Interview: Saikat Chakrabarti, creator of the Green New Deal; He also discovered AOC, served as her chief of staff, and co-founded the Justice Democrats

Noahpinion ^ | February 27, 2021 | Noah Smith

[Patriot777]

Saikat Chakrabarti is not your typical political activist, to say the least. A former finance guy and startup founder and an early engineer at Stripe, Chakrabarti left industry to work for Bernie Sanders in 2015. From there he went on to found the Brand New Congress political action committee, with the goal of discovering new political talent. One of the people he discovered was none other than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Chakrabarti was just getting started. He co-founded the incredibly influential Justice Democrats and the think tank New Consensus. He became AOC’s chief of staff, during which time he wrote the original Green New Deal. It was during this time that Chakrabarti and I had a…vigorous debate over the economic policies that were included in that early incarnation of the climate plan.

But when I met Saikat in person, I found out that he and I disagreed on far less than I had expected. In fact, he’s one of the major proponents of industrial policy, which is a big shift I’ve been hoping to promote for years. He has a remarkably broad, detailed, and ideologically flexible vision of American progress. In this very long unedited interview, Chakrabarti describes how the Green New Deal came to be, how he discovered AOC, and what he envisions for the future of industrial policy, American politics, and the progressive movement.

[Patriot777]

Troubling read to least of it, notwithstanding Chakrabarti looks to replace Pelosi and create what looks to be some sort of new 'empire' in California and spread it abroad through the United States like another biotoxic plague.

[iamgalt]

A dangerous enemy of Humanity

[escapefromboston]

That’s one wacky name

[FlingWingFlyer]

America-hating foreigners are on their way to taking over our Congress and then our country. “Biden’s 20 million” freeloaders didn’t come here to pick strawberries. They’re here to take America. Our children and grandchildren will be the ones pickin’ the strawberries.

[Reddy]

I just unsubscribed to Noahpinion... seems likes he coming down with a bad case of TDS??

[know.your.why]

He was AOC’s chief staff? Wait...what?

[SunkenCiv]

• Antarctica Ice Growing Across Large Areas for at Least 85 Years, Aerial Photos Show [03/11/2025]
  • Agitprop: Civilian Climate Corps: Our Opportunity to Flatten the Curve on Climate Change and on Inequality [03/11/2025]
  • Why 'excessive heat warnings' won't be part of the forecast [03/11/2025]
• Family Making S'mores Started Massive Brush Fire Outside the Hamptons, Officials Say [03/11/2025]
  • Massive Long Island brush fires likely caused by someone trying to cook s'mores for breakfast [03/10/2025]
  • Kathy Hochul Issues State of Emergency as Brush Fires Break Out in Long Island [03/09/2025]
  • Wildfires Rage In Long Island, New York Declares State Of Emergency [03/08/2025]
• Katie Porter Announces Run For California Governor [03/11/2025]

[Albion Wilde]

bump

[Organic Panic]

He is from a long line of Indian commies.

[ridesthemiles]

DID HE WITNESS HER TAKING ALL THE $$$$ IN THE TIP JAR & CONCLUDE SHE WOULD MAKE A GREAT DEM VOICE???

[ronnie raygun]

Heard he was illegal and kash is looking into deportation

[SharpRightTurn]

“He is from a long line of Indian commies.”

BTTT

[who knows what evil?]

The little brown people...again.

[liberalh8ter]

There were allegations he illegally moved PAC money to a couple of organizations he founded. Of course, nothing ever came of it but I suspect if Nancy Pelosi doesn't want him to take her seat as he intends to do, those charges will probably resurface.

[Dr. Ursus]

His hero was a Hitler lover!

[fwdude]