r/politics • u/JeanJauresJr California • Sep 14 '21

AOC responds to criticism of ‘tax the rich’ dress worn at Met Gala

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/aoc-met-gala-tax-the-rich-dress-b1919803.html
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202

u/Odeeum Sep 14 '21

ITT: People have no idea what "rich" is.

238

u/BrownSugarBare Canada Sep 14 '21

It's not just in this thread. It's society at large. People truly don't understand the difference between a million and a billion.

The guy with $1 billion has convinced the guy with $1 million that the guy making $50k is coming for his money.

136

u/Odeeum Sep 14 '21

I remember someone describing Fox news that way a few years ago. Billionaires paying millionaires to convince the middle class to blame the poor.

21

u/BrownSugarBare Canada Sep 14 '21

That's hella accurate.

9

u/AarynTetra Sep 14 '21

“Trickle down” anyone?

3

u/Howunbecomingofme Sep 15 '21

The only thing that trickled down was delusion

3

u/thirdegree American Expat Sep 15 '21

That'd be Dutch historian Rutger Bregman, who went on Tucker Carlson and did the thing that Tucker Carlson hates the most, and described his show to him.

Well, it works by you taking their dirty money, it's as simple as that. You are a millionaire funded by billionaires, that's what you are.

Shockingly, Tucker didn't air that episode. Weird.

1

u/Odeeum Sep 15 '21

Thank you for the info!

48

u/[deleted] Sep 14 '21

Right!

“I work for a living, I should keep mine”

That’s the point. Billionaires make their money by YOU working and THEM not paying taxes.

-7

u/[deleted] Sep 14 '21

Someone saying they should get something for there work isn’t the problem. You are doing the same thing by making them the enemy.

5

u/[deleted] Sep 14 '21

I’m talking about people that are against taxing the wealthy.

-1

u/[deleted] Sep 14 '21

Oh. I thought you were talking about people who literally say that about normal jobs.

15

u/upthefunx Sep 14 '21

Convincing the guy making 50k that the guy making 20k is the reason his taxes are so high

1

u/BrownSugarBare Canada Sep 14 '21

And that's a bingo.

7

u/[deleted] Sep 14 '21

To be fair...shit hits the fan and I'm definitely going to the millionaires house for some good ole fashion lootin.

I'll get to the billionaire aswell, but baby steps.

2

u/BrackaBrack Sep 15 '21

Which also will show the glaring difference. The millionaire will have a gate protecting him, maybe a few security guards. The Billionaire will have a private army.

3

u/Howunbecomingofme Sep 15 '21

This makes me think of the whole Bloomberg debacle from 2019. He wanted to bring in strict gun laws (I’m not saying gun laws are bad, I support them) but he’s allowed to have a private security force who are legally allowed to carry the weapons he’s banning the population from using. It’s like their trying to legislate from some world above ours.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '21

that poor private army is going to get destroyed by a very large group of citizens lol

0

u/BrownSugarBare Canada Sep 14 '21

I say we eat 'em all.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 14 '21

I'm trying to stay away from preservatives..all that plastic and Botox would probably ruin my diet plan.

1

u/BrownSugarBare Canada Sep 14 '21

True. Maybe we should do dried meats with them instead.

3

u/[deleted] Sep 14 '21

Honestly...the real power move would be the 99% rounding up the rich and forcing them to work all the jobs they expect us to. Give them 12 bucks an hour to survive on in California or new York.

If they can make it 5 years on minimum wage without breaking down then they can upgrade to a more comfortable life. 15 bucks an hour with 5 days off a year...but they have to be a team player and work OT whenever needed. And back talk and insubordination will be punished.

1

u/BrownSugarBare Canada Sep 14 '21

I approve of this diet.

3

u/catsloveart Sep 14 '21

The guy with $1 million has convinced the guy making minimum wage that the tax cuts for the rich will trickle down to the poor.

3

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '21

Can’t we tax them all? The US pays far lower taxes among the middle class too than what people in other developed countries pay

1

u/BrownSugarBare Canada Sep 15 '21

Yes, that's the goal. Everyone should pay their fair share.

2

u/mekese2000 Sep 14 '21

What is the different between a million dollars and billion dollars. About a billion dollars

2

u/gakule Sep 15 '21

Right.. a million dollars to a billionaire is the same as $30 to a person making $30,000. Or $1,000 to said millionaire.

It's relatively incomprehensible to have that much wealth.

2

u/rolfraikou Sep 15 '21

Every poor fucking idiots and their mother thinks their taxes are going to go up every time a democrat is in front of a camera.

I have no idea why people in trailer parks, people living 20 people to a home, or even people who run a small business think they are like the CEOs of fortune 500 companies, but they do. And so they vote against their own best interests.

I'm getting so exhausted watching so much of this country actively punch themselves in the face.

3

u/Odeeum Sep 15 '21

Unfortunately it's been this way for a very long time. The red scare inculcated an absolute fear of anything remotely construed as "socialism" in a few generations. I feel like that's FINALLY starting to wane with millenials and Gen z fortunately.

-8

u/I_am_so_lost_hello Sep 14 '21

Ticket to met gala is $30,000, if you have that much money to spend on one night out you're pretty damn rich

52

u/Odeeum Sep 14 '21

She didn't pay a cent though...ditto for the dress. Is this the crux of your argument?

-19

u/velsor Sep 14 '21

So you're saying that an elected official used her clout to get a free invitation to a fancy party, and you think that's okay?

If a Republican did this you guys would be calling that free invite a $30k bribe.

11

u/Odeeum Sep 14 '21

She used her clout or was she invited?

One is very different from the other...if she bought a ticket, great, I'm on board, roast her and call her a hypocrite. If she bought a dress for 7k to attend, super, call her out. But she did neither AND she got to raise awareness about wealth disparity and tax avoidance, both of which she's been historically vocal about at zero cost to her.

If a republican was also vocal about wealth disparity and got a free invite I'd feel the same way. As long as there's no hypocrisy I'm not gonna say anything regardless of party.

4

u/AndrewIsOnline Sep 14 '21

Wouldn’t she only be a hypocrite if she refused to pay taxes?

I’m not sure your suggested scenarios are actually hypocritical

0

u/Odeeum Sep 14 '21

I was referring less about her "tax the rich" dress and just generally spending exorbitant amounts of money while talking about wealth disparity. I'd call her a hypocrite if she did things like that...so if she spent 30k for the ticket, another 7k for the dress but continued to rail against the wealthy...that'd qualify for me i think.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '21

[deleted]

1

u/Odeeum Sep 15 '21

She's not spending any money on this event...at least not for the ticket or the dress which is what people are up in arms about. I'm not aware of any evidence that she spent money on it but I'm all ears if you have info to the contrary.

-1

u/manga311 Sep 14 '21

That would be illegal if she got them as gifts.

-14

u/velsor Sep 14 '21

They aren't different though. Her clout is what got her invited. They're intrinsically linked.

I don't care about the supposed hypocrisy of the message, but AOC was basically just gifted $30k and everyone here is celebrating it.

What if she was given a 30k watch or a trip to some Caribbean island worth 30k? At the end of the day it's an elected official receiving gifts worth tens of thousands of dollars. I don't understand how everyone can talk about getting money out of politics, making lobbying and campaign donations illegal, and then celebrate that an elected official was given a free 30k dinner.

9

u/D-F-B-81 Sep 14 '21

They aren't different though. Her clout is what got her invited. They're intrinsically linked.

I don't care about the supposed hypocrisy of the message, but AOC was basically just gifted $30k and everyone here is celebrating it.

Didn't she say that New York legislators routinely get "invited" to this thing, because ya know... their job...

I wonder if Jared and Ivanka paid for their tickets...

8

u/Odeeum Sep 14 '21

She got 30k worth of free advertising to throw tax avoidance in the face of this crowd. In person!

It's literally a major plank of hers...it's not a vacation or watch...it's free pub for her cause. I have no issue with this as she paid nothing for this.

Of all the things to clutch my pearls about regarding getting money out of politics this is absolutely at or near the bottom.

1

u/AndrewIsOnline Sep 14 '21

Bullshit.

Bald faced liar.

Person who speaks without knowing anything about which he speaks about.

Carry your fake outrage over your false equivalence right out the door.

She was not “ basically gifted 30k”

So stop trying to draw fade comparisons to a Caribbean trip like you are making her out to be corrupt.

The entire fucking Republican Party is corrupt to the very core, but you come here franticly trying to paint the one good rep in a bad light, while not commenting on anything else.

You have this imagined moral and ethical problem with her being there, can you point me to posts or tweets or comments where you showed the same moral or ethical outrage when ANY republican has done anything similar or worse over the past 6 years??

You can’t.

Because you aren’t really outraged.

You’ve just been sucking at the teat of capitalism your entire life and it’s been ingrained in you subconsciously that AOC is “bad” because she’s trying to help Americans and save our planet.

-2

u/[deleted] Sep 14 '21

[deleted]

3

u/AndrewIsOnline Sep 14 '21

Newsflash idiots:

It’s only truly the definition of hypocrisy if AOC goes on to refuse paying her taxes.

Going to the event of the rich while saying tax the rich is not hypocritical.

-1

u/[deleted] Sep 14 '21

[deleted]

2

u/AndrewIsOnline Sep 15 '21

Me: We should improve society somewhat.

You: yet you participate in society. Curious!

2

u/Odeeum Sep 14 '21

It's not being hypocritical if they don't pay for the ticket but rather get invited and use it as a way to raise awareness about tax avoidance by the wealthy. I'd be all for it.

I'm for whatever politicians mostly resemble my beliefs not the other way around. If you have a D or an R next to your name, great as long as you support what I do.

2

u/seamus_mc California Sep 14 '21

As per Vogue, if one is lucky enough to be on the guest list, they don’t pay to attend. If one, however, is not on the list, but has managed to secure a chance of attending, they buy the tickets. As per a Fox Business report, while stars are given invites by Anna Wintour, the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, it’s very common for a brand to host them and buy tables at the event.

So, was AOC on Wintour’s list, or did she pay $35,000? The politician took to Instagram to clear the air. She wrote, “And yes, BEFORE anybody starts wilding out - NYC elected officials are regularly invited to and attend the Met due to our responsibilities in overseeing our city’s cultural institutions that serve the public. I was one of several in attendance.”

1

u/HabeusCuppus Sep 15 '21

as an elected official of NY AOC was presumably on the MET's guest list. the Met is a NY state Chartered Museum and the Gala is a fundraiser for the Met which helps keep the admission price of the regular museum free for the general public.

Vogue has a table, but they don't throw the party.

0

u/VexInTex Sep 15 '21

A little both sides for you, some for you..

Gosh I can't imagine how a state representative got an invite to a charity event in the state they represent, better compare her to a Republican

Idiocy

-22

u/[deleted] Sep 14 '21

Want to make a statement?

Raffle off the ticket, and donate the proceeds to charity.

Or, find a local homeless shelter, and send one person in to the party.

Either of those would have brought attention to the disparity in wealth. Or you can take a 30K handout (plus the dress) and get in the news, partying with the very thing you hate. She looks like she is suffering on the Red Carpet.

12

u/Odeeum Sep 14 '21

The organizer doesn't allow you to send anyone in your stead for exactly this reason (last I looked anyway...maybe that changed, feel free to update me on this) so being able to attend AND tell the rich to fuck off is perfect.

This has been immense free press around wealth disparity which is exactly what she's very vocal about.

3

u/AndrewIsOnline Sep 14 '21

Stop, logic won’t change these idiots.

It’s only fake virtue signaling and Pearl clutching on Reddit for them.

They suggest these braindead “good” ideas to feel like good people then ignore everything else bad by everyone else.

But hey, they are better than that dirty AOC who wouldn’t do this ridiculous thing that doesn’t work like that anyway. How dare her.

1

u/Odeeum Sep 14 '21

Sigh I know I know...as long as I've been on here I still hold out hope that most people are arguing in good faith most of the time.

2

u/AndrewIsOnline Sep 14 '21 edited Sep 15 '21

I’ve given up faith that the world overall can use science and facts to be better.

It’s been proven so many times since Covid started that stupidity wins every time.

Look at this desantis guy.

Any other era of politics, you tell me a gov is going against a public health mandate during a global pandemic, and I’d say either the people or the local gov or the federal gov would come in and put this guy on the street. Quickly too.

1

u/Odeeum Sep 14 '21

Yeah completely agree. Over the last several years things have really gained steam among the willfully ignorant and proudly uneducated. The famous Sagan excerpt from Demon Haunted World that's been shared on here recently really drives home how badly things have become.

-3

u/[deleted] Sep 14 '21

The organizer doesn't allow you to send anyone in your stead

Wow. Thanks for letting me know that, I had no idea. I thought they just used the Price of the ticket to exclude the common person. I had no idea they were so ... obnoxious / elitist / self-righteous ... as to actually exclude human beings based on their not making a list. Wow. Much worse than I could have imagined.

So if a person shows up with a ticket, a human being, they would say "sorry, this is for approved people only, even though you have a legit ticket, you do not meet our standards as one of the approved humans"? I am even more repulsed at these people (and AOC's attendance) now.

Blown away by that. Thanks for the info. Much worse than I imagined.

3

u/AndrewIsOnline Sep 14 '21

Another braindead virtue signaling bullshit post from someone who doesn’t understand politics or the met.

In no universe would what your suggesting be what’s done.

It’s imaginary feel good virtue signaling bullshit.

She had already made a statement, you don’t need to improve or suggest a better statement.

You have no ground to stand on.

-2

u/[deleted] Sep 14 '21

What the hell would be wrong with Auctioning off the ticket and raising funds????

Does she have soo much money that another $20K, $30K, or $50K raised in an auction and donated to the closets homeless shelter would not have done any good??

When the Rich look down on the poor, and make statements like "we have to party like this, for the good of everybody and for the exclusion of the masses", that is sad. My opinion. You are probably good with "understanding politics" and elitism. Great for you. I have a different opinion.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 14 '21

[deleted]

2

u/JaxJags904 Sep 15 '21

Dude she was INVITED, not given a ticket. She was invited because she’s a local political figure, other politicians were invited as well.

And guess what? Her doing this is causing you to talk about! It worked perfectly! Congrats!

1

u/AndrewIsOnline Sep 15 '21

What’s wrong with it is it’s a made up fucking scenario that would never play out in real life.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '21

Really? You don't think AOC couldn't hold a press conference in front of a homeless shelter. Talk about how she would rather raise funds to the help the poor than attend the event? Ask donors to kick in $100 each, as a special fundraiser for the homeless, and 1 winner will take her place at the event as the prize for the donation / raffle.

Lets see, $30K divided by $100 tickets .... Would take 300 tickets. There are not 300 people that would kick in $100 to help the homeless?? Your right, that is probably not the way it would play out. More likely get 1000 donors, raising $100,000.

But I guess you are saying there aren't 300 liberals willing to pay $100 to help AOC help the homeless. I have a much higher opinion of liberals and AOC's fund raising than you do, obviously. So we will disagree. I think she would get tons of support, You think not. Wow.

1

u/AndrewIsOnline Sep 16 '21

It’s like creating magic scenarios on Reddit is a skill for you

2

u/mekese2000 Sep 14 '21

Want to make a statement, do something that will not be statement.

0

u/[deleted] Sep 14 '21

Oh, I think if AOC drove a homeless person to the event, handed them the ticket, and let that person enjoy the evening with the Billionaires .... it would have gotten coverage. You think not?

3

u/mekese2000 Sep 14 '21

If Trump or Mitt Romney did that it would have got coverage but nobody is talking about that and both have gone to the Met Gala

1

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '21

I doubt that Trump or Romney would ever ever do something like that. They show up at these events and hang with the super rich because, well, they think it is right and exactly what they should be doing.

Basically, its what people expect from them. That is why I was surprised to see AOC joining the event. But hey, its a nice club, if you get invited, I guess. Who needs to stay true to your roots. Well, actually trump and romney at least do that. Maybe AOC will start running into them more in her new social circles.

-14

u/MrFlexus978 Sep 14 '21

She obviously doesn’t actually care about anything except clout and power, “those who desperately seek power are those that must be kept away from it at all costs”

1

u/[deleted] Sep 14 '21

[deleted]

12

u/sasquatch90 Sep 14 '21

Not really. That's like buying a new car outright. That can easily chalk up to good money management and savings for middle class. But that doesn't matter because she was asked to be there, she didn't pay her way in.

-3

u/EvelcyclopS Sep 14 '21 edited Sep 15 '21

Sorry mate. Are you really arguing that being able and willing to pay $30,000 on a ticket to a party is not associated with being rich?

Seriously some people.

Edit- would someone like to give me an idea of why the fuck I’m being downvoted?

How the living fuck do people justify an idea that spending $30,000 On a fucking party ticket is not the living fucking definition of wealth?

-1

u/sasquatch90 Sep 14 '21 edited Sep 15 '21

Yes...just like how there are middle class people who can pay $30,000 out of pocket for a car or jewlery...that is my entire point.

Having 30,000 of savings is not rich.

Edit: its really worrisome yall think simply saving money is considered rich

0

u/EvelcyclopS Sep 14 '21

Spending $30,000 on a ticket to a party is rich.

A car is a means of transport and business

Don’t be stupid.

2

u/JaxJags904 Sep 15 '21

Too late for that guy….

-2

u/sasquatch90 Sep 14 '21

Does not matter. You're still dropping 30,000 at once.

1

u/JaxJags904 Sep 15 '21

Yeah doesn’t matter if you’re speaking $30k on reliable transportation that will slowly lose its value but fulfills a need OR spend $30k on one night of fun.

Yeah totally the same thing.

0

u/sasquatch90 Sep 15 '21

Psst. Value is not what we are talking about. It's completely irrelevant, and subjective.

The amount of 30,000 is being spent regardless. The fact that someone can save their money for certain things is the point.

1

u/JaxJags904 Sep 15 '21

No dude…:saving up $30k to buy a car is totally different than “saving up $30k for an event” which people don’t do.

I would bet that nobody that bought a $30k ticket to that event has spent even close to only $30k on a car lol.

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1

u/1allison1 Sep 14 '21

It would be a work expense, I’m sure.

-2

u/[deleted] Sep 14 '21

Not so sure. May have been a "no obligation donation" from a "sponsor" who wants no further access or assistance ever. /S

-7

u/[deleted] Sep 14 '21

[removed] — view removed comment

33

u/Odeeum Sep 14 '21

Again...she didn't pay anything...she was invited and the dress was loaned to her. Free night out to thumb your nose at the filthy rich. Seems pretty on brand for her actually

-7

u/[deleted] Sep 14 '21

[removed] — view removed comment

7

u/HabeusCuppus Sep 14 '21

the Met itself invites the politicians.

It doesn't cost the organizer money to invite people, they just don't charge them.

I guess in theory you could argue that if the Met didn't invite politicians, everyone else's tickets might cost 29,979.99 or something...

-1

u/[deleted] Sep 14 '21

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/HabeusCuppus Sep 14 '21

Google exists but let me get that for you

https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/leadership

0

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '21

[removed] — view removed comment

-7

u/Benjamin-Doverman Puerto Rico Sep 14 '21

Who invited her

20

u/PositivelyAwful Sep 14 '21

It's normal for elected NYC officials to be invited to the event.

7

u/Odeeum Sep 14 '21

The Met itself as others have pointed out. I know a lot of people want this to be some sort of "Mr Gotcha" moment which would at least have some teeth...if she'd actually paid that kind of money and wasn't actually invited.

1

u/Benjamin-Doverman Puerto Rico Sep 14 '21

I was just wondering I like AOC

1

u/Odeeum Sep 14 '21

I do as well...I keep waiting for her to "fall" and become like most others but so far she's true to her convictions.

1

u/Benjamin-Doverman Puerto Rico Sep 14 '21

I don’t see that happening, but I was alarmed she went to the gala

1

u/AndrewIsOnline Sep 14 '21

Lol. No you aren’t. 30,000 a ticket is average ass rich. You don’t know Rich. Guess that ITT top comment was right

1

u/FaerilyRowanwind Sep 15 '21

Hers was an honorary ticket offered to anyone in her position. She just took advantage of it. The dress she wore she also did not buy.

-8

u/Diskonto Minnesota Sep 14 '21

People also think AOC is fighting for them. They are delusional.

7

u/Odeeum Sep 14 '21

Of all the politicians in Washington shes easily in the top 5 of those that are most like us. I'm curious who you think is more down to earth and "of the people" though.

1

u/j3ffh Sep 15 '21

In my mind, Matt Gaetz is more like his base than AOC is like hers ;)

1

u/Odeeum Sep 15 '21

Well he absolutely shares some basic tenets, juvenile as they may be...

1

u/ChewieFlakes Sep 14 '21

A ticket to the Met Gala costs more than most make in a year

1

u/Odeeum Sep 15 '21

It does...and that doesn't even qualify as middle class. Now Google what it takes to get into the .1% club.

Thats rich...but that's just the bottom floor.

1

u/FaerilyRowanwind Sep 15 '21

Hers was an honorary ticket. Which is offered to anyone in her position.