Below is my column in The Hill on Mamdani’s full-throated pledge to introduce New Yorkers to “the warmth of collectivism.” We have been here before…
Here is the column:
This week, Seattle and New York swore in socialist mayors in what many are portraying as a new era for the Democratic Party and the nation. Of course, it is only “new” for the young voters who have no memory of the economic and political meltdowns of socialist and communist governments in the late 20th Century. Nevertheless, many of them were thrilled as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared at his inauguration that he would introduce the city to “the warmth of collectivism.”
The wind blowing from the West to the East coasts is familiar to many of us who lived through the 1970s and 1980s. In my forthcoming book, I discuss this shift toward socialism as a new generation replicates the same failed policies that marked a long line of collectivist catastrophes.
The current rhetoric and divisions are strikingly similar to the conditions that brought socialist François Mitterrand to power in France in 1981, promising a “rupture with capitalism.” It was a heady time for armchair Marxists. He was sworn into office just weeks after the election of an unknown socialist as mayor of Burlington, Vt. named Bernie Sanders.
Sanders was there this week to give the oath of office to Mamdani after thrilling the crowd with promises of going to war with the “billionaire class” and “wealthy oligarchs.”
Mamdani then repeated his pledge to govern as a socialist and listed off his pledges of free buses and other benefits of socialism. Mamdani had previously pledged everything from free buses to making “Halal eight bucks again.” As a rising socialist activist, he also called for “seizing the means of production.”
The problem with socialism, as Margaret Thatcher observed, is that you “eventually run out of other people’s money.” Such details are a distraction if you listen to Mamdani. After the mayor said that the free buses would be paid for by increasing state taxes on the rich, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) nixed the idea, knowing her state is already facing an exodus of high-earning taxpayers. When confronted by that refusal and asked how he would pay for the program, Mamdani shrugged and said, “The most important fact is that we fund it, not the question of how we do it, but that we do it.”
It is that easy. Mitterrand promised the same magical economic results for the working class. He even appointed Andre Henry as the Minister of Free Time to assist citizens in their new socialist leisure. As I explain in “Rage and the Republic,” the French economy collapsed, as the British economy had earlier during the “winter of discontent” under Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan. Britain was even forced to seek a loan from the International Monetary Fund.
Both France and Britain would later reintroduce capitalist policies and roll back socialist policies to stop the economic collapse.
We also tried collectivist policies in cities across this country, including a commune on Long Island called Modern Times (now called Brentwood). It lasted about ten years before collapsing.
But the greatest fear is not the replication of failed economic policies, but the assault on individual rights that is sure to come with it. Socialist and communist systems emphasize collective over individual interests. Mamdani also touched on that theme in his inauguration, promising to replace “the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.’”
Noting the millions who died under socialist governments, Bishop Robert Barron responded dryly on social media: “For God’s sake, spare me the ‘warmth of collectivism.’”
Even Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Special Envoy, Kirill Dmitriev derided Mamdani’s speech by noting that the new mayor was “doing a solid job steering the U.S. toward Communism.” He wrote “Dear Comrade Mamdani — just a friendly reminder that this has been tried before.”
What is striking about Mamdani in New York and Katie Wilson in Seattle is that they have virtually no real experience in running anything. Indeed, with the exception of a few organizing and college positions, this is believed to be the first major job Wilson has ever held. Both are socialist organizers who have now been handed the mayoral jobs in two of the largest cities in the U.S. on promises to bring about “the warmth of collectivism.”
Of course, neither has come close to a utopian collective outside of a Marxist 101 college course. But it does not matter. In New York, voters have been promised that they will soon be munching on eight-dollar Halal meals on free buses.
Like promises of shares in the Brooklyn Bridge or five-dollar solid gold watches from street slicks, this grift is one of the oldest pitches in politics. But it has been decades since someone ran the scam on a large scale. Fittingly, some participants at Mamdani’s inauguration complained that it lacked any food, music, or bathrooms. On a cold, miserable Friday, the new budding socialists had to stand outdoors and imagine the “warmth of collectivism” coming in the new utopia known as New York.
It seemed Mamdani had already achieved true equality for everyone in attendance.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. He is the author of the forthcoming “Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution” on the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.
The “warmth of collectivism” was found in the ovens of Aushwitz and Buchenwald.
Never forget that the Nazis are every bit as socialist as the Bolsheviks.
In Tiananmen Square, Tank Man was introduced to “the warmth of collectivism.”
Millions of East Germans felt the “the warmth of collectivism,” as slaves behind a wall.
In the 20th century, some 100 million were killed by that “warmth” during collectivist famines, purges, forced labor, political executions, and wars.
As for the East Germans, they could freely travel within the confines of the Iron Curtin. They could sell and trade goods ands services. Change jobs freely, free college education, health care. Entertainment outlets. And no illegal drug markets. All the basic amenities. So what basics did Americans in the 70.’s… 80’s have that East Germans didn’t? People, you really do not know what you’re talking about regarding other economic systems. You’re reciting American government propaganda. I lived there. I now live in beautiful South Carolina with my Syrian wife. Children are grown; they live in Poland and Germany, 3 grandchildren. Educated in European universities. They have no desire to see the USA. One reason is to much crime they say.
What a wonderful Utopian paradise you left behind. Why did you come to the USA?
“All the basic amenities.”
You forgot to mention this charming, East German “amenity” — the Stasi: an oppressive, domestic secret police used by the East German collectivists to crush and torture dissenters (you know, those who believed in “the frigidity of rugged individualism.”)
Plus, you’re lying through your teeth. From 1950-1990, East Germany was beset by chronic food shortages.
Ingo, your comment is very interesting, and I am sure, honestly felt. I never lived there, but I spent an awful lot of time in Poland in the 1970’s and 1980’s. I would estimate that perhaps 15% of the Polish people had your view of life under totalitarianism. Many of those who voted for Mamdani (or Biden) share those views as well. And even some of those would dispute certain of your claims. One of the folks I knew in Poland at that time said of his life: “We are no more than animals in a zoo. Yes, we have the “basics” in food, government housing, etc., but we have none of the dignity that comes from the freedom to think, and to act, without considering the boot of the government that will come down on our neck if they think we are troublemakers.”
Enjoy your stay in our country. Visit Cuba, you may prefer it there.
Ingo Mueller, still East German communist in mind, says: As for the East Germans, they could freely travel within the confines of the Iron Curtin. So what basics did Americans in the 70.’s… 80’s have that East Germans didn’t?
Let’s see… international travel, the First Amendment, the Second Amendment, Fourth Amendment, etc? How long have you been in America while still not recognizing what America granted you that you didn’t have back in your beloved communist GDR?
The operative words, screaming the quiet part out loud: “within the CONFINES”. Any particular reason you didn’t move to South Carolina while the Iron Curtain still kept you East Germans as inmates of that communist workers’ paradise, the GDR?
Any reason other than you didn’t want to get your red ass shot dead stepping across that Iron Curtain line – or thrown in a gulag to work decades as an interned State slave?
Did America take you in as a refugee from East German Communism, to grant you an American new start in life – where you could work for yourself instead of for the good of the communist state?
Or did your parents sensibly bring you to America as the child of refugees from communism, recognizing the freedom that is lost on you as an adult?
With this example of East Germany GDR patriotism and propaganda regarding the wonders and beauty of being a worker slave for the GDR, my best guess is that you would admit to being an incredibly reliable voter for the Obama Democrats. The Democrat promises of giving you free stuff after first stealing from others has to be appealing to you.
And you apparently successfully implanted East German communism in your childrens’ minds – the freedom in America would be as wasted on them, unfortunately, as it clearly has been on you.
Never mind Ingo… presuming you aren’t another criminal Illegal Alien, you now can obtain an American passport and travel wherever you wish.
America does not constrain you within freedom as communism constrained your freedom of movement and made you a life inmate of the communist gulag.
You could probably even travel to North Korea on an American passport – they are eager to accept immigrants who miss East German totalitarian communism.
Talk about ignorance! I traveled quite expensively in Eastern Europe BEFORE the Iron Curtain fell. It was darn poor. So, if you were a good boy, you were allowed to travel within the prison of the Soviet empire. If you were a very good boy, you might be eligible to buy an East German Porsche, called the Trabant. Government services were absolutely bad in Eastern Europe. Healthcare was nowhere as sophisticated as in the West. I truly met nobody who liked being in their countries and all dreamed of leaving for the West. What basics did Americans have? let’s start with freedom. The right to bear arms, the right to speak your mind without ending up in a Gulag, the right to attend church services, the right to buy a car or whatever you wanted, the right to travel beyond the confinement of the US but worldwide, and let’s not forget: the right to elect our political leaders. What Americans did not have were empty supermarket shelves, secret police arresting you for having an opinions contrary to the party line, housing options limited to dark, tiny apartment buildings with one bathroom for the whole family, etc, etc. If your children share your ideas, then I am glad they are not here. If what you expressed in your comment are your heart felt opinions, please leave and find yourself a socialist paradise – you do not belong here.
Thank you for clearing up a long time mystery for me. Your statement has provided the insight from lived experience that the Berlin wall could not have been built to keep East Germans from escaping Communism but rather to keep those annoying West Germans from fleeing into East Germany and clogging the local roads with the swiftly purchased and elegantly engineered Trabant.
I do agree that crime should not be tolerated but do note that incidences of crime is very location sensitive. Fortunately the current Trump administration has an operational priority, in some cases in-spite of some state and local politician’s apparent policies, of reducing the general incidences of crime.
Ich wünsche Ihnen ein frohes neues Jahr!
Hey, Ingo, what you and your fellow East Germans were missing were inalienable rights known as individual freedom and liberty, each foreign ideas to communists that were previously Nazis. I’ll bet two to one that you were likely a former apparatchik of the East German government who finagled his way into the United States after collapse of the GDR when facing the loss of East German government worker privileges that came with German reunification.
Berlin Wall. There. I proved Ingo a liar.
Ingo, with all the glowing talk of opportunity and prosperity in communist Germany, one can only wonder why they felt the need to build a wall. Can you answer that, or should we reach the rational conclusion that you are a troll?
Believe the “warmth of collectivism” is demonstrated clearly during Pol Pot and Ieng Sary in Cambodia during the late 1980’s.
ah yes, NY NY, you did it your way…. good luck…
If you can make it out of here, you can make it out of anywhere…
How to win frienjds and influence people…
Abduct a foreign leader.
Yeah, they, police, just continue to abduct murderers. Darn, murderers can be so much fun….
How to win frienjds and influence people… Abduct a foreign leader.
Must be a reason we didn’t see that clever line while you purred “I’m With Her!” as Clinton cackled “We came. We saw. He died”.
What a convincing post! Well done!
The warmth of collectivism is about 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature of the blood spilled by Socialists throughout history, over and over and over again. Those who resist are killed, or arrested at best. Collectivism was tried in 1620 in Massachusetts. It failed. Miserably. Without even the slightest hint of irony, those cheering Mamdani and Wilson (both of whom are nepo babies, unable to thrive but for the financial support of their wealthy parents), enjoy the very spoils of Capitalism: cell phones, internet, computers, plentiful and cheap food (often delivered right to their doors), cars and trucks available to all… The list is endless. Sadly, when Socialism fails, Capitalism gets the blame. Socialism has yet to succeed even once, except for Socialist dictators ruling collectivist empires (while living in luxury, like “Three House Bernie”).
“cell phones, internet, computers, plentiful and cheap food (often delivered right to their doors), cars and trucks available to all… The list is endless.”
Do you truly believe that socialist nations do not have those amenities? And the communist forms of Russia, Poland, GDR, Yugoslavia etc.. didn’t have nepo babies?
I’d dare say, socialism didn’t fail by its own accord, it was forced by the USA via CIA, USAID etc.
Don’t forget Coca Cola.
2 grams of coca aren’t criminally charged in Venezuela. You can put it in your cola. Move there.
You ignore the necessary point that PIONEERING and INCENTIVE TO INVENT were reasons for the invention of “cell phones, internet, computers, plentiful and cheap food (often delivered right to their doors), cars and trucks available to all… The list is endless.” Socialism DID NOT incentivize and therefore lead to the invention of products of capitalism. Socialist countries merely took advantage of capitalism and disincentivized socialists are CONDITIONED to believe that they can have anything, even though their actions did not lead to any of the products of capitalism.
In the words of Charlie Munger, the word “incentive” is the most important motivational concept in humanity.
Pavlov huh? That sounds suspect. Did you live in a socialist or communist country Ivan? Please, do tell.
Those free bus rides might work out. The bus driver can ride for free. Everyone must ride the bus and taxes collected from everyone can pay for everyones’ free ticket. It’ll cure inflation.
The wealthy will leave the country and invest elsewhere. George and amal are investing elsewhere. Wonder where they’ll go next. Probably their villa Italy next door to the Pelosi’s villa.
Do you truly believe that socialist nations do not have those amenities?
When Boris Yeltsin went grocery shopping in Clear Lake
https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/bayarea/news/article/When-Boris-Yeltsin-went-grocery-shopping-in-Clear-5759129.php
Do you hope to convince us you truly believe that those communist states had the same things i.e. “cheap food” as in America?
Child… if you weren’t still desperately attempting to make your way out of grade school, you would remember the wives of Soviet Premiers gawking in disbelief when taken on tours through American neighborhood supermarkets. You would remember the Soviet’s interned citizens standing in line hoping that there might be bread at the State grocery store that day.
Not just under Kruschev, but repeated all the way through to Yeltsin. But you’re going to claim that glorious communism collapsed due to the machinations of the CIA destroying that utopia – not everyday capitalism as enjoyed by every American family?
Well sonny, you roll with that if you think it’s as convincing to normal Americans as it is to Bolshovik Democrats and your Commie Mamdani.
Capitalists have spilled blood.
To paraphrase Adam Smith, it is not the warmth of collectivism that moves the butcher or baker to put food on our tables, but, instead, the need to put food on his own table. When the discontents are finished with their dancing and singing, the harsh reality of no food, no porto-potties, and predatory crime will take over. NY mayors have been thrown out of office over failure to pick up trash or plow snow in the neighborhoods, relatively mundane reasons. I would give it six months before we see the ubiquitous bumper stickers reminiscent of the Obama era (How’s That Hope & Change Working for You?), saying, “How’s That Warmth of Collectivism Working for You?” New Yorkers have a wry sense of humor.
It has nothing to do with memory, there are plenty of contemporary examples of collectivism. This is willful ignorance and progressive stupidity.
“plenty of contemporary examples of collectivism..”
So why didn’t you list them. Maybe because there are none?
Dude? Seriously? Just as the dog, you have truly been conditioned.
“plenty of contemporary examples of collectivism..” So why didn’t you list them. Maybe because there are none?
Why looky here – another “please believe me, not your lying eyes” communist Democrat sealion. Here’s one for you, from the failed Soviet Union’s collectivism in every day grocery shopping.
When Boris Yeltsin went grocery shopping in Clear Lake
https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/bayarea/news/article/When-Boris-Yeltsin-went-grocery-shopping-in-Clear-5759129.php
Conservatives might finally wake up to the fact that youngsters need to be acculturated to personal agency in a capitalist system starting at an early age. That means being given encouragement to earn and save, and feel the rewards of independent spending.
We’ve allowed corporations to groom youth as consumers. Where is the message that they are mini-producers?
It’s time to flood youth with the opposite message….with paid internships starting around age 12, or earlier to the extent they can shoulder responsibility. We need to relax child labor laws, and severely punish abusers.
Children don’t automatically become functioning capitalist actors at age 18. No wonder so many are looking for other answers. Give children responsibilities, reward them monetarily, prevent child abuse….and you’ll stop seeing them fall for socialism’s illusion of unearned prosperity.
pbinca’s inner Kalifornia communist is showing: We’ve allowed corporations to groom youth as consumers. Where is the message that they are mini-producers?
Not long ago you were making a similar pitch regarding these young American adults, claiming that The State should properly groom young American youth to accept the limitations you demand be placed on what age and how they may be granted the freedom to exercise some Second Amendment rights.
Trying to hide in plain sight isn’t working out for you pbinca – you inadvertently expose your socialist soiled panties with practically every post you make.
Sort of like looking at a car wreck, I watched Mamdani’s inaugural speech. Although much of it was offensive to me (I love capitalism tempered by reasonable regulation), the line about replacing the “frigidity of capitalism” with “the warmth of collectivism” bothered me the most since it was a rejection of one of the primary qualities that built this country, including the city of which he now is Mayor, and an embrace of the political philosophy that is found in failed societies ranging from hippie communes to dictatorships in countries defined by communism, socialism or fascism. Was he unaware of what happened to Venezuela? And apparently even though he and his tribe reject capitalism, they seem to like what it can buy: Mamdani’s wife (possibly following Bernie Sanders lead) was wearing a pair of allegedly borrowed designer boots that retail for about $600, and some high dollar earrings. Certainly, Mamdani’s background does not bring to mind a rugged individual since apparently, he has never had a real job that lasted more than a few months to a year until he was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020. He makes $142,000 from that job (plus per diem) but lives in a rent controlled apartment. And, as an Assemblyman, he has carried only three bills in five years, one of which was for a pilot project for MTA busses giving free rides. He must barely have time to wipe the sweat from his brow.
I do not feel sorry for New Yorkers because approximately 1 million of them voted for this anti-American, anti-semitic, inexperienced spoiled idiot. I just hope his delusional political “policies” don’t spread too far beyond the City. Unfortunately, Seattle already has a twin Mayor and I am sure more will follow since we seem to have raised a significant percentage of an entire generation that has no apparent sense of history or commitment to anything larger than themselves.
Excellent comment. As good as any op-ed. Thank you. I’ll never forget the joy I experienced in watching the Berlin Wall come down or later crossing Checkpoint Charlie. I guess kids today think their generation and Mamdani’s are smarted and more capable of making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear than Mamdani’s predecessors in Moscow. Pretty bad when even the ex-Soviets chide the new mayor.
“Mamdani’s predecessors in Moscow” Now that is an outright stupidity.
Both of you are relics.
Mamdani has talked about “seizing the means of production”. That’s exactly want the Bolsheviks did.
It’s perfectly logical to compare Mamdani’s collectivist ideology to the Soviet communist ideology.
You are the stupid one for denying it.
Sometimes you get what you vote for. It is beyond me why the Jewish population voted for this anti-semite, and why a city built on capitalism voted for this socialist dilettante. Unfortunately, it will prove to be a very costly mistake.
Suze, the Jewish voter, to my chagrin, has voted Democrat, 70-80% of the time. Though moving away, since Trump, provided only about 30% of the vote to Mandami. That demonstrates improvement.
Had a spate of mountain lion sightings in a coastal development where we had a cottage. HOA hired an expert to give a talk to calm some fearful folks.
He described one incident where a large female cat had killed an elk and had been driven away from the kill by a bear. The cat lingered near the area for a bit then went back and killed the bear.
Lesson for you communists: private property is a natural right. Try to take it at your peril.
Brilliant. The comments (so far) today are most entertaining.
So what’s your contribution today. Cheerleader?
Oldfish took that scenario from a 2 year old youtube video.
C’mon you Turley MAGATS… I’m having this conversation with myself for your benefit. Show a little gratitude, you simpleton ingrates.
No, I attended the lecture by the guy who put the gps collar on the cat. Maybe circa 2016 or 17. The patience, determination, and success of the cat against a dangerous enemy is another lesson for communists.
In 1967, Polish mercenary Rafal Ganowicz was asked what it felt like to take human life, “I wouldn’t know, I’ve only ever killed Communists.”
Aren’t communists just socialists who have subdued all opposition?
America First
Many incredibly wealthy people bought and sold property among their own kind until property prices were so high only the wealthy could buy property.
Capitalism has no limit on the individual or group creation of wealth. Capitalism CREATES money. The economy is CREATED.
Well, I’m just waiting on the first blizzard with much snow piled high. That tends to stress mayors and simple things like failure to clear the trash off the streets or snow drifts off the cars and streets have been known to bring down mayors before. The people forget the slogans when the trash reeks all over the city or the workers go on strike or payday results in promissory notes or vouchers at only city owned grocery stores with empty shelves.
Do these children not understand or have any knowledge of what happens with socialist dreams.
I guess they never read about the crash of Russian agriculture with the “warm” collectivist farms and the mass starvation in the Ukraine in the 1930’s otherwise know as the “Holodomor”.
Interesting that Russia should send a note of caution to the new mayor. Maybe a professor at Columbia should send some books to the new Mayor discussing the industrialization of the Soviet Union in the 1920’s and 1930’s when Stalin hired American architects to design large numbers of the new factories and Construction firms, also from the US, which then built the factories.
I don’t wish harm on the people of New York but they voted for this. The City has been bailed out before but i would wonder about any future federal bailout should this predicted disaster come to pass.
“that Russia should send a note of caution ..” It was a pun. Then to convert that into Stalin as an analogy is outright stupid; Mandami the pseudo Communist doesn’t come close to Stalinism the tyrant. Wrong century, wrong nation. Wrong people. Wrong political ideology.
Pompous fool.
To all the people here that are conservative, center or even a bit left of center I ask if you would ever go to a site where you consider the host a “pompous fool” in order to disagree with him, insult him and attack his thoughts, arguments and theories? Of course not, only a far leftist would at this way.
Right. Nobody on the right goes to rallies and shoots people.
Well last year we had two conservatives, Kirk and Trump, shot at, can you name any liberals, socialists that were shot at? Oh, ask Steve Scalise how he’s doing too.
Don’t thrown in Giffords, that was not political.
Michal Trainor, Margret Wilson, Cy Wright, Anne Santana …. is that enough?
Martin Luther King, Harvey Milk. Yes, Giffords counts.
You mean, just like you do every day?
GEB is not the host of the blog. And Obviously you are incapable of understanding that he used a false analogy.
As I recall seeing here with mu every visit, it you attacking commenters with blind ferocity. You are a pompous fool and a hypocrite.
I’m slow. Please explain the “false analogy” GEB made.
You are a pompous fool and a hypocrite.
Projection:
Channeling one’s actions onto others typically refers to the psychological concept of projection, where an emotionally disturbed individual unconsciously or deliberately attributes their own thoughts, feelings, and anti-social or criminal behaviors onto someone else.
This is an internal defense mechanism which allows that mentally ill person to avoid confronting their own behavior and guilt by seeing it instead as as the thoughts and actions of another person who they despise and hate.
Maybe it’s a bot that attacks all blogs about law? It’s standard radical issue, CNN etc.
Pompous fool.
Projection:
Channeling one’s actions onto others typically refers to the psychological concept of projection, where an emotionally disturbed individual unconsciously or deliberately attributes their own thoughts, feelings, and anti-social or criminal behaviors onto someone else.
This is an internal defense mechanism which allows that mentally ill person to avoid confronting their own behavior and guilt by seeing it instead as as the thoughts and actions of another person who they despise and hate.
Not to mention Mao’s Great Leap Forward or the Cultural Revolution. Lots of examples of communism’s failures. I always get a chuckle when a youngster says to me, “oh, but it’s not communism. It’s only socialism.” Ugh.
I’m always in awe the geriatric presumption. I’m guessing it senility you’re experiencing.
No, she’s remembering a USA without crime. No locks needed.
>i>I’m always in awe the geriatric presumption. I’m guessing it senility you’re experiencing.
Does Trump know he’s doing you a favor with the dropping price of gas helping you ply your trade?
Gaslighting
Gaslighting is the intended psychological manipulation by a low-IQ perpetrator of those they hope to victimize through intentionally misleading that person or group. This involves the perpetrator lying, denying events, and other methods used in the hope their intended victims doubt their perceptions of reality, memories, and feel overly emotional or irrational.
The main five methods of gaslighting that may be used alone or in conjunction with others are: trivializing, countering, lying, blame shifting, and withholding.
Georg Rapp and Robert Owen each founded a collectivist commune circa 1806, and Owrn even spoke to Congress in the presence of several former presidents, the current and incoming presidents. We’ve heard this all before and it’s even been tried here before and failed.
So to all you aspiring socialists go back and study how and why it failed then so you will understand why it’s failed ever since and will fail now and forever.
In regards to the post: Mamdani will have real life issues and institutions to bring him in from the far left…such as the police, fire and city service unions.
In regard to the page: Disappointing to encounter anonymous trolls here.
For all intents and purposes you are also an anonymous troll.
Only a bigot would use a polish pseudonym.
michael molovinsky says: In regard to the page: Disappointing to encounter anonymous trolls here.
Your fraudulent disappointment – while you post links to your failed blog and conceal the fact that blog belongs to you. Didn’t have the energy to add: “This is a link to my personal blog”????
Not surprising however – as an equally fraudulent conservative, you wrote that Obama had foreign affairs “chops” after funding Iran’s terrorism and Benghazi, while as a supposed conservative/libertarian Second Amendment supporter, you analyzed Clinton’s demands for gun bans as being “pragmatic gun control honoring the Second Amendment”.
Some anonymous are indeed mere trolls. While others take the time to first do some fact checking and then call out dishonest frauds like yourself.
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” (George Santayana). Unfortunately, both ignorance and the siren song of free stuff has drowned out the experience of history in New York City and in Seattle. Socialism is a euphemism for soaking the middle class: it drives out “the rich”, leaving the middle class to fund the dream. For Mamdani’s part, railing against wealthy oligarchs is ironic, given that he is a wealthy man and has now become Mayor of the largest city in the US. Does this not make him a wealthy oligarch?
Of note, Bernie Sanders railed against “millionaires and billionaires” until it became common knowledge that he is a millionaire with a net worth estimated at ~ $3M. So now he just criticizes billionaires. Such is the nature of hypocrisy.
In congress Bernie a the poor cousin – only owns 3 properties and his family runs the “family business”. Politics for profit.
And he sure loves pharma money.
It is rarely noted that adding God to Socialism creates a complete religion—a faith where you believe in free things that will never come to pass, find warmth in a communalism that ignores avarice, and place your trust in secular bishops like Mamdani.”
When the fizz is gone so will the collective.
Well, okay . . . there is socialism and socialism, then there is communism . . . . I come from a city that had a series of both socialist mayors and captains of industry from 1910 to 1960. The mayors concentrated on practical matters, the captains of industry on their businesses, and both helped make the city a prosperous and pleasant place to live. Low crime rates, great city parks, municipal golf courses ($1.18 for eighteen c. 1960, with minimum wage of $0.85), first-rate schools, and no graft. The last mayor left office to live on his pension, not his bloated investment portfolio. The keys were mayors who worked with the business community, a business community which was based in the city and invested in it, and unions who pushed for a living wage . . . . in short, collaboration, not class warfare. Social democrats were not revolutionary socialists, nor communists, nor anarchists. Ideology was tempered with pragmatism. Not sure what we are going to get in New York, but somehow doubt it will be what my city had before the socialists left office, the captains of industry moved their factories abroad, and the middle class fled to the suburbs, but one can always hope.
That was a century ago. It’s 2026!
Please name your city and socialist mayor(s).
Sounds like Coleman Young, the long time virulent anti-white mayor of Detroit, whose vitriolic white hatred pushed the white middle class to the burbs and effectively ruined Detroit.
Of course, as always the Left assigns blame for their failed ideology to all kinds of factors EXCEPT for their failed ideology. They blame “capitalism”, free trade, “white flight”, automaker executives, etc for Young turning Detroit from the crown jewel of American cities before his reign of error into a city filled with an overwhelming black majority who can’t read or write at proficiency levels.
Milwaukee, Wis. I’m too old to remember the names but they were elected during most of the “40’s and ’50s and possibly into the ’60’s when the terms “Democrat” and “Socialist” began to mean the same thing.
Link to the Post refers to no food at the “block party”. Better get used to it New York
“Fittingly, some participants at Mamdani’s inauguration complained that it lacked any food, music, or bathrooms. On a cold, miserable Friday, the new budding socialists had to stand outdoors and imagine the “warmth of collectivism” coming in the new utopia known as New York.”
Touche!
In my forthcoming book, I discuss this shift …. buy it or Turley won’t post here anymore.
LAME as usual ANON!! You shouldn’t post here anymore!!
Oh look, dustoff in his morning drag.
ANON sure loves Dustoff- always talking about him!
You should know dustoff.