And it’s “absolutely a question” whether capitalism can “continue to be the right answer” under Democratic Socialism.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the hottest commodity in the progressive movement, and arguably in the Democratic Party.

The New York Democratic Socialist stunned the Democrat elite by defeating Joe Crowley, the number 4 Democrat in the House and a likely future Speaker of the House if Democrats regained control, in a primary.

Now that the spotlight is shining on Ocasio-Cortez, we are getting a better understanding of just how far left and shallow her political positions are.

Walks Back Criticism of Israel, Says Needs to Learn More (updated)

Ocasio-Cortez was interviewed by Margaret Hoover on PBS Firing Line. (Full video embed at bottom of post.)

Starting at 26:30 in the interview, Ocasio-Cortez was asked about her prior criticism of Israel.

Singling out Israel is a key component of leftist “intersectionality”, sa development we have been documenting for several years. Anti-Israel activists, such as Linda Sarsour, have effectively hijacked the progressive movement and made being anti-Israel a prerequisite for acceptance.

In August 2017, when few people were paying attention, we documented how Democratic Socialists of America conference endorses anti-Israel Boycott:

Much as Iranian Islamists consider Israel the Little Satan and the United States the Great Satan, so too leftist and Islamist BDS supporters share a hatred of Israel and the United States. Israel is hated not just because it is Jewish, but also because it is viewed as an outpost of American-led oppression of non-whites, colonialism and imperialism. Under the now-fashionable doctrine of intersectionality, Israel is held out as the unique connecting force among capitalist and American-imperialist evils, much as the Jew has been held out in history through anti-Semitic conspiracy theories…. For radical leftists in the U.S. this intersectionality agenda manifests itself in a desire to replace capitalism with socialism or communism, and in the Middle East to promote an Islamist supremacist agenda which denies the Jews any rightful claim to self-determination in the historical homeland of the Jews. This creates very strange alliances, such as LGBT leftists aligning with Islamists who suppress LGBT persons in every country where Islamists rule. The BDS movement, embodying this intersectionality through boycotts against Israeli academics, artists and businesses, exploits and stokes racial tension to turn racial issues, such at the Ferguson riots and Black Lives Matter, into anti-Israel movements. One of the most egregious examples of anti-Semitic intersectionality is the Deadly Exchange Campaign by the anti-Israel group Jewish Voice for Peace, which falsely blames Israel and American Jewish organizations for U.S. police shootings of blacks…. Given the background of leftists exploiting and being exploited by the anti-Israel movement, it is no real surprise that at its annual meeting today, the anti-capitalist Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) endorsed the BDS campaign against Israel.

Ocasio-Cortez’s answer as to Israel is getting a lot of attention, because she admitted that she didn’t really know a lot about the Israel-Palestinian history and political situation. That’s pretty typical in my experience with many social justice warriors — they know some buzzwords, like “occupation,” but don’t have much historical knowledge or understanding of the anti-Jewish Jihad at the heart of the anti-Israel movement.

The Daily Wire reports, WATCH: Ocasio-Cortez Attacks Israel Then Admits She Has No Idea What She’s Talking About:

New York socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attacked Israel in a recent interview on PBS’s “Firing Line,” calling them the occupiers of Palestine and later admitting that she has no idea what she is talking about regarding Israel. Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks came in response to a question from host Margaret Hoover, who asked her to explain comments she made about Israel after she attacked them for defending themselves against an attack from Hamas terrorists. Ocasio-Cortez, who called the shooting a “massacre,” said that she thinks that Israel has the right to “exist,” adding, “but I also think that what people are starting to see, at least, in the occupation of Palestine, is just an increasing crisis of humanitarian condition. And that, to me, is just where I tend to come from on this issue.” Hoover then pressed Ocasio-Cortez, “You use the term ‘the occupation of Palestine.’ What do you mean by that?” The 28-year-old socialist struggled, “Um… I think what I meant is … like … the settlements that are increasing in some of these areas and places where Palestinians are experiencing difficulty in access to their housing and homes.” Hoover: “Do you think you can expand on that?” Ocasio-Cortez fumbled, “Yeah… I mean, I think … I’d … also just— I am not the expert on geo-politics on this issue.”

This video clip is not complete, but does have the key lines.

Socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attacks Israel, calls them the occupiers of Palestine. When pressed on what she meant she struggled to give an answer and then admitted she does not know what she is talking about. pic.twitter.com/e3Uq1eupD3 — Ryan Saavedra ???????? (@RealSaavedra) July 16, 2018

Here is a more complete transcript, via the anti-Zionist Mondoweiss website, which considers that Ocasia-Cortez is actually backtracking on her support for “Palestine”:

What is your position on Israel? AOC: Well, I believe absolutely in Israel’s right to exist. I am a proponent of the two state solution. And for me this is not a referendum I think on the state of Israel. For me, the lens through which I saw this incident, as an activist, as an organizer: If 60 people were killed in Ferguson, Missouri, if 60 people were killed in the South Bronx– unarmed– 60 people were killed in Puerto Rico, I just look at that incident more through– through just, as an incident and to me it would just be completely unacceptable if that happened on our shores. But– Of course the dynamic there in terms of geo politics and the Middle East is very different from people expressing their First Amendment right to protest. AOC: Well, yes, but I also think that what people are starting to see in the occupation of Palestine is just an increasing crisis of humanitarian conditions and that to me is just where I tend to come from on this issue. You use the term the occupation of Palestine, what did you mean by that? AOC: Oh– I think, what I meant is that the settlements that are increasing in some of these areas and places where Palestinians are experiencing difficulty in access to housing and homes. Do you think you can expand on that? AOC: Yeah I think — I am not the expert on geo-politics on this issue. You now, for me, I’m a firm believer in finding a two-state solution in this issue [Hoover nods approvingly]. And I’m happy to sit down with leaders on both of these… for me, I just look at things through a human rights lens, and I may not use the right words– I know this is a very intense issue. That’s very honest and you’re gong to — and when you get to Washington and you’re an elected member of Congress you’ll have an opportunity to talk to people on all sides and visit Israel and visit the West Bank. AOC: Absolutely. And especially with the district that I represent, I come from the South Bronx, I come from a Puerto Rican background. And Middle Eastern politics is not exactly at my kitchen table every night. But I also recognize that this is an intensely-important issue for people in my district, for Americans across the country. And I think at least what is important to communicate is that I am willing to listen. And that I’m willing to learn and evolve on this issue as I think many Americans are.

UPDATE: looks like she has abandoned her relatively moderate position taken in the PBS interview after “activists” got to her.

So it seems that @Ocasio2018 has been successfully re-educated by her far-left down-with-Israel fans

cc. @bungarsargon https://t.co/MRs6RdijSW — Dr. Petra Marquardt-Bigman (@WarpedMirrorPMB) July 16, 2018

Ocasio affirmed her strong support for a two-state solution *last night*. During tonight's livestream, Goodman just asked Ocasio if she "still" believes in a two-state solution and Ocasio now refused to confirm that she supports a two-state solution. Unbelievable. https://t.co/UBl5Jw5PUc — Tali Goldsheft (@photobytali) July 16, 2018

When refusing to confirm her support for a two-state solution less than a day after having said, “I’m a proponent of the two-state solution,” Ocasio claimed to be having a number of discussions with “activists” about this issue. I wonder who these activists are. — Tali Goldsheft (@photobytali) July 17, 2018

Capitalism Is Not The Answer

While Ocasio-Cortez’s answer on Israel is making headlines, there is a much more significant admission by Ocasio-Cortez as to the ultimate goal of the Democratic Socialist movement to which she adheres, and now leads.

Ocasio-Cortez was confronted with the current strong economy and low unemployment numbers. After asserting that unemployment is low because people are working two jobs, at 5:30 of the interview, Ocasio-Cortez explained her world view that capitalism was a passing historical phenomenon:

“… I do think that right now, when we have this no-holds-barred Wild West hypercapitalism, what that means is profit at ANY cost. Capitalism has not always existed in the world, and it will not always exist in the world. When this country started, we did not operate on a capitalist economy.”

Is Democratic Socialism as a political movement simply a way to work within the capitalist system, or does it seek to replace capitalism with socialism?

Starting at 8:00 in the interview, Ocasio-Cortez was asked point blank whether Democratic Socialism, the doctrine to which she adheres, seeks an end of capitalism. Ocasio-Cortez acknowledged that whether capitalism could continue under Democratic Socialism was an open question:

Hoover: So in the context of Democratic Socialism, then, do you think it calls for an end to capitalism? Ocasio-Cortez: Ultimately, we are marching towards progress on this issue. I do think that we are going to see an evolution in our economic system of an unprecedented degree, and it’s hard to say what direction that that takes…. Hoover: It sounds like you are skeptical that capitalism is going to continue to be the right answer. Ocasio-Cortez: Yeah, I think it’s, um, I think it’s, I think it’s at least a question. I think it’s absolutely a question.

There you have it.

The hottest star in the Democrat universe will not commit to a continuation of capitalism under her Democratic Socialist political world view. That’s the headline.

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Here is the complete interview:



