based legislation rather than simply protecting entrenched corporate interests.

But as his tenure comes to an end this spring, news coverage in the West tends to focus on three things that have little to do with his successes.

We are told about a pet dog that happens to have three legs. We are told of how he chose to stay in his ramshackle family homestead rather than move to the presidential palace, which he turned into a homeless persons shelter.

And we are told he drives a beaten-up Beetle.

While the first fact could be considered to be a cute eccentricity and the second is idiosyncratic, it is the third fact his choice of wheels that reveals a little more about this extraordinary leader. The Beetle is a global icon.

It became an effective way to travel for hippies and workers alike in the 20th century, but it was born in a dark place in a dark time.

Created by fascist Germany, the peoples car became a Third Reich scam to rob the German people of their savings. Deposits were made on the proviso that youd get a cheap and reliable car. The cars were never delivered the money was instead used to build arms.

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Morning Star :: Wheels and socialism: the bug that flew for freedom