Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez clarified the leftist demand that “billionaires should not exist” Tuesday night, saying that leftists aren’t calling for “certain people” to no longer exist when they say it.
“‘Billionaires should not exist’ does not mean certain people should not exist,” Rep. Ocasio-Cortez said.
“It means no person should have a billion dollars,” she added. “The ascent of billionaires is a symptom & outcome of an immoral system that tells people affordable insulin is impossible but exploitation is fine.”
“Billionaires should not exist” does not mean certain people should not exist.
It means no person should have a billion dollars.
The ascent of billionaires is a symptom & outcome of an immoral system that tells people affordable insulin is impossible but exploitation is fine. https://t.co/fjxKOGIdc2
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 2, 2019
Ocasio-Cortez’s comments are in response to Blackstone CEO Stephen A. Schwarzman’s quip that “Bernie Sanders shouldn’t exist,” when he was asked about Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ idea of heavily taxing billionaires.
“Maybe @BernieSanders shouldn’t exist,” says Blackstone’s Schwarzman in response to @alansmurray asking him to defend billionaires, which Sanders says should NOT exist pic.twitter.com/YG5tHoSz3K
— Cristina Alesci (@CristinaAlesci) October 2, 2019
Sanders himself responded to Schwarzman’s remark Tuesday night, tweeting, “I’m not going anywhere.”
“But billionaires can be damn sure they’ll pay their fair share when I am president,” he said.
I’m not going anywhere. But billionaires can be damn sure they’ll pay their fair share when I am president. https://t.co/oV4bj9gm3T
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) October 2, 2019
Sanders seeks to drastically raise taxes on billionaires, looking to institute a wealth tax of 8 percent on net worths over $10 billion. (RELATED: Bernie Sanders Explains Why He’s A Millionaire)
There should be no billionaires. We are going to tax their extreme wealth and invest in working people. Read the plan: https://t.co/RJDLvX5H4c
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) September 24, 2019
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez has been a disruptive force in the Democratic Party in the same way Sanders, an independent, has been disruptive in the 2020 primary race. Ocasio-Cortez has lamented that other Democrats don’t think she should “be there” in Congress.
The New York Democrat has praised millennials for being more “informed” than other generations.
“I think young people are more informed and dynamic than their predecessors. Um, I think that they are more sensitive in a positive way, in that they actually care about other people’s experiences and lives,” she said in August.