Somewhere in between calling for the total elimination of cow farts and air travel and simultaneously promising free health care to everybody, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s “Green New Deal” – backed by 2020 contenders like Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris – also pointedly calls for “economic security for those unable or unwilling to work.”
Yes. “Unwilling to work.” That’s a direct quote from the FAQ sheet accompanying the proposal itself, which you can read here.
According to the proposal, this pie-in-the-sky “deal” would ensure every single American has access to free health care, job security, guaranteed parental leave and paid vacation and secure retirement plan, healthy food, housing and a top-notch education, all while also guaranteeing pristine air quality, zero pollution and no carbon emissions.
All of this, regardless of whether you’re a poor disabled construction worker who got hurt on the job, or a perfectly able-bodied guy who simply doesn’t feel like working.
On top of that, the “Green New Deal” itself also calls for:
- “...upgrading all existing buildings in the United States and building new buildings to achieve maximal energy efficiency, water efficiency, safety, affordability, comfort, and durability, including through electrification.
- “...working collaboratively with farmers and ranchers in the United States to eliminate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector as much as is techno- logically feasible”
- “...overhauling transportation systems in the United States to eliminate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector”