As Americans, we must understand what ideologies threaten our country just as we must understand the ideologies that built out country. This is why I’m devoting a series in Theory and the Framers section to explore and explain the progressive philosophies that we are up against. So, I thought it might be a good time to take a look at some of the greatest proponents of some of these new socialist “philosophies”. In this post, I’m going to explain a few facts about the “Socialist Squad”.
Who are we talking about when we say the “socialist squad”? First of all, this term was self-made by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez when she snapped a picture of herself and the three other Congresswomen and called themselves the “#squad” on Twitter.
Who They Are
#block-yui_3_17_2_1_1581353619261_40363 .sqs-gallery-block-grid .sqs-gallery-design-grid { margin-right: -20px; }
#block-yui_3_17_2_1_1581353619261_40363 .sqs-gallery-block-grid .sqs-gallery-design-grid-slide .margin-wrapper { margin-right: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; }
Let’s start with the basics. The “socialist squad” is made of four women who are serving in the House of Representatives. For each individual, this is their first year in office.
The women are:
Ayanna Pressley (D-MA)
Ayanna, 45, originally from Ohio and is a huge advocate of abortion rights.
Rashida Tlaib (D-MI)
Rashida, 43, from Michigan, and one of the first Muslims (along with Ilhan Omar) elected to Congress.
Alexandria Ocasia-Cortez (D-NY)
Alexandria, 30, is from New York and is an advocate for environmental policy.
Ilhan Omar (D-MN)
Ilhan, 37, is from Somalia, and is one of the first Muslims (along with Rashida Tlaib) elected to Congress.
Fact One: the Green New Deal Fits Their understanding of government’s job
Honestly, I can’t find a lot that these women are actually doing besides perpetually insulting President Trump and involving themselves in the social media world. One of their biggest “claims fame” is the notorious Green New Deal.
In an article posted on the website, The Center for Individualism, the author describes the Green New Deal beautifully:
“What has been proposed is nothing less than the destruction of the fossil-fuel-based energy industries which have long been the lifeblood of capitalism. All houses and businesses are to be ‘upgraded’ in terms of their energy use by thousands, or tens of thousands, of government bureaucrats who would presumably go door to door to enforce the state’s energy-use mandates. There are vague promises of replacing the entire power grid with “renewable energy sources” such as windmills and solar panels. It all sounds very much like a middle-school paper assignment for an “environmental ethics” class. I would not be surprised to learn that Sandy Ocasio took such a class and wrote such a paper in the Westchester County public schools.”
Of course, the problem here—as I’ll repeat a few times—is that these women want the federal government to do more than they are Constitutionally authorized to do. If they simply knew what the Constitution said, they would realize that their proposals are invalid. Perhaps that is the point. They do know what the Constitution says—-and they simply do not care.
Fact Two: They Claim to Be Part of the Democratic Socialist Party
Cortez does not pretend to be a “democrat”; instead, she publicly and proudly proclaims herself to be a democratic socialist. This is where things get interesting. In a recent tweet she said, “After much deliberation, I have decided that I will not use my presence at a state ceremony to normalize Trump’s lawless conduct & subversion of the Constitution.” The irony of this statement, of course, is that to be a socialist, you must favor more government control of the means of production. In order for this to happen, the government must subvert the Constitution, since nowhere in the Constitution is Congress given the right to control the means of production. Clearly she does know or understand the Constitution she blamed Trump for violating. Or she does and does not mind violating it herself but is horrified when someone else violates it.
She is not the only self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist (BTW-democratic socialist is just the polite or “American” friendly way of saying socialist and anti-Constitution) Ilhan Omar says, “What we advocate for – what Bernie, myself, you know, Alexandria, Rashida, what we advocate for is an America that is prosperous, an America that makes sure that everybody has access to jobs, everybody has access to housing, everybody has access to healthcare…”
I want to remind you all of specific powers that the Constitution gives to the legislative branch and then remember the point I made in my article entitled “What Is A Right?” Where on earth do we get the “right” to have a job, or housing or healthcare? How are these guarantees considered the federal government’s problem? Again, we the people have learned, in our complacency, to expect and demand more from the federal government than it was ever authorized to do.
Omar and her colleagues in this socialist squad are fighting for something that is inherently unconstitutional. Omar shows no understanding about what the Constitution says about this or the implications of the government having such power.
Fact Three: They Support Medicare for all, a $15 Minimum Wage, Debt Free College and Abolishing ICE.
While there isn’t much to write about this, it’s important to know the policies for which these woman are fighting. Pay attention and try to look at these proposed policies from a theoretical eye. This is what you should do when assessing any new government policy. They sound nice, right? Well, ask yourself:
What is the fundamental belief about government’s job that these policies assume?
The belief is that government’s job is to take care of their citizen’s healthcare, pay, and education. This is a far cry from Locke’s minimal understanding of government—-government must protect private property and that is all. Since they are pushing for government to do far more than simply protect private property, there is no limit to what government should or could do.
One final thing you should realize is this: these women are not real socialists. These types of government regulations are stifling and unconstitutional but they are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to socialism. The real question would be whether or not these women know what real socialism looks like and are slowly working in that direction, or if they really have no clue. I’ll explore what real socialism is here soon.
Conclusion
I hope this post was somewhat informative for you all. It was informative for me to research and study about. I want to learn more about those in government who are threatening the republic. I’ve heard about these socialist women frequently but know little about them. However, I want to know what we are up against.
These four women only have a moderate influence in Congress. They make up four votes, out of 435, so their practical influence in confined. BUT, their influence on young minds, especially through social media is limitless and dangerous. We need more people to rise up and challenge their arguments with the truth! That is what I’m working to do and want to equip you all to do as well.
The Liberty Belle