The prostration of Democratic Socialists of America congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to the Democratic Party and Biden administration was on display yet again in an interview published Wednesday by the New York Times.
To be nuanced on the question of AOC in Niger, while I suppose it’s not impossible that a 19(?) year old AOC was a CIA agent that helped carry out a coup, I think it’s much more likely that she played a peripheral role, simply working for neoliberal NGOs. She seemed to be part of some kind of Gates-Foundation style project to lower the birth rate and encourage contraceptive use. Not to suggest that NGOs aren’t often CIA fronts with a decidedly reactionary role in geopolitics, just that her imperialist role in Niger was more passive than active.
I think these types of program (e.g. USAID) are a means to select for idealistic youths who are amenable to toeing the State Department lines and cooperate with intelligence agencies, and to induct them into a broader political-intelligence network.
In other words, a grooming process for future ghouls.
while I suppose it’s not impossible that a 19(?) year old AOC was a CIA agent
I think this is a really salient point, not just in reference to the NGO work but in terms of her being a turncoat in general. I think there’s a natural tendency to reframe how we look at someone’s past when we grow disillusioned with someone because of their actions, but I don’t think AOC set out to get elected with the express goal of misdirecting revolutionary sentiment into support for the future Biden Administration.
To be nuanced on the question of AOC in Niger, while I suppose it’s not impossible that a 19(?) year old AOC was a CIA agent that helped carry out a coup, I think it’s much more likely that she played a peripheral role, simply working for neoliberal NGOs. She seemed to be part of some kind of Gates-Foundation style project to lower the birth rate and encourage contraceptive use. Not to suggest that NGOs aren’t often CIA fronts with a decidedly reactionary role in geopolitics, just that her imperialist role in Niger was more passive than active.
I think these types of program (e.g. USAID) are a means to select for idealistic youths who are amenable to toeing the State Department lines and cooperate with intelligence agencies, and to induct them into a broader political-intelligence network.
In other words, a grooming process for future ghouls.
yes, without a doubt. i almost joined the peace corps once upon a time before learning better
I think this is a really salient point, not just in reference to the NGO work but in terms of her being a turncoat in general. I think there’s a natural tendency to reframe how we look at someone’s past when we grow disillusioned with someone because of their actions, but I don’t think AOC set out to get elected with the express goal of misdirecting revolutionary sentiment into support for the future Biden Administration.