Alex (AOC to you guys and all around right wing boogeyman) is bright, articulate, lovely, and has some wonderful stances paired with a few poorly thought out (or poorly explained) views. She’ll be great in 10-15 years. Here’s 28 minutes with her but my 60 seconds worth of bullets summarizes her interview if you’d prefer below.
- Inflation is very much the result of profiteering. There is some supply chain impacts but a lot of price gouging is going on. Minimal stimulus payments to help workers aren’t moving the prices. (She’s right - look at earnings)
- Wants to wave student debt. Thinks asking students to pick up paying after the moratorium of payments ends in May is dangerous to the economy. Forgiveness is the just thing to do. President has the ability to cancel debt. Doesn’t need congress. (She’s wrong or at least it’s not a thorough answer)
- Capitalism is an unredeemable system because it concentrates all the power in the hands of the few. Says true capitalism pursues profit at the expense of the environment, people, peace, prosperity and that isn’t what works. (Not well explained what she is recommending as an alternative but nails the shortcomings of pure capitalism)
- Wants to ban congress from holding stocks. (I get it but it’s a non starter)
- Takes Manchin and Sinema to task for pushing for consensus instead of ramming voting rights through. Says blacks were allowed to vote because of the voting rights act in the 60’s, which was entirely a partisan vote, was not a consensus. Where would they fall back then? (She’s right, they blew it)
- There is no shortage of qualified Supreme Court Justices made up of Black Women and they bring a missing world view to the court.(Good short answer)
- Wants to break up Facebook as a monopoly. (Not well explained)
- Being a waitress was the most formative experience for her political career. Worked with undocumented workers, had no medical insurance, etc. (She’s one of the people - good answer)
- Friends don’t call her AOC they call her Alex. AOC came from TV reporters who were struggling with her name. She’s embraced the new nickname but still is Alex to her friends. (Nice softball question)
I like AOC in general, but I am even more left, progressive, liberal than she is.
You think she is wrong about presidents being able to cancel tuition debt because Congress controls the purse strings by law. But I think she is right because if you look at the law Congress passed allowing federal tuition loans, they wrote in executive discretion. They already authorized presidents forgiving student loans.
I agree she did not explain the alternatives to capitalism. But there many. The problem basically is a greedy few have a monopoly on the wealth needed by everyone for every thing. One solution is for the feds to give out more loans, like FHA housing to almost everyone. Another solution is help finance employee purchases of the company they work for. But best of all would be if gov would set up nation wide franchises for things like agriculture, instead of just subsidizing agriculture. What they do now benefits big agri-biz too much, and does not help small farms. Starting something that would attract small farms and create more coordination would be better.
You can allow politicians to hold stocks as long as it is through a 3rd party, so they do not know what stocks they own.
I disagree with AOC on ending the filibuster just to pass a questionable voting rights bill. The filibuster is immensely more important than a voting rights bill that we really just symbolic and would likely change nothing.
She is wrong about FaceBook in that a monopoly is more efficient for users. The solution to monopolies is how we deal with utility monopolies, with regulation, not break them up. Censorship should always be illegal anyway, (except libel, inciting violence, etc.)
I agree with her on health insurance, and essentially I see all insurance as a form of extortion. You are forced to prepay insurance, so than there is no means of forcing accountability. That can't work. It is the extortion of a greedy monopoly.