EDIT: Even though we're dunking on a few of these people, The Toxic Leftist isn't a good account either. They describe themselves as a "rightwing leftist".
EDIT: Even though we're dunking on a few of these people, The Toxic Leftist isn't a good account either. They describe themselves as a "rightwing leftist".
I'm basically more sympathetic to AOC than the average person here because she needs a fuck ton of reinforcements and they ain't comin. After a half decade she has probably realized that.
Maybe there'll come a day where she's like a Kerensky figure opposed to some viable left wing power structure but we are very far from that.
This comment is a struggle session waiting to happen, and far be it from me to start it, but is she not already opposing left power by reinforcing American imperialism? She falls in line WRT China, Venezuela, Russia, etc.
And domestically, she’s a scab: Rail Workers Betrayed By Biden & The “Squad”
I'm just happy to be here. Hi Mom! Look at me! I'm here at the start of the new Hexbear Struggle Session! <3
From an international perspective, yeah sure that makes sense
Well even domestically, I really can't see AOC ever supporting prominent leftist groups that contradict the state dept line on the Bad Countries:tm:.
Maybe I'm too optimistic but I do think if she were surrounded by a critical mass of demsocs or demsoc-appearing people she would have the confidence to do that. It isn't without historical precedent.
So she will just bend to whatever prevailing wind is blowing? That isn't something to be respected.
Well she's on the reform side of reform vs. revolution. And if you want to be viable as a reformer you're gonna have to do that to some degree. It comes with the territory. It's fine if you think it isn't worth doing.
She’s not on either side of socialism, because she’s not a socialist at all. AOC is to the right of Sanders, and Sanders isn’t a socialist, either: he’s a social safety net liberal. Neither of them are calling for the abolition of private ownership of the means of production.
This is exactly what Lenin said to Kautsky. /s
If she ever was a leftist she is now a sell out who deserves nothing but derision. More likely she is just a "hip" young crypto-fascist who adopted leftist rhetoric to fool the kids and the politically illiterate to vote in the hope that the evil old white men will give up power willingly.
It's not anything to be respected, you're right. But it's worth noting that "will bend to the prevailing wind" is different than "dyed in the wool fascist who will actively pursue the worst possible path" or even "conservative Democrat who will resist good things that are broadly popular among Democrats."
At least with a fascist you know where you stand. A liberal like AOC will do things just as heinous as any fascist and for the same reasons but will pretend they regret it. All non fascist members of the USA government are self interested ghouls with little to no ideological convictions. They are puppets of the fascists and do whatever gets them voted. "Conservative democrats" are just crypto-fascists.
Real
energy. It ain't happening at the ballot box
Any pol that lacked reinforcements can just accept the L and fuck off rather than become a ghoul.
AOC isn't a socialist and never was, she's been an NGO and NatSec "progressive" the entire time and has acted in a very consistently inconsistent way you'd expect from that.
Are you saying she's getting peer pressured into supporting genocide?
Doubtful, I assume whatever is being held over her head is more substantial than that.
What could possibly be "held over her head" that she would consider important enough to support genocide over and not also make her worthy of being thrown into a pit beforehand?
Few possibilities:
Idk your "throw in the pit" threshold so whatever. Or maybe that's just who she is.
Supporting the murdering 100 babies a day in exchange for a cushy job.
“Oh no my jaw and both arms broke in an accident right before the hearing, guess I won’t be able to agree to the orphan murdering like I was supposed to. Sorry!” - a reasonable strategy
The MIC is evil by design but they're not threatening to murder AOC. A politician who gives them everything they want. Someone like Michael Hastings, maybe, but AOC?![data-laughing data-laughing](https://www.hexbear.net/pictrs/image/b6671e8e-7f34-45d6-82d3-509fe8a4d683.png)
She gives them everything they want because of the threat? Your ordering of events doesn't make sense.
There is no threat, because she is no threat. She's a run of the mill lib who goes along to get along. This is all very silly.
I don't assume anything is being held over her, progressives and dem socs are just like that.
She might have to... get a real job!
DUN-DUN-DUNNNN!
Let's be real, no one is holding anything over AOC other than her future career prospects as a well paid and 'important' ghoul.
I assume the calculus she is running is that she can help people more as a demsoc house rep than as some random person
I'm sympathetic to this because I work in tech so have to self-censor on palestine if I don't want to get fired. A google engineer was fired just this past week for disrupting a tech conference about this. Doctors I know also have to self-censor or their program will fire them.
Except she hasn't meaningfully done so that I'm aware of, while giving increasing cover and support to an evermore rightwing, oppressive, imperialist and generally bloodthirsty status quo. If you're an elected representative that has to self-censor to the degree that you can't even advocate for your supposed positions, never mind take meaningful actions towards them then you're not 'hiding your power level' or whatever, you're just working for the enemy.
But believe whatever you want. We already spend far too much time on 'is AOC good/evil' silliness to be honest.![shrug-outta-hecks shrug-outta-hecks](https://www.hexbear.net/pictrs/image/7cc4b291-507e-4aa2-9ba6-35d81eb4a08a.png)
She's certainly helped on reinforcing the Iron Dome.
fr who cares if she's hiding her power level or if she really believes in all the genocides she's endorsing, none of matters if we're not replacing the rest of congress.