“We have entered an age of transparency where we can see our institutions and leaders for all of their flaws. Trust is for the gullible. Everything now will be a fight. Appealing to common interests will be all the more difficult.”
I wrote that in “The War on Normal People” back in 2018. Then, just last week a sad new poll was released, saying that only 13% of young adults in Gen Z think that “most people can be trusted,” less than half of the level of, say, Generation X, which happens to be my generation.
I’ve been clicking on YouTube videos about Gen Xers lately – when did we become the fifty-something-year-olds? The thumbnail avatar now is a paunchy balding guy in a flannel shirt. It’s haunting. But I digress.
The trust is dissipating. Particularly for the young and disillusioned.
A couple weeks ago, a financial disclosure came out that put Alexandria Ocasio Cortez’s net worth at around $30,000 - $65,000. She has up to $50,000 in a savings account, up to $15,000 in a checking account, and up to $15,000 in a 401k. That’s up to around $80,000. And she owes student loans from 2011 of between $15,000 and $50,000.
Immediately, an uproar went up doubting the veracity of this disclosure. How could someone as prominent as AOC have missed all of the self-dealing and profiteering that we have come to expect from our leaders?
First, let me say that I totally believe the disclosure, which has to be made officially as part of her duties as a member of Congress. There’s no way that she would fudge something public like this given the level of attention it would receive.
But also, it makes total sense to me. She has a Congresswoman’s salary of $174,000. She’s been a member of Congress for 7.6 years, since being sworn in in 2019 as a 29-year-old. Let’s stipulate that she was essentially broke when she won. She has had to pay for 2 places to live in New York City and Washington D.C., where rent for a 1-bedroom apartment might cost $3,600 and $2,400, respectively. She has an enormous social media following but doesn’t monetize it (and on X, government officials actually make no revenue). Unlike most members of Congress, she’s not likely to be hanging out with business tycoons and real estate developers who want to cut her in on something, and she doesn’t have the spare assets anyway.
When would she have had the chance to become rich? She wouldn’t. Actually, given the above she’s done a pretty decent job socking money away, though I definitely think the 401k could afford to be a little higher and the savings account a little lower.
By the way, the obvious move for AOC to make if she wants to make some money in a totally acceptable way as a political figure is to do what Bernie did – write a book or two. Bernie has written 6 books that have made him a millionaire. Her book would mint. AOC apparently explored writing a book a while ago but passed for unknown reasons. There are different ways to write a book; I write my own books but (shocker) there are ways for political figures to get a ghostwriter that can speed up the whole process and make it a lot simpler. Maybe she really wants to do it herself but is just too busy – I know multiple people who have been in that boat.
Anyway, people mistrust the disclosure about AOC because they might disagree with her ideologically, or they think everyone famous is rich, or they think our leaders are all being bought and sold so egregiously that there must be some payola going on for her.
There’s a simple explanation – she’s a 36-year-old Congresswoman who hasn’t gotten around to writing a book yet. Sometimes people aren’t crooks.
Look, I too am upset about the endemic corruption of this age. It’s sad and super-disheartening.
But I wish that people could sometimes simply believe the best of other people. There are actually decent people out there trying their best, whether you agree with them or not.
And now, I will return to trying to fix everything. You know who I’m pumped about? U.S. Senate candidates and Independents Todd Achilles, Brian Bengs, and Seth Bodnar in Idaho, South Dakota and Montana. They’re all military veterans who are trying to do the right thing for the country. You can trust them. Trust me.
For my convo with Zach about getting off the reality show and the summer thus far, click here. To check out Forward Party candidates including U.S. Senate candidates Todd Achilles, Brian Bengs, and Seth Bodnar, click here. For 3 months off your mobile bill with Noble Mobile, click here or email matt@noblemobile.com and use my name to switch or explore. It will save you money and time. To get a copy of “Hey Yang, Where’s My Thousand Bucks?” click here and use the code “UBIUBI” for 25% off. I wrote it.