The Energy Absurdity of the Week: How Green New Dealers Move Inexorably Into Power Positions

One of the key advantages radical leftist politicians - we call them “progressives” now - have always had over everyone else is their willingness to play the long game of incrementalism. They are perfectly willing to take the slings and arrows of critics and suffer momentary electoral setbacks in order to achieve small policy wins and set themselves up for the next big push several years down the road as public memories fade and voters are stupid enough to elect more and more of their compatriots into office.

The so-called “Green New Deal” rolled out in 2019 by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey is turning into the prime example of this incrementalistic approach in the 21st century. Writing at E&E Daily, authors Kelsey Brugger and Jeremy Dillon probably didn’t realize they were detailing the progress of this classic Marxist approach to the long game, but they did a really fine job of it nevertheless.

The piece is perfectly titled: “How Green New Dealers became Washington power players”. Couldn’t have picked a better title myself, in fact.

When she rolled out the Green New Deal, I told my readers at the time that AOC would soon be moving into a leadership position in the House, along with many of her compatriots. AOC herself famously told attendees at a Green New Deal rally, “first they laugh at you, then they fight you, then we win,” a reference to a famous quote by Vladmir Lenin.

Today, Ocasio-Cortez serves as the ranking member on the powerful House Natural Resources Subcommittee, which oversees energy-related legislation in the House. Whenever the Democrats regain a House majority, AOC will chair this key subcommittee, or perhaps the full House Resources Committee.