![The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1688663320l/127283004._SX98_.jpg)
The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution by Ryan Grim
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
This book is mendacious by silence in some big ways, one above all.
In other words, beyond the scattershot writing and relative lack of actual political biography mentioned by other low raters?
If you want a #BlueAnon PR piece, read away.
Speaking as a non-duopoly leftist, if you want an honest political bio of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, let alone the rest of the "squad," this ain't it.
The biggie?
The so-called Green New Deal.
The Green New Deal was actually crafted by the Green Party, then latched on to and watered down by the Sunrise Movement, which in reality is the youth wing of Gang Green environmental org Sierra Club, along with the Democratic Socialists of America (which are NOT a third party, their pretenses aside) then further latched on to by AOC, with more watering down.
Despite, per his index, the GND getting approximately 30 pages of discussion, Grim tells you none of this. In fact, "Green Party" ain't in the index.
But I am. I wrote several times about it; this is the biggest. Of course, Grim also lied by omission at The Intercept, Sadly, alleged leftist Adam Tooze lies about that too; that's even though neoliberal mags have told the truth. Wikipedia also has the truth, about its GP start in 2012, under its Green New Deal page.
So, the rhetorical question is: Is DC insider Grim, reporter for Politico, contributor to MSNBC, then DC bureau chief for Puff Hoes before the Intercept, that idiotic, or mendacious? I think you know the answer.
Next? Israel-Palestine.
Oh Grim has lots of coverage, but most of it is national-level Democrat and Democrat funder inside baseball focused on New Jersey Congresscritter Josh Gottheimer.
Grim gets lucky to write his book before Oct. 7, 2023, when AOC and the rest of The Squad gets put to the test. And, found wanting, when put to the test more by Dementia Joe's "I'm still running" line, with even Ilhan Omar kissing the ring. Or that AOC has now been unendorsed by the national DSA.
There's plenty of other dross below the electroplated gold of AOC. I've got that too, since Grim doesn't.
And, since I was at light grokking, no, looking at the index and moving toward DNF at this point?
I've called Grim out before for turd-polishing the whole Squad, and beyond that, the whole Congressional Progressive Caucus, or Pergressuve Cucks, as I call them.
Related to that link? Almost all coverage about Russia is about 2016 election meddling, and Ukraine isn't even in the index, so Grim can hide where the Squad and the Cucks stand on the lead-up to a proxy war and the war itself.
I reserve the right to move this down to 1 star. The only reasons it isn't, right now, is that I hit the 2-star starring, and also because of the book's illumination of Grim. We have clear evidence he's a Blue Anon and willing to go to all ends for that, and related, that, political inside baseball/chess game floats his boat as much as or more than big ideas.
Beyond the review, knowing Grim well enough here, this doesn't surprise me.
I recently signed up for the Substack he and Jeremy Scahill created upon leaving The Intercept, but if it gets to be too much Blue MAGA, I'll unsub.
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