Synopsis:
Scrooge is hypnotized and learns that in a former life he was a Spanish captain who hid a treasure chest. He rushes off to find it...

Comments:
From the time when the American continents (the New World) were discovered by European nations (the Old World) and a few centuries ahead, several European nations made political claims that had dire consequences for the Native American inhabitants. In short, the royal families of especially England and Spain allowed that American wealth - primarily precious metals - were plundered and shipped back to Europe.
In this story as well as in FC0159 Ghost of the Grotto, we hear about the English pillagers under Queen Elizabeth I's rule, and in U$07 'Cibola' and U$26 The Prize of Pizarro we hear about the Spanish conquistadors chiefly under King Philip II's rule. All in all, a sad chapter in both worlds' history caused by ruthless political acts and ambitions.

Synopsis:
Scrooge decides to hide all his money on an asteroid far away from thieves. But the asteroid is inhabited...

Comments:
By 1960 the Soviet Union had had several manned space flights in orbit and the USA was anxious to do the same, encouraged by the young President Kennedy. Barks was swept along in the patriotic fervor that arose in his country in those years and decided to contribute the best way he could - through his duck stories!
Barks also made several political comments involving the Soviet Union in U$17 A Cold Bargain, U$57 The Swamp of No Return, and WDCS278 Have Gun, Will Dance. His version of the Russians were called Brutopians and they were shown as pig-faced villains fixed on abolishing people's personal rights and freedom. One of the villains in the first story was drawn as the spitting image of the Soviet leader at the time - Nikita Khruschev!

Synopsis:
Scrooge is at the harbour to collect a jade elephant from Unsteadystan but he only encounters a mysterious stowaway...

Comments:
Barks made a few stories in which political wars headed by dictators were fought either openly or in the background. They are MOC4 Maharajah Donald, U$25 'The Wishing Well', and WDCS297 Monkey Business. But the most memorable was this one, in which Barks created a satirical story about your average dictator; a ruthless military oppressor and political manipulator without the slightest regard for his people's welfare.

Synopsis:
Daisy seeks the anonymity of Grandma Duck's farm in order to forget that she is not a well-known beauty. Then she gets discovered...

Comments:
When portraying a shady, but prominent, character Barks would usually use a pig-faced character. And it is probably no coincidence that he also used pig-faced characters for mayors that he must have thought of as being of a greedy nature.
Most of the mayors in Barks' stories are portrayed as busybody politicians with one goal in mind - positioning themselves. In this story the mayor has taken upon himself to find Duckburg's new beauty queen (and he literally rounds up Daisy), and in WDCS239 The Village Blacksmith the mayor has dragged the entire city council to Donald's smithy in order to announce his idea of commemorating that Duckburg has had peace for 100 years!

Synopsis:
Donald and the nephews are hired to clean the huge stone head of Senator Snoggin at the side of Mount Mushmore. It's a bit of a nosy job...

Comments:
The senator must have been a revered, popular, and respected politician for the state of Calisota, because he is commemorated in a park of his own - The Head Park.
The first revered politician in Duckburg must be its founder Cornelius Coot, who is portrayed in a few stories (WDCS138 'Statues Galore', WDCS196 'The Snow Queen', and WDCS201 'A Dyeing Problem'). It is fair to assume that Coot was also the small hamlet's first mayor.

Synopsis:
Scrooge would like to be elected treasurer but he talks to empty seats. But luckily money talks as well!

Comments:
In this story we are confronted with the following politicians: Fungus Enzyme, candidate Fogmore, candidate Oilymitt, and ... Scrooge McDuck! Barks' primary characters are certainly not known for their political views or participation, nevertheless the old miser comes forward to compete for the job as treasurer, but he lacks supporters. But in the world of politics, money talks, and soon Scrooge lands the cozy little job.
In WDCS194 'The Smoke Writer' Scrooge had another go at a political career. He rallied under the enticing slogan 'Down with Taxes', but was soon brought down by a simple question, which he managed to answer to the dismay of his potential voters. Welcome to politics...

WDCS127 'April Fool'

U$54 Billion Dollar Safari

In 1950 Barks drew a 10-pager in WDCS127 'April Fool' in which the nephews try to make Donald an April Fool. In the first panel of the second page there is a book with a cover reading Mein Kampf. This is a book by Adolf Hitler written when he was imprisoned prior to the war. Barks placed the book on the trash dump to make a statement about Hitler who belongs in the lowest of places - the trash.
This action by Barks was very uncharacteristical for a children's comic book, and it was the only instance where Barks made a direct political statement in his stories.

In a few other stories we are presented to various fictitious politicians; FC0386 'The Car Raffle' (a poster announcing Vote for O.U.Drip), WDCS245 Sitting High (Gasmore Gravytrain), U$38 The Unsafe Safe (a poster announcing Joe Snake for Congress). The individuals' names leave us with little uncertainty as to how Barks perceived politicians!
But it did not stop there: In WDCS286 The Olympian Torch Bearer we witness how Donald accidentally sets a banner on fire. The banner originally reads 'Vote for Thistly Ratchet', but after having been partly torched it reads 'Vote for This Rat'..

Finally, in U$54 Billion Dollar Safari we are presented to a certain species of animal with two heads in Scrooge's Zoo - the Two-faced Politician Bird. Barks' political views in a nutshell...