In Munich, AOC warns that democracies must deliver for the working class to stave off ‘authoritarianism’

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., warned Friday at the Munich Security Conference that Western democracies must deliver “material gains to the working class” to defeat the rise of authoritarianism and protect the institutions they value.

“We must have working-class-centered politics if we are to succeed, and also if we are to stave off the scourges of authoritarianism, which also provides political sirens to tempt people into finding scapegoats to blame for rising economic inequality, both domestically and internationally,” she said.

The New York congresswoman and progressive Democratic star spoke about “the betrayal that the working class in the United States has felt” toward its elites for many years, while attacking “military interventionism and the war in Iraq,” calling the North American Free Trade Agreement a “failed policy” for many working-class Americans, and railing against stagnant wages and rising income inequality.

“It is therefore of the highest priority that we put our economic affairs in order and bring material gains to the working class,” she said. “Otherwise, we will fall into a more isolated world, governed by authoritarian regimes that also do not meet the expectations of workers. »

The remarks by AOC, as she is known, provide a rare glimpse into her foreign policy views as speculation mounts about her future ambitions. She got her start at the Munich Security Conference, rubbing shoulders with world leaders and diplomats at a time of global unrest and sharply criticizing President Donald Trump’s mercurial attitude toward foreign relations.

Ocasio-Cortez smiled and evaded a pointed question from a moderator who asked whether she would seek to impose a wealth tax or a tax on billionaires “when you run for president.”

“I think we don’t need to wait for some president to impose a wealth tax,” the congresswoman said. “I think it needs to be done quickly.”

Behind his comments was a dire warning to the assembled elites: They can debate foreign policy all they want, but leaders who value the “rules-based order” won’t lead tomorrow if ordinary people don’t believe their governments are getting results to improve their economic conditions.

“This does not mean that the majority of Americans are ready to move away from a rules-based order and that we are ready to abandon our commitment to democracy,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

Ocasio-Cortez spoke on two panels Friday, one titled “Vox Populi? Responding to the Rise of Populism” and the other titled “Breaking (with) the Past: Seismic Shifts in American Foreign Policy.”

Ocasio-Cortez was in her element during the first panel, speaking about her own experience as a bartender in New York who didn’t believe the government — including her own party — was listening to working-class voters. That was the message his foreign policy adviser previewed to NBC News before his appearance.

In the second panel, she took some jabs at Trump on an issue that was on many people’s minds during the security summit.

“His threats against Greenland are not a joke. It’s not funny,” she said. “It threatens the trust and the relationships that allow peace to persist. And so, I believe, what I can say is that the majority, the vast majority of the American people do not want to see those relationships crumble and they are committed to our partnerships.”

She added: “This is the most powerful seat in the free world, and we cannot say anything and do anything and pretend that it’s a joke and that it has no real consequences for our allies and for their sense of trust and security.” »

Ocasio-Cortez warned against US military strikes on Iranian facilities, calling them a “dramatic escalation that no one in the world wants to see right now.” She suggested that the United States “look the other way in the face of genocide”, a reference to Israel’s actions in Gaza, arguing that “totally unconditional aid” made this possible.

She notably dodged a thorny question when asked whether the United States should send troops to defend Taiwan against China if it launches an aggressive move.

“We want to make sure it never comes to that,” she said.