AOC Slams Rubio’s Pro-West Speech & Calls for ‘Class Based Internationalism’

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sharply criticized Sen. Marco Rubio's recent speech at the Munich Security Conference, dismissing it as a "pure appeal to western culture" and highlighting what she sees as flaws in its historical narrative. In a rush excerpt captured by Grabien, AOC took particular aim at Rubio's claim that "American cowboys came from Spain," quipping, "I too, but I believe the Mexicans and descendants of African slaves, enslaved peoples would like to have a word."

AOC argued that the right's invocation of culture rests on a "very thin" foundation, emphasizing that "culture is changing. Culture always changes. Culture, for the entire history of human civilization has been a fluid evolving thing that is a response to the conditions that we live in." She portrayed the conservative push to claim a "mantle of culture" as misguided, given its perceived fragility amid ongoing societal shifts.

In response to such rhetoric, AOC advocated for a "material" counterapproach rooted in "class-based" solidarity. "The response that we have to have is again it’s material. It’s class-based, it’s common interest," she stated, positioning this perspective as a more robust alternative to cultural appeals.

Reflecting on the reception of her ideas, AOC noted a positive shift in audience openness. "There was certainly more openness to what I was saying than probably there would be in years past," she observed, while cautioning against underestimating the allure of traditional narratives. "We can’t underestimate the appeal of going back to these well-worn grooves," she added.

AOC framed her vision of "class-based internationalism" as essential to addressing global inequities, specifically calling for an end to "the hypocrisy towards the global south." She described this as a core element of progressive foreign policy discourse, urging a focus on shared economic interests over cultural divides.

The exchange underscores growing tensions between progressive and conservative visions for international engagement, with AOC's remarks from Munich highlighting her preference for class solidarity over Western cultural exceptionalism.