Daisy Salas '23 Has AOC’s new merchandise line reached an all-time high for hypocrisy? Congresswoman Alexandria Occasio Cortez, more popularly known as AOC, is receiving backlash for her line of merchandise. Her line includes a variety of slogans that are widely accepted catchphrases used mostly by the Democratic party. One of these catchy slogans is “Tax the Rich,” which ironically can be purchased on a sweatshirt for a whopping $58.
AOC came under fire when online critics came for what many believe was her blatant hypocrisy. Many agreed that selling items with such slogans was completely tone deaf. Twitter user @MattsIdeaShop said, “AOC is selling $65 dollar sweatshirts that say ‘tax the rich’ that only rich ppl can afford. Should just say ‘Tax Me.’” The user later added on to the twitter thread saying, “When you’re aiming for socialism but you hit capitalism.” Many public figures have given their input on the matter. These include Ben Shapiro, a conservative commentator, and Stephen Punwasi, a data analyst and tech entrepreneur. Both have differing opinions. Shapiro tweeted “Only the rich can afford this idiotic sweatshirt.” Punwasi completely disagreed with Shapiro and many Republicans on the matter when he said, “Me, a former mass market apparel designer: Made in America. Union printed. Sounds about right. That's what it costs to pay everyone a decent wage along the way.” Though at first I had trouble agreeing solely with either side of the argument, I personally do understand and agree with AOC and her supporters. Yes, the average person will not be able to afford her line, which is pretty expensive since her products rage from $24 to $65. This can be seen as contradictory since she’s against big corporations/ businesses and how they maximize profit due to unethical reasons. The thing is, it does make sense that because her products are made in America, she needs to pay the workers fairly - unlike big businesses who don't do that. Unfortunately, in order to be ethical, products will have to be raised in price to make sure everyone is paid fairly. Although I understand what she’s doing is fair and ethical, and her supporters can choose to buy the products or not, it’s just the reality that many can’t afford a $58 or $65 sweatshirt. And I could understand how the slogan could rub someone the wrong way. It’s also important to mention that although she is not donating any of the proceeds to charities, all of the revenue is seen as a “donation” to her campaign.
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