As a progressive Indian American, AOC means two very different entities that I love and that taught me a lot
Annihilation of Caste
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
The Congresswoman @AOC does remind me a bit of Babasaheb Ambedkar in terms of her intellectual and ideological clarity.
Annihilation of Caste
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
The Congresswoman @AOC does remind me a bit of Babasaheb Ambedkar in terms of her intellectual and ideological clarity.
Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez is quite literally THE most influential member of the House in this century. And the simple empirical proof is how obsessed fox news types are with her.
She shows the importance of staking out ideological positions unabashedly. And she keeps winning.
She shows the importance of staking out ideological positions unabashedly. And she keeps winning.
Congresswoman AOC shows a prescient long-term understanding of political activism and "marketing" that is rare.
I know people love to hate her for not being as centrist as they would like.
But her job or her role is not to appease random centrists around the world.
I know people love to hate her for not being as centrist as they would like.
But her job or her role is not to appease random centrists around the world.
Dr. Ambedkar got opprobrium not too dissimilar from the Congresswoman if you read actual history.
He too was told, you are too extreme, too idealistic, too outspoken, too "theatrical" in pointing out the glaring inequalities in the Indian system.
He shrugged it off for decades
He too was told, you are too extreme, too idealistic, too outspoken, too "theatrical" in pointing out the glaring inequalities in the Indian system.
He shrugged it off for decades
Both Ambedkar and AOC are similar in realizing that you can't influence the debate by reflexively running to the center when the other side barely recognizes your basic humanity or right to exist.
That you need to angrily yell sometimes to bring about real change.
That you need to angrily yell sometimes to bring about real change.
Dr. Martin Luther King was also similarly dismissed as some fringe reactionary in his days but now we have a federal holiday for him.
If you have a solid moral compass, don't cede an inch ideologically.
If you have a solid moral compass, don't cede an inch ideologically.
Why should a man who said people should be judged not on the color of their skin but on the content of their character have to cede anything ideologically?
Similarly, why should a man who pointed out how entrenched caste hierarchy is in causing India's social problems ever have to care about if the Brahmin elites find his ideas extreme?
He shouldn't and he didn't.
He shouldn't and he didn't.
And why should a woman who says we need a Green New Deal if we seriously want to save our planet from the fossil fuel industry's greed cede anything ideologically?
Humanity progresses when people stake out morally solid positions and don't compromise on them.
Humanity progresses when people stake out morally solid positions and don't compromise on them.
There's like at most a handful of people in the 435 strong House who stake out ideological positions loudly. Yes, they create noise sometimes.
But humanity has never progressed with polite debates.
Humanity progresses by making the elites uncomfortable and paranoid.
But humanity has never progressed with polite debates.
Humanity progresses by making the elites uncomfortable and paranoid.
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