I'm Sorry, New York City

NYC Goes Full Socialist. What could go wrong?

Well, the biggest city in America just elected a mayor who openly embraces the most disastrous philosophy in the history of the world. A philosophy that has never delivered widespread prosperity, freedom, or happiness but has delivered plenty of starvation, depravation, human rights atrocities, and death. I wrote about Mamdani previously and dearly hoped NYC would choose a different destiny. But here we are.

I know it’s uncool to compare anyone to the Nazis these days, but I just want to point out that mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is a member of Democratic Socialists of America. (How can that even be a thing?)

And now I’ll point out a few other historical facts in case anyone forgot them:

• The full name of the Nazi party was the National Socialist German Workers’ Party.

• The full name of the Soviet Union was the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

• The full name of Fidel Castro’s original movement was the United Party of the Socialist Revolution of Cuba

Three of the bloodiest, most brutal regimes in history (that virtually everyone now agrees were unqualified atrocities and blights on the face of humanity) were openly socialist regimes. Furthermore, Vladimir Lenin—the brutal dictator of socialist-communist Russia who ordered mass executions and is responsible for the deaths of untold millions of his own people—reportedly said, “The goal of socialism is communism.”

Since socialism and communism are simply different shades of black, it might not be unreasonable to link Mamdani’s core ideals with a few more infamous communist regimes past and present, including Chairman Mao of communist China, Pol Pot of communist Cambodia, and present-day communist North Korea (currently under the firm thumb of Kim Jong Un) which has committed widespread, systematic, and gross human rights violations that in many cases constitute crimes against humanity.

Do people generally like to vacation in these countries? Are communist countries popular destinations for both tourists and immigrants alike? I wonder why not?

I often travel to NYC once a year to attend United Nations meetings, and I love it. I love the buildings, the bustle, the iconic landmarks bristling everywhere. Much to my dad’s chagrin, I’ve walked the streets of New York City alone at night. And I felt perfectly safe. I’ve wandered in Central Park without fearing for my life. I sleep as soundly in a hotel room in New York City as I do anywhere. Is that all about to change?

I fear for New York City.

The Old Trope

Call me naive, but I’m shocked that Mamdani won running on an openly socialist platform. I can’t quite believe the good people of New York did this. To vote for socialism after its myriad horrific failures, one has to believe the old line that “We’ll do it different this time! People just did socialism wrong before! We’ll do it RIGHT!” And sure enough, right there on Mamdani’s beloved Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) website it says:

Capitalism is a system designed by the owning class to exploit the rest of us for their own profit. We must replace it with democratic socialism, a system where ordinary people have a real voice in our workplaces, neighborhoods, and society…Our vision pushes further than historic social democracy and leaves behind authoritarian visions of socialism in the dustbin of history.

There it is folks: “OUR version of socialism/communism would NEVER be authoritarian like those mean socialist guys before us! Besides, capitalists are the WORST!” Sorry, but that’s what they all say.

The DSA website continues:

We want to collectively own the key economic drivers that dominate our lives, such as energy production and transportation…We want to win “radical” reforms like single-payer Medicare for All, defunding the police/refunding communities, the Green New Deal, and more as a transition to a freer, more just life.

I’ve yet to see “collective ownership” (i.e. government control) of energy, transportation, environmental sectors, etc. not lead to the “exploitation” of “ordinary people.” And I’ve yet to see a good explanation for how defunding the police—the major means of enforcing the laws of society—leads to a “freer, more just life.” Freer for criminals, perhaps, not for law abiding people. Laws cease to have meaning or power if they are not enforced. And police and courtrooms are the ways we enforce them.

What Now?

What can we do at this point? We watch as the fruit begins to fall from the tree. The roots of Mamdani-style governance will be revealed as either rotten or redemptive. I know which one I’m putting my money on. We don’t even have to wonder. We simply have to take a terrifying glace behind our backs and see Mao and Lenin running at us at full speed with pitchforks, swords, and soulless eyes, encircled by mighty swaths of world-engulfing fire.

I have hope that NYC will see the disease of socialism creeping through its flesh and cut it off while it still can. The only way forward is to vote for a return to capitalism, law, order, reason, and police uniforms as soon as humanly possible. It might get pretty messy before then.

Some people just have to learn things the hard way for themselves. We all do at times. I guess it’s just New York City’s turn.

We’re here for you, NYC, when you need a shoulder to cry on.

With love,

Kimberly

Great idea! Let’s ask literally anyone who ever lived in a government-run “commune” how that went for them!!