Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Billionaires Work

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Money Quote saying billionaires use others to make excess wealth, but they are not needed by those who give them that wealth. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said:
 

 

“Billionaires need the working class. The working class does not need billionaires” — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

In this quote, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez seems to be arguing that extreme wealth concentration at the billionaire level is unnecessary and potentially counterproductive for economic security and opportunity among working people.

By stating that the working class “does not need billionaires”, Ocasio-Cortez implies that the existence of the ultra-wealthy is not required for workers to have stable livelihoods and life prospects.

The quote conveys Ocasio-Cortez’s perspective that a very small number of people accumulating vast fortunes is not required for a healthy, equitable economy that benefits all classes through widespread access to good jobs and social mobility.

Overall, she appears to be advocating for economic policies aimed at redistributing some wealth from the highest net worth individuals in a way that strengthens the middle and working classes through supports like healthcare, education and jobs programs.

Billionaires need the working class.

The working class does not need billionaires.

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 8, 2020

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Bailout $

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Money Quote saying the cruise ship business doesn’t pay any US taxes, but are asking for a financial rescue. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said:
 

 

“The cruise industry registers as foreign companies to avoid paying US taxes. Now they want US bailout money. Now the same Republicans who say immigrants who pay US taxes shouldn’t get help are bending over backwards to give 🤑 to foreign companies who DON’T pay taxes. Insane.” — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

The cruise industry registers as foreign companies to avoid paying US taxes. Now they want US bailout money.

Now the same Republicans who say immigrants who pay US taxes shouldn’t get help are bending over backwards to give 🤑 to foreign companies who DON’T pay taxes.

Insane. https://t.co/inpD0wYWNU

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 27, 2020

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Take Billions

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Money Quote saying that nobody actually earns a billion dollars, they pay others to earn if for them by paying them less than they deserve. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said:
 

“You made that money off of the backs of undocumented people, you made that money off of the backs of black and brown people being paid under a living wage, you made that money off of the backs of single mothers. No one ever makes a billion dollars. You take a billion dollars” — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

In this quote, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez seems to be criticizing the accumulation of extreme wealth by arguing that billionaires do not earn such vast fortunes entirely through their own individual efforts and talents alone.

By stating billionaires make money “off the backs of undocumented people” paid substandard wages, “off the backs of black and brown people” in similar circumstances, and “off the backs of single mothers”, Ocasio-Cortez implies that socioeconomic inequities and exploitation of vulnerable workers enable the amassing of such large fortunes.

Her additional comment that “no one ever makes a billion dollars. You take a billion dollars” conveys her perspective that attaining billions requires leveraging uneven systems and circumstances beyond just personal merit, initiative or productivity.

Overall, the quote portrays Ocasio-Cortez’s view that immense wealth concentration depends on broader economic and social conditions of inequality, and questions the narrative of the self-made billionaire achieved solely through individual prowess or innovation.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Zillions

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Money Quote saying the wealthy who hire the poor and pay them below survival wages makes many homeless. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said:
 

 

“I don’t think billionaires should concentrate wealth while employing people who are sleeping in cars working a zillion hours to survive” — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

In this quote, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is criticizing the imbalance she sees between massive wealth accumulation by billionaires and the difficult economic circumstances faced by many of their low-wage employees.

She suggests it is unfair for billionaire business owners to amass vast fortunes while some of the same companies’ workers struggle so much that they literally sleep in their cars, working extreme hours just to afford basic living expenses.

Ocasio-Cortez appears to believe this level of inequality is unjust, where a privileged few concentrate enormous wealth while others labor extensively in poverty and precarity to “survive.”

Overall, the quote conveys Ocasio-Cortez’s view that society would be better off with a more equitable distribution of resources where hard work guarantees a decent standard of living, not perpetual financial hardship despite long hours on the job.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Cost Now

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Money Quote saying everyone objects to spending to prevent climate devastation, but those who object will see more costly emergency spending as we react to climate change. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said:
 

 

We talk about cost — we’re going to pay for this whether we pass a Green New Deal or not. Because as towns and cities go underwater, as wildfires ravage our communities, we are going to pay. And we’re either going to decide if we’re going to pay to react, or if we’re going to pay to be proactive — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

"We talk about cost—we’re going to pay for this whether we pass a Green New Deal or not. Because as towns and cities go underwater, as wildfires ravage our communities, we’re going to pay. And we have to decide whether we’re going to pay to react, or pay to be proactive."
–@AOC pic.twitter.com/akp2xPYeof

— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) March 27, 2019

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Skimmed

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Money Quote saying most wages are set based on employees least objectionable rate they can justify and remaining value is skimmed for corporate owners. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said:
 

 

“We’re paid on how little we’re desperate enough to accept. And then the rest is skimmed off and given to a billionaire” — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

In this quote, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez seems to be criticizing how some workers’ wages are determined in the current economic system. Some key points:

• She suggests that for many jobs, pay is set based on how little compensation employees are willing to accept out of desperation or need, rather than being a fair livable wage.
• Once that minimum salary is established, AOC says the profits generated from workers’ labor beyond that amount are then “skimmed off” and disproportionately funneled to wealthy executives and shareholders, especially billionaires.
• This implies that hard work is not adequately rewarded and an inequitable distribution of wealth occurs where those at the top attain vast fortunes while frontline employees struggle on low salaries.

Overall, the quote portrays AOC’s view that some business practices exploit workers by paying only as much as they can get away with under the circumstances, then reaping huge profits derived from others’ toil to enormously enrich those at the very top of companies. She sees this as an unfair system that does not properly value ordinary laborers’ contributions and efforts.