How humiliating it must be these days, to be in the progressive socialist camp of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., a/k/a AOC.
The vestigial tail of Communism, Cuba, where its leadership continues to cling to an ideology that even the Russians have thrown away, is witnessing a burst of street democracy.
Demanding a nation that functions, insisting on freedom, and unafraid of police batons and Havana jails, a new generation of Cubans has taken to the plazas and streets. In repudiating a regime that has been running on empty for years many of the protestors have literally wrapped themselves in what remains a symbol of hope for enslaved people around the globe; the American flag.
If ever there was a reminder of just how bankrupt socialism is – and its ideological "Big Brother" – communism, it's the response of average Cubans who spontaneously combusted with street demonstrations across that island nation during the month of July.
Not surprisingly, AOC's immediate response was to blame the United States.
Ironically, she held responsible the economic power of capitalism for the failure of communism. AOC tweeted "We also must name the U.S contribution to Cuban suffering: our sixty-year-old embargo" . . . "I outright reject the Biden administration’s defense of the embargo. It is never acceptable for us to use cruelty as a point of leverage against every day people."
For a progressive whose ideology is safely quarantined from the realities of a debunked and miserable "workers' paradise" her reaction is not particularly surprising.
But then consider the response from a Democrat and former Florida congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. In calling out AOC, her Twitter response reminded Rep. Ocasio-Cortez that she is advocating on behalf of "failed policies of a communist regime that has violated human rights, imprisoned & killed dissidents."
True to form, the Cuban leadership says the grassroots protests are the result of American instigation and the clandestine efforts of Cuban-Americans (who know full well the suffocating legacy of Cuban communism).
If past is prologue, the Havana commissars will look for an escape valve, opening the country’s borders and strongly encouraging the protestors to immigrate to America.
Unlike prior strategies that saw thousands flee for the States, this time may very well be different. A new generation of Cubans may not want to be citizens of the United States they want to be proud citizens of a Cuba that functions, that welcomes freedom of thought, and one that celebrates the individual spirit that remains an essential part of its people, regardless of the nation’s current masters.
AOC’s advocacy of the vaporous virtues of socialism lies in tatters just 90 miles from the United States’ border. Despite its Caribbean pastels splashed on the side of its homes and apartments, Cuba remains a grim and gray reminder of what a failed state looks like. We should remember that when AOC, and her congressional "Squad," seek to impose upon us their progressive - socialist vision for our nation’s future.
Ronald J. Rosenberg, founder of the New York law firm Rosenberg Calica & Birney LLP, has successfully litigated numerous cases in both state and federal court and represents a diverse group of corporations, and high net-worth individuals. — More Here.