Below is my column on Fox.com on the debate that Democratic New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is a socialist, a Democratic Socialist, or a communist. What is clear is that Mamdani is a Marxist and that is a serious problem for New York.
Here is the column:
Zohran Mamdani was officially certified as the winner of the June 24 New York City Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday. He defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on his way to a victory that is still sending shockwaves through the Democratic Party establishment and beyond.
The only question that remains: who is Zohran Mamdani? The debate is raging where he is antisemitic or just pro-Palestinian; anti-ICE or just pro-immigrant? However, one thing seems to be increasingly clear.
Mamdani is a serious Marxist and that should concern anyone in New York City.
Recently, PolitiFact declared that it was “false” that Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is a “communist.” This was in response to President Donald Trump‘s calling him a “100% Communist Lunatic” on Truth Social. However, while we can quibble over whether the term “communist” is supported by past statements, it appears that Mamdani is likely a Marxist.
PolitiFact characterized the use of the label by Trump and others as a “red scare tactic that has existed in U.S. politics for decades.” For those center-right in American politics, it may have seemed a tad ironic since conservatives and libertarians are routinely called “fascists” and the left has engaged in McCarthy-like tactics to blacklist and question the loyalty of those with opposing views. That is rarely the subject of “fact checks.”
We have repeatedly discussed the biased and sometimes false conclusions of PolitiFact (here, here, and here). On this occasion, PolitiFact may have once again been too quick on the trigger to denounce Trump and conservatives over characterizations of Mamdani’s political and economic views.
First, I have not joined those who have called Mamdani a “communist” as opposed to a “socialist” because these terms are interpreted in wildly different ways. For example, despite being a great critic of Mamdani and his views, I have not seen Mamdani advocating for single-party control over the political system or the complete centralization of the economy under government control.
However, it appears that Mamdani is a serious Marxist, based on recently revealed comments he has made. In one speech before the Young Democratic Socialists of America conference, Mamdani even states matter-of-factly how one of the goals is to “seize the means of production” in America.
“Right now, if we’re talking about the cancellation of student debt, if we’re talking about Medicare for all, you know, these are issues which have the groundswell of popular support across this country. But then there are also other issues that we firmly believe in, whether it’s BDS or whether it is the end goal of seizing the means of production, where we do not have the same level of support at this very moment.”
That does not sound like soft socialism, but fairly hardcore Marxism. It also contradicts PolitiFact’s statement that “Mamdani’s platform is not akin to communism, a system of government which calls for government takeover of private property and control of industry.”
To his credit, Mamdani is not denying that he opposes capitalism and wants to eliminate all billionaires. (He is not clear where millionaires might face their own cutoff for excessive wealth).
Mamdani is the perfect product of the extreme American left. He emerged from the Hollywood and academic environs where extreme views are the rage. He is the son of Professor Mahmood Mamdani, a far-left professor, and Mira Nair, a liberal Indian-American filmmaker. His father teaches subjects from “post-colonialism” to “race capitalism” at Columbia.
Mamdani is the prototype of what some of us have been writing about in the radicalization of higher education, particularly at elite colleges and universities. He graduated in 2014 from the elite Bowdoin College with a bachelor’s degree in African studies. These schools are now largely devoid of conservative faculty members. Scholars generally run from the left to the far left.
Polls show increasing support among young people for socialism and even communism. Notably, Mamdani received significant support in the primary from wealthy and young college-educated voters.
To put it simply, it is cool to be socialist among generations who did not experience the economic failures of socialist systems in the 20th Century in countries like Great Britain and France. They did not witness former communist countries turning to capitalism to rescue their failing economies.
Mamdani’s victory in the Democratic primary was fueled by promises of free buses, free healthcare, free daycare, as well as city-run grocery stores. He even promised “to make Halal eight bucks again.”
It is true that most countries, including the United States, have long embraced social welfare systems. It is also true that some programs once denounced as socialism are now considered mainstream. However, Mamdani’s categorical opposition to capitalism and his references to seizing control of the means of production suggest more extreme Marxist views.
Mamdani has tried to downplay fears over his views after his victory, stating:
“When we talk about my politics, you know, I call myself a Democratic socialist in many ways inspired by the words of Dr. [Martin Luther] King from decades ago, who said, ‘Call it democracy, call it Democratic-Socialism, there has to be a better distribution of wealth for all of God’s children in this country.'”
It is hard to “call it Democratic-Socialism” when you are talking about seizing control of the means of production and opposing capitalism. It suggests that his vision of a “greater distribution of wealth” is far more radical than anything Dr. King was referencing.
Mamdani would not be the first child from an affluent, privileged background to embrace Marxism. In my forthcoming book, Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution, I examine how revolutionaries, from the French Revolution to contemporary movements, have often come from the elite or privileged classes. I discuss the current radicalization in America in exploring the future of American democracy in the 21st Century.
There is a full-court press to dismiss questions about Mamdani’s philosophical views by many in the media and academia. After all, as Mamdani noted on “issues that we firmly believe in [like] the end goal of seizing the means of production… we do not have the same level of support at this very moment.” That support is growing by maintaining a cocoon of ambiguity.
There is a good-faith debate on whether the existing record supports a claim that Mamdani is a communist. However, there is ample reason to suggest that he is a Marxist. That should be a matter of significant concern, particularly as the possible head of government in the world’s greatest financial center.
Marx once said in frustration that “if anything is certain, it is that I myself am not a Marxist.” Perhaps, but Zohran Mamdani does appear to be a true, hardcore Marxist.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University and the best-selling author of “The Indispensable Right.”
“Marx once said in frustration that ‘if anything is certain, it is that I myself am not a Marxist.’ ”
And Mussolini (the fascist born of socialism) shortly before his death lamented, “I was not socialist enough.”
It’s okay, guys. Rolling Stone came out and claimed the nonWhite communist isn’t really a communist because, well, that sounds bad and he’s nonWhite so we shouldn’t promote anything negative about him. Kind of like the Boston Marathon bomber that Rolling Stone orgasmed over.
There is only one sure way to defeat Mamdani and that is to out promise him.
Free Buses? Counter with free taxis.
Rent freezes? Counter with free rent.
Government run grocery stores? Government run restaurants.
Let Mamdani and the Columbia professors argue the over promises are unaffordable.
Turn the election into a giant farce.
The more this fool talks. The less his chances of getting elected to dog-catcher
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Zohran Mamdani, the openly socialist Democrat nominee for mayor of New York City, proposed buying up private properties to “convert” them into communes in a 2021 instructional video for the far-left Gravel Institute.
Government homes…. I hear Russia calling.
If Congress would like to impeach Trump, I would be OK with his.
Let the proceedings begin.
LOL the idiot Rep Al Green tried and failed 344-79. Trump hasn’t done anything wrong, anything another President hasn’t already done and been found to be Constitutional. You have to be delusional to think you can impeach a president just because you don’t like his policies. Al Green needs some psychological help.
The presidency should be at will employment.
The representatives of the people should be able to remove him for whatever reason they want, as long as they have the votes to do so.
“The presidency should be at will employment.”
Except he isnt employed by
Congress.
The President IS an elected representative of the people as well, moron. In fact, the only one elected by all the people.
Should he be able to remove a member of Congress at will?
Grow up.
What the Presidency IS, and what you think it should be are two different things. The first is constitutional and traditionally-respected,regardless of who is in the office, the other is communistic and illegitimate, + hatred is never the basis of good governance, + you all re losing your minds.
Domestic realm much?
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AI Overview
No, the Founding Fathers did not intend for women to vote. While some individuals like Abigail Adams advocated for women’s rights, the prevailing view among the Founding Fathers was that women should not have the right to vote. This belief was rooted in the idea of separate spheres for men and women, with women primarily responsible for the domestic realm and men for public affairs.
WHO the hell cares about your whining over the past! It has no bearing on how we live our lives in the post-modern. Virtually, ALL peoples and parts of the world were paternalistic in the old, far away, bygone, days.
Snap out of this insufferable need to invoke the past to sabotage our modern sensibilities and make everyone mentally ill with VICTIMology.
And yes, I live in the domestic realm, just like you, and I have no problem with the realities of history. When one is intelligent, it is easy to make comparisons, analyze changes, understand evolution, and apply new standards. It’s called growth. The U.S. evolved, and now you FALSE- “progressives” are working to take us all back to the dark days.
“That does not sound like soft socialism …”
Yes it does. It can apply to everything from unionization to regulation of industry. In no way does it imply the violent overthrow of the ruling class and transfer of government power to workers.
There is nothing necessarily communist about the simple truth of Marxism’s theory of history as a process guided by the formula of thesis-antithesis-synthesis — a process that Democracy celebrates, and American history embodies.
Madman can talk game all he wants, but he’s not in office, and if he gets in, he’ll not be able to a single thing he blabs about. He just another stark raving mad lib.
Yes he will if the city council supports him. Whilst everyone is crying bloody murder about the Marxist candidate, who’s watching the city council elections?
Good point. Rikers was removed from council control because it’s a failed prison and hasn’t improved conditions. This came up as ICE sought an office at Rikers. The details fail me.
NYC is a disgusting $h!thole, but a muslim marxist is sure to make it much much worse. Why are there muslims in the west and why are there marxists on the planet? JFC, whomever is promoting this crap across the west should be Mussolini’d and whomever supports this crap should be catapulted to a desert far far away.
Marxist muslims…smh. It will be funny to watch the lefty jews and muslims compete to be the worst garbage in the city.
The people promoting it are the same ones crying “antisemiticm.”
“Stephen Miller
@StephenM
President Trump pledged to seal the border — and he did.
President Trump pledged to end DEI — and he did.
President Trump pledged to dismantle trans ideology — and he did.
He pledged to get men out of women’s sports — and he did.
He pledged to get woke out of the military — and he did.
He pledged to take on our corrupt colleges — and he did.
He pledged to stop inflation and unload American energy — and he did.
He pledged to take our jobs back from China and foreign nations — and he did.
He pledged to end weaponized government — and he did.
He pledged to reassert control over the rogue bureaucracy — and he did.
He pledged to seek peace and security in the world — and he did.
He pledged to restore democracy — and he did.
One vow brought to life after another, day after day after day.
For ten years, the communist left tried to stop him at any cost. They tried to frame him, defame him, bankrupt and jail him. Tory went after his family, friends and closest allies. He survived not one but two assassination attempts on his life.
He endured one wicked witch hunt, hoax, persecution and campaign of fraud and destruction after another. Comey and Clapper and Brennan and Mueller and Schiff and Garland and Smith.
Never for one second did he bend, buckle or bow. He was unyielding, unwavering and unstoppable as he led the nation to a stratospheric victory and electoral landslide in November.
The man in the arena.
We are living through destiny fulfilled.
And now, we stand on the verge of enacting his agenda — America’s agenda — into law.
To every Republican in Congress: honor destiny’s call. Honor the mandate. Honor the moment. Stand with Trump. Bring it home. Deliver the win.”
An anti Israel Marxist. Don’t send federal money there. This is where feds needs to cut back.
There’s a need to begin dissolution talks. It’s been hell for about 15 years marking the second term of Buraq, the steed of Mohammed. Flying, magical steed carrying him on a grand tour and bringing back the Koran. Didn’t he also bring back some outer space rock housed in mecca? The Haj?
Nothing but crime for 15 years. This guy embodies the two great oppressors. They are Islam and socialism/ communism.
Ridiculous
Someone needs to get that rock. Maybe it’s a homing device for weird aliens. Mission impossible boys. Go get the Haj. They’re breeding like people.
Seriously, what is that rock? Think about it. A million people circle that rock. Spooky , I’ve contracted —> Islamophobia. Yikes. Think about Buraq. His mother wasn’t married and gave birth. The bit#h and his father a polygamous. It’s getting scary…
For those of you extreme-leftist “youth,” here, who like Mamdani and his radical agenda, his ideas are not fresh, and they are not new; the formula is trite, proven unworkable, and even dangerous. Most of us know this, but maybe you don’t:
Marxist governance in the last 100-years has KILLED
65-Million in China
30-Million in the soviet Union
2-Million in Cambodia
2-Million in North Korea
1.7-Million in Africa
1-Million in Vietnam
https://victimsofcommunism.org/
Promises of egalitarian UTOPIA, while “seizing means of production” causes economies to slow due to lack of tax base and entrepreneurial initiative, so there are no investments and no-returns, then it’s onto shortages, and then the elites that you thought would go away forever are still there and they are the only ones eating steaks, while you eat bugs or starve. And the best part, the part you love—everyone is equal.
Mohammad Zohran Mamdani is not a “democratic socialist” as he claims. Rather, Mamdani is an IslamoCommuNazi, an entirely new amalgm of Islamic Fanaticism, Communism, and Fascism. IslamoCommuNazis seek to destroy Western Civilization, decency, achievement, accomplishment, and cultural excellence with subhuman tyranny and a cult of death, destruction, depravity, and demonic deviance.
New York citizens are in love with IslamoCommuNazism and, while generally asexual and impotent, New Yorkers get orgasmic relief from high crime, torture, street beatings, robbery, high taxes, bread lines, madness, perversion, and Islamic chanting in Times Square at least 3 times daily while traffic comes to a standstill.
Don’t lump him with Nazis. Nazis had standards. They introduced the very first animal rights legislation.
This is how communists and other criminals get into power: they promise free this, free that, but there’s a price you pay: It requires handing more and more control over to the con man who made those promises, who takes away more and more of your freedoms.
He is not a Marxist he is an Islamist with a hidden agenda. That’s why CAIR endorsed him.
On government run grocery stores, I note that 17 states for better or worse run liquor stores — see this piece mainly on Virginia’s program. https://www.abc.virginia.gov/about (From Concerned Citizen)
..so what’s yr point? do u think that running a few 1 room booze only ABC stores here & there that a very small percentage of folks use, some maybe once a year, equates to running all the grocery stores and supermarkets every few blocks that we all depend on almost daily for fresh produce, meats, fish, baked goods, dairy and other foods.. frozen & unfrozen, refrigerated, canned, boxed, bagged, deli, prepared food for carryout, water and all other drinks, and a zillion other ‘supportive’ things, like all our paper and storage goods, cleaning supplies, etc., etc..? …the ‘government’ can’t even keep the simpler business model called the Post Office running efficiently and within budget…
No problem with your overall points to to my observation, but I note the following with some of your examples.
It’s my understanding that the candidate is proposing only 5 government run grocery stores (1 in each borough),not a store every few blocks. There are 400 liquor stores in Virginia, not a few here and there. (From Concerned Citizen)
Anonymous Concerned Citizen is spot-on about ABC liquor stores and how it has warped the market. It may be alcohol and for some they can poo poo its importance because of it, but it is a prime example of the distortions that occur with government-run monopolies.
It’s not “for better or worse,” it’s for dereliction and negligence by the judicial branch, with emphasis on the Supreme Court, to support the “manifest tenor” of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Any American has the right and freedom to establish a liquor store, restaurant, or club where liquor is consumed.
No federal code or agency, and no state version, has any power to deny any individual his constitutional rights and freedoms, whereas various governmental levels have the power to protect citizens from property damage, bodily injury, et al.
The 5th Amendment absolute right to private property allows only the owner to “claim and exercise” dominion and to establish a free enterprise in the free markets of the private sector.
Americans enjoy the right to and freedom of substance ingestion per the 9th Amendment; Article 1, Section 8, provides Congress no power to regulate substance ingestion, including alcohol and any other substance of choice.
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“[Private property is] that dominion which one man claims and exercises over the external things of the world, in exclusion of every other individual.”
– James Madison
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5th Amendment
No person shall be…deprived of…property…nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
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9th Amendment
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
That’s a lot of meaningless text. The 2nd amendment says “shall not be infringed”
– National Firearms Act of 1934
– Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968
– Gun Control Act of 1968
– Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988
– Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993
etc.
eighteenthhole has it right, IgnorAnon: the sate-run liquor store is NOT a MODEL and is by no means comparable to vast commercial enterprises like grocery store chains, the amount and variety of their shipping, given the sheer numbers of them. The immaturity of your example is laughable, but it does illustrate (in spades) just how socially-morally-politically-historically ILLITERATE today’s hipster-Marxists are.
Come on.. Food and liquor are two totally different items. You can’t live without with food. You can live without liquor.
Those are government created monopolies…yet I thought the government is against monopolies.
The government is against private citizens owning a monopoly. The government would prefer to have all monopolies, including violence.
He’s also a jihadist. These days such things seem to go together well: jihad, communism, and Jew-hatred. Just look at American college campuses.
https://www.jfeed.com/news-world/nyc-mayoral-candidate-intifada-rhetoric-alarms-jews
Jihad and Marxism (or Communism) are both revolutionary in nature, but they stand at opposite poles. Any alliance between them is temporary, for eventually, one will aim to destroy the other.
Meyer – some analysis along those lines:
https://www.jfeed.com/news/syqv32
The singular American failure is the judicial branch, with emphasis on the Supreme Court.
The judicial branch enjoys no power to legislate, amend the Constitution, or amend the Constitution by “interpretation.”
The judicial branch must merely ensure that actions comport with statutory and fundamental law.
Freedom, free enterprise, free industries, free markets, private property, etc., are constitutional.
Communism is unconstitutional.
This rabid communist may run for office, but communism may not be legislated or implemented in the United States of America.
The entire communist American welfare state is unconstitutional and must have been struck down by the Supreme Court every step of the way.
The Constitution holds dominion.
The judicial branch must be held accountable for its American failure.
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The entire communist American welfare state is unconstitutional including, but not limited to, admissions affirmative action, grade-inflation affirmative action, employment affirmative action, quotas, welfare, food stamps, minimum wage, rent control, social services, forced busing, public housing, utility subsidies, CRT, DEI, WIC, SNAP, TANF, HAMP, HARP, TARP, PBS, NPR, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Environmental Protection Agency, Agriculture, Education, Labor, Energy, Obamacare, Social Security, Social Security Disability, Social Security Supplemental Income, Medicare, Medicaid, “Fair Housing” laws, “Non-Discrimination” laws, etc.
Article 1, Section 8, provides Congress the power to tax for ONLY debt, defense, and “general Welfare” – ALL or THE WHOLE WELL PROCEED through governmental provision of security and basic infrastructure – omitting and, thereby, excluding any power to tax for individual Welfare, specific Welfare, particular Welfare, favor or charity. The same Article enumerates and provides Congress the power to regulate ONLY the Value of money, Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian Tribes, and land and naval Forces.
Further, the 5th Amendment right to private property was initially qualified by the Framers and is, therefore, absolute, allowing no further qualification, and allowing ONLY the owner the power to “claim and exercise” dominion over private property.
Government exists, under the Constitution and Bill of Rights, to provide maximal freedom to individuals while government is severely limited and restricted to facilitating that maximal freedom of individuals through the provision of security and infrastructure.
The Necessary and Proper Clause is nothing more than a perfunctory redundancy for the purposes of clarification—a reinforcement of that which was previously codified—and may not be wielded to amend and impose separate acts that do not represent but alter the letter and spirit of the Founders and Framers.
“The Goal of Socialism is Communism.” — Vladimir Lenin.
The only difference between socialism and communism is a couple of years. If the US ever goes, the whole “soft socialism” group of EU countries will follow right along.
Soft socialism is a byproduct of American largesse/generosity. Without the United States to defend you militarily, bolster their economies via tariffs, restrictions and various measures securing their interests at our expense, without US subsidies and handouts embedded within our omnibus budgets etc, EACH of those nations has to absorb the costs themself.
A large percentage of everything they produce comes from US intelligence/equipment sharing, a significant portion of the funding for the research, studies, “science” they are privy to- is a byproduct of US capitalism and joint projects between our nation and our corporations.
Without capitalist medicine fueling the demand for new drugs, treatment procedures, equipment, innovation etc in medicine, everything slows to a crawl. Everything we produce is provided for them at a steep discount.
And lastly, the US is a nation of capitalist consumers, everyone benefits from the ability to sell us stuff American ls used to produce.
America is definitely not perfect and we certainly have to be held accountable for all of our wrongs but we’ve done and do much more than we’re given credit for.
The ungrateful populations around the world will cry out with misery once we’re gone. Young idealistic leftists who weren’t taught properly in school, are ignorant of world history history and deficient in critically needed life skills like- logic, reasoning, problem solving etc, are easily duped by the promises of Marxists. If we don’t educate them ASAP, they’re going to end up taking us all out.
How did the left win? The right failed to fight back with everything they had. Big gun owners…
You lose consequently the whole world lost.
quibling over nuances of the difference between a communist, a marxist a socialist is idiocy
ALL FORMS OF STATISM Fail – i theory and practice.
Shilling for them – whateer the name, whatever the form is LUNACY.
Trump most certainly got that right.
True. Trump said “The USA is not, and will never be, a socialist country.” Their response: no worries, we’ll just make it a Communist country.
JSay, no one is quibling over the nuances of the differences. And ALL FORMS OF SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS also fail. You on one end of the spectrum, and georgie and gigi on the other.
“ALL FORMS OF STATISM Fail – i theory and practice.”
Not true.
Scandinavian countries’ social welfare systems are very successful. Our SS system is successful. Medicare, controlling inflation, and maintaining our highway system. There are plenty of statist forms that we have and are successful. The irony is that many people don’t realize they benefit from it without ever knowing its a statist system. Republicans rely on them when it benefits them, but actively undermine them when they don’t because they are afraid statist socialist policy or system is successful it will undermine their worse policies designed only do benefit a very few and privileged group like the wealthy.
I don’t think it’s accurate to label a social welfare system “statism” just because the government administers it. Statism is a much more thorough and complete control of all of the “commanding heights” of the economy by the government, including wage and price controls.
SS is, in fact, a Ponzi scheme. Literally. The government confiscates money from younger workers today to give stipends to old retired workers. When SS was first enacted, there were 160 workers to each retiree. Now there are 3. That’s because life expectancy then was 65 years. Today it is closer to 80. As with all collectivst schemes, it is on the road to ruin.
Tons of studies have shown that had people been allowed to opt out of SS and instead were mandated to invest the earnings the government confiscated from them, they’d have high six figure, many even 7 figure, estates at retirement. Something to leave to their kids and grandkids if not depleted when they die. Instead, after the government confiscates your earnings 40 years so they can give it to others, you get a measly check each month until you die. No estate. That absolutely is by design.
Medicare is an absolute disaster. It has made healthcare unaffordable. A left wing think tank did a study several years ago showing that the average Medicare beneficiary takes out 3x more in benefits than they are forced to contribute. You think that is “successful”.
It took Eisenhower every bit of political capital he could muster to get the Interstate highway system built. Prior to WWII, it had been rejected multiple times in Congress. When Eisenhower finally got it passed, it was supposed to be financed by user fees. Mostly taxes on fuel and tolls. The more you use them, the more you pay. So the public bought it.
Except now people do not want to pay more fuel taxes to maintain the highway system. So Congress leaves the fuel taxes where they are, and borrows the additional money it needs to maintain the roads. In other words, they shift the burden of current road maintenance to future generations of voters. And on top of that, Democrats have given their very rich donors large subsidies to buy electric car toys. And those rich donors then get to drive their toys on roads but pay no fuel tax to maintain the roads.
All your statist, collectivist ideas are monuments to failure. You’re just too uninformed to know it.
Ano
Our SS system is successful. Medicare, controlling inflation, and maintaining our highway system.
Bull. S/S is holding on by threads and the same with medicare. Many states have done a poor job of highway maintenance.
“Scandinavian countries’ social welfare systems are very successful.”
At what?
At confiscatory taxes. At allowing some to consume the wages of those who work. At treating some as a means to the ends of others.
If your goal is individual freedom, that is not success. It’s abject failure.
“Our SS system is successful.”
On strictly practical grounds, that is laughably false. Private investment returns a far higher retirement fund.
SS is expected to become insolvent by 2033. That is not a measure of success. It is abject failure.