During his commencement speech at Morehouse College this weekend, billionaire investor Robert F. Smith promised to pay off the student debt of all graduates. That caught the eye of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez:
Every Morehouse Class of 2019 student is getting their student debt load paid off by their commencement speaker.
This could be the start of what’s known in Econ as a ‘natural experiment.’ Follow these students & compare their life choices w their peers over the next 10-15 years. https://t.co/UM1qTJOxHf
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 19, 2019
In other words:
Yay for capitalism! https://t.co/u2jQJGdJKE
— Mulder's Shroom Ride (@proteinwisdom) May 20, 2019
That’s as close as we’re likely to ever see AOC get to saying that, even though it’s unintentional:
This amazing act of kindness brought to you by a billionaire – and the capitalist system that made his billions possible. https://t.co/z6uKVQ3E0F
— Virginia Kruta (@VAKruta) May 19, 2019
This is how it's supposed to work – personal and or private charity. It is not the government's job to pay off debt for college students.
Period the end. 🙂
— The?FOO (@PolitiBunny) May 20, 2019
People can give things to each other voluntarily? Who knew?
— John Rambo (@JohnJ2427) May 20, 2019
Good for the students but Robert F. Smith didn't make his wealth in a #socialist society. He worked at Goldman Sachs, left and built Vista Equity Partners that is worth over $4 billion and manages an estimated $30 billion. That's called #capitalism.
— David Webb (@davidwebbshow) May 19, 2019
Sure is nice that a billionaire could pay that as a gift to these students.
Glad no one called them all evil or anything. https://t.co/ByDeH4zY6M
— Tony Kinnett (@TheTonus) May 19, 2019
This is the result of charity. https://t.co/UeYbEuJkXk
— Chad Felix Greene (@chadfelixg) May 20, 2019
Remember the words of one of AOC’s advisers?
Four months ago, @AOC’s policy advisor declared “Every Billionaire is a Policy Failure.”
?? https://t.co/OKgckceZ17 https://t.co/9k7mEsjXjb
— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) May 20, 2019
what happened to every billionaire is a policy failure? https://t.co/9EgBH6n6wY
— Politically Homeless (@keder) May 20, 2019
However, here’s how Ocasio-Cortez trying to address the generosity of Smith:
It’s important to note that people shouldn’t be in a situation where they depend on a stranger’s enormous act of charity for this kind of liberation to begin with (aka college should be affordable), but it is an incredible act of community investment in this system as it is. ?
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 19, 2019
Ocasio-Cortez says college students shouldn't "depend on a stranger’s enormous act of charity" after billionaire announces he will pay off student debt https://t.co/ENWoF2nHL7 pic.twitter.com/VdWnXQTvWR
— The Hill (@thehill) May 20, 2019
Oh really?
Is anyone suggesting students should depend on this? https://t.co/i1RRyGUgG4
— RBe (@RBPundit) May 20, 2019
AOC sure is:
She sounds upset that a man who benefitted from capitalism would use those gains for good. Hmm.
— Sandy (@RightGlockMom) May 20, 2019
It was a narrative buster, that’s for sure.
A venture capitalist voluntarily erasing student debt and encouraging recipients to pay it forward is better than the government saddling graduates with debt for the rest of their lives.
The former is the American way and a notion that should be celebrated. https://t.co/iRcTpaH9i4
— Gabriella Hoffman (@Gabby_Hoffman) May 20, 2019
Charity is good, but wealth confiscation is better. Why should this rich guy get to choose how he spends his money? https://t.co/F8V7UkDNL4
— Some guy tweeted something ??♂️ (@jtLOL) May 19, 2019
Did she just denounce socialism https://t.co/KwfcqWakPD
— Bryce Leapley (@bleapley) May 20, 2019
AOC seems to have praised capitalism, though she’s probably not aware of what happened.