Ocasio-Cortez: ‘Immoral’ Our System ‘Allows Billionaires to Exist’

It’s “immoral” how America’s economic system “allows billionaires to exist,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), said Monday at a Martin Luther King forum in New York City. 

Here’s an excerpt from her interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates:

COATES: “I hate to personalize this, but do you think it is immoral for individuals to, for instance — do we live in a moral world that allows for billionaires? Is that a moral outcome and and of itself?”

OCASIO-CORTEZ: “No, it’s not. It’s not.

(Cheers and applause)

It’s not, and I think it is important to say that — I don’t think that necessarily means that all billionaires are immoral. It is not to say that someone like Bill Gates,for example, or Warren Buffett are immoral people. I do not believe that.”

COATES: “Like, he kicks his dog, stuff like that.”

OCASIO-CORTEZ: “Yeah, I don’t — I’m not saying that, but I do think a system that allows billionaires to exist when there are parts of Alabama where people are still getting ringworm because they don’t have access to public health is wrong.

(Applause)

And I think it’s wrong that — I think that it’s wrong that a vast majority of the country does not make a living great wage. I think it’s wrong that you can work 100 hours and not feed your kids. I think it’s wrong that corporations like Walmart and Amazon can get paid, they can get paid by the Government essentially, experience a wealth transfer from the public for paying people less than a minimum wage.”