Portrait of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Globalization

Skeptic of unchecked globalism (strong)

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's perspective on globalization appears highly skeptical of its current, market-driven manifestation, often framing it through the lens of economic inequality and corporate power.

She aligns her domestic agenda, such as the Green New Deal, with a critique of global structures that enable behaviors she deems harmful, like unchecked fossil fuel use and multinational corporate dominance.

Her criticisms often target the negative impacts of global finance and multinational corporations, suggesting a preference for prioritizing national and local community welfare over unfettered international economic integration.

Context

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez operates as a leading progressive voice in the Democratic Party, often challenging the established centrist wing's approach to both domestic and international affairs. Her political philosophy, informed by Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) principles, tends to view globalization through a critical lens that emphasizes systemic exploitation.

Her focus on domestic issues like the Green New Deal and wealth inequality inherently contrasts with a neoliberal globalization model that champions capital mobility and deregulation. This framework makes her skepticism towards unchecked globalization a consistent theme in her broader political critique.

Actions Taken

  1. Foreign Policy Statement
    Criticized Activision Blizzard and Apple for censoring pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, demanding they promote American values over the bottom line.
  2. Foreign Policy Statement
    Co-signed a letter fiercely criticizing the NBA's handling of the Daryl Morey tweet regarding Hong Kong protests, viewing the response as a betrayal of American values to preserve market access in China.
  3. Voting Record
    Voted to withdraw US military aid for Saudi Arabia's intervention in Yemen and voted in favor of a resolution to remove US troops from Syria.

Related Positions

  • Green New Deal The Green New Deal is framed as a 10-year 'economic mobilization' that addresses the global threat of climate change through national policy, implicitly rejecting global status quo economic models.
  • Opposition to Amazon HQ2 Subsidies Her opposition to giving Amazon.com significant subsidies reflects a stance against rewarding massive multinational corporations, even when it involves international business expansion.
  • Worker Rights and Cooperatives Support for worker cooperatives and unionization suggests a preference for democratized, localized economic power structures over distant, globalized corporate management.
  • Opposition to US military action in the Middle East Her opposition to escalating tensions with Iran and voting to withdraw aid for the Saudi intervention in Yemen demonstrates skepticism toward US global military and foreign policy engagement.

Criticism

Conservative Columnist Marc Thiessen

Argued that Ocasio-Cortez's economic views were 'dangerous' after she helped drive Amazon's HQ2 project out of New York, costing the state potential tax revenue.

Various on the left

She has faced significant criticism from the left for shifting her stance on Israel's Iron Dome defense funding, an issue that touches on global geopolitical alignment and military aid.