The carrot and stick comparison is apt, however the goal of both is compliancy and subservience to the US. Countries are forced to host US military bases, forced to privatize industries, and serve US interests in exchange for both the carrot or the stick. Countries which refuse the carrot, such as Libya, ultimately still get the stick even by Democrats like AOC.

It tends to make more sense when you replace the word USA with China. When China builds ports and infrastructure in Africa, we both know they are not expecting it out of the good of their heart. They expect something in return. Same with the US. Nothing is out of the good of their hearts, it is all related to soft power.

AOC and Bernie are tools to prevent people who are getting more left from leaving the system.They take leftist energy and funnel it back into the DNC. Similar to how Trump or Nick Fuentes catch right-wingers who are dissatisfied with Republicans, and then funnels them back into the RNC and do Republican things.

They often correctly describe issues such as billionaires hoarding wealth. This makes people think they understand the problem. But then they present the solution to the issue as "vote Democrat", redirecting the actions of the leftist to be the same as a centrist Liberal.

AOC has also betrayed the left multiple times by siding with Democrats, such as when she voted to send weapons to Israel during the genocide.