Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), no stranger to socialist rhetoric, recently released her plan to create “A Just Society.” According to AOC, “A Just Society legislation aims to combat one of the greatest threats to our country, our democracy, and our freedom: economic inequality.”
AOC’s plan includes the following six planks:
The Recognizing Poverty Act: “This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the Bureau of Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics, to adjust the federal poverty line to account for geographic cost variation, costs related to health insurance, work expenses for the family, child care needs, and new necessities, like internet access.”
Just out of curiosity, when did internet access become a new necessity the federal poverty line must account for? Does AOC expect the government to ensure countrywide internet access?
The Place to Prosper Act: “This bill protects tenants, improves the quality of housing stock, reins in corporate landlords, and seeks to ensure that housing is available and affordable for all.”
In other words, rent control for all! Because rent control (and price controls in general) have worked so well in San Francisco and New York. Not!
The Embrace Act: “This bill would ensure that all persons in need are eligible for the largest programs of the social safety net, regardless of their immigration status.”
Great idea, let’s incentivize massive numbers of illegal immigrants to pour across the border so they can get free stuff, paid for by American taxpayers. Oh, and don’t worry about adding to that pesky $25 trillion national debt, AOC will just raise more taxes!
The Mercy in Re-entry Act: “This bill ensures that all persons in need are eligible for the social safety net, regardless of prior involvement with the criminal justice system.”
Translation: Let’s give ex-felons free stuff! Sorry law-abiding taxpayers, just shut up and pay for it.
The Uplift Workers Act: “This bill directs the Department of Labor, in collaboration with the office of Management and Budget, to create a ‘worker-friendly score’ for federal contracts. This score would consider factors such as paid-family leave, scheduling predictability, a $15 minimum wage or otherwise prevailing wage, and union membership to ensure that all federal agencies prioritize contractors that are ‘worker-friendly’ when deciding what entities deserve public funds.”
Seriously? The federal government is already the most “worker-friendly” employer in the world! Government employees already receive ample benefits and possess lifetime job security.
Guarantees the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights for All: “This bill instructs the executive branch to re-initiate ratification processes for the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The ICESCR states that all persons have the right to work, fair and just conditions of work, social security, an adequate standard of living, including adequate food, clothing, housing, and healthcare.”
This is a great idea. Let’s abandon national sovereignty and create a socialist hell-hole.
Aside from the fact that it is totally preposterous to label economic inequality as the most existential threat to America’s future, AOC’s plan would do next to nothing to combat this so-called menace. Actually, it is extremely likely AOC’s misguided plan would completely destroy the American economy and create mass poverty.
Well, at least AOC would accomplish her goal of ending economic inequality. If her plan ever comes to fruition, all Americans would be equally poor and miserable.
Here is a better idea: “Just Say No” to AOC’s “Just Society.”
PHOTO by NRK Beta, Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Chris Talgo ([email protected]) is the editorial director and a research fellow at The Heartland Institute, as well as a researcher and contributing editor at StoppingSocialism.com.
