"I believe that in a
modern, moral, and wealthy society, no person in America should be too poor to
live."
Since Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's stunning
primary win over Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday, interest in
democratic socialism—the label Ocasio-Cortez unabashedly uses to describe her
platform and political outlook—has surged exponentially, prompting corporate
TV networks to feature segments on the term and driving a record-breaking
membership boost for the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
In an interview on "The
Late Show With Stephen Colbert" Thursday night, Ocasio-Cortez—who is one
of DSA's 42,000
members—was given a chance to explain the core principles of democratic
socialism to an audience
of millions.
"I believe that in a
modern, moral, and wealthy society, no person in America should be too poor to
live," Ocasio-Cortez told Colbert, who claimed that democratic socialism
is "not an easy term for a lot of Americans."
"So what that means is
healthcare as a human right," Ocasio-Cortez explained.
"It means that every
child, no matter where you are born, should have access to a college or trade
school education if they so choose it. And, you know, I think that no person
should be homeless if we can have public structures and public policies to allow
for people to have homes and food and lead a dignified life in the United
States."
While democratic socialism may
not be an "easy term" for Republicans and corporate
Democrats, a large percentage of Americans appear to have no problem with
the label.
Sen. Bernie Sanders
(I-Vt.)—who has self-identified as a democratic socialist for decades—is by far
the most
popular politician in the country, and polls have shown that Democratic
voters prefer socialism over capitalism.
In an attempted takedown of
Ocasio-Cortez's ambitious progressive agenda, Fox News host Sean Hannity inadvertently
demonstrated why many Americans view democratic socialism favorably,
particularly during a time of staggering inequality, soaring
healthcare costs, environmental degradation, and falling
wages.
"Many are hailing Cortez
as a rising star on the political landscape, but in reality, her views, her
policy positions are actually downright scary... Look very carefully,"
Hannity ominously warned in a Wednesday night segment. "This is the
future, this is the modern Democratic Party."
The camera then proceeded to
show a list of widely
popular proposals like Medicare for All as well as basic, humane
principles like "Women's Rights" and "Support Seniors."
As Vice summarized,
"Sean Hannity accidentally made a great argument for socialism."
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