[Dateline Hollywood] From identity politics to immigration to the progressive surge in Congress, New York Rep. Alexandria Oscasio-Cortez has been a distinct voice and has become one of the most recognizable names in politics.Her initials AOC have also become popular in the media and her appearance at SXSW was a testimony to that as she took the stage for her featured session ‐ "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the New Left" moderated by The Intercept’s Senior Politics Editor Briahna Gray. Oscasio-Cortez was welcomed with a standing ovation and spoke on the aforementioned issues that have continued to make headlines since Donald Trump took office, and it was all summarized at the end when Bill Nye made a surprise visit during the Q&A portion.
Mr. Nye The Science Guy stepped up to the mic with his query like any other SXSW attendee. "I’m a white guy," he started. "I think the problem on both sides is fear. People of my ancestry are afraid to pay for everything as immigrants come into this country. People who work at the diner in Alabama are afraid to ask for what is reasonable. So do you have a plan to work with people in Congress that are afraid? That’s what’s going on with many conservatives especially when it comes to climate change. People are afraid of what happens when we try to make these big changes."
After giving Nye her own standing ovation, she answered in front of the standing-room-only audience: "One of the keys to dismantling fear is dismantling a zero-sum mentality."
She continued, "It means the rejection outright of the logic that says someone else’s gain necessitates my loss and that my gain MUST necessitate someone’s loss. We can give without a take. We’re viewing progress as a loss instead of as an investment. When we choose to invest in our system, we are choosing to create wealth. When we all invest in them, then the wealth is for all of us too."