Principled liberals should not be afraid of a thirty-something political liability. A clean break from far-left fanaticism is a moral imperative and a strategic necessity.
I don't think any of the ideological stuff has been driving Mamdani's campaign. He has focused on affordability and has hammered home this message relentlessly, and there's a lot that Democrats can learn from that. Real proposals, not tax credits. A real personality, not a milquetoast who can't speak normally. I like Mamdani, although I don't agree with any of the DSA positions you mention. The Republicans are going to call any Democrat Marxist and Communist, so who cares? They've been doing it forever (I'm 56). I hope Mamdani is a successful mayor, and I hope that Democrats take the right lessons from his amazingly successful campaign.
what do you mean? are you comparing Mamdani who hasn't even been elected Mayor of NY to Mussolini, when we have an actual Mussolini as our president? I'm confused...
You’ve provided a bracing and sensible critique of Mr. Mandami. I too am dismayed by the way in which some Democrats ( the party I vote for by default here in Texas) are fawning over him.
I certainly think the DSA has some extremist views, particularly about Israel & Palestine and sometimes policing. (Although “abolish ICE” looks a lot better now since ICE agents bend and even break the law without consequence or conscience)
Mamdani should also be criticized for those statements. That’s why most Democrats have kept him at arms length & Schumer has refused to endorse him. That’s why I’ve defended Schumer from not endorsing Mamdani.
And I understand defending him. Mamdani won the Democratic primary and Cuomo is an awful alternative. Covering up the nursing home deaths while bragging about your pandemic success - why did Cuomo and his donors think he deserved to be mayor. Disgusting.
And maybe Mamdani will fail as mayor. His lack of experience is concerning. And most mayors fail. Being a big city mayor is the most difficult job in American government.
But Mamdani has also focused his campaign on affordability and the problems that New Yorkers say they face. Would all politicians be willing to speak with and engage with so many regular citizens.
A focus on economic fairness is also why Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are popular.
And none of them are for breaking laws or ignoring the Constitution. The current administration is doing that regularly and its MAGA supporters are cheering it on. We’re killing civilians with our military without any legal justification- ie murder - and we’re cuffing American citizens because they look like they might be undocumented immigrants. The President suggests running for a third term and doesn’t know if he has to uphold the Constitution.
If we are judging an organization on as extreme based on their adherence to small-d democracy and liberal freedoms than the Republican Party is more extreme than DSA.
As for being the face of the Democratic Party. Mamdani will
be a Mayor. He won’t be as important as Newsom or Pritzker. He won’t be seen as the head of the party as Schumer is. Once his campaign is over interest will move on. And Mamdani won’t be part of running for President in 2028, a race that will begin as soon as the ‘26 midterms are over. If anything, Democrats running in Iowa or Texas will be able to distinguish themselves from Democrats and show their independence by criticizing Mamdani.
Mamdani will continue to be a prominent Democrat due to his charisma.
I agree with everything else you said. The Republican Party is villainous and extreme. Let’s not get carried away with criticizing a charismatic leader who seems much more centrist in terms of respecting norms and the laws than do the Republicans.
The rise of Mamdani is not an ideological victory but the symptom of a political vacuum. The Democratic Party establishment, captured by corporate donors, has become so passive and devoid of solutions that it has ceased to function as an opposition party. Its favorability is at a historic low of 37% because it offers nothing. The machine running is one of managed decline.
Into this void steps a clear, populist, anti-oligarchic message. The dialectic is that the party’s attempt to be a "big tent" has left it an empty field. The real opposition to authoritarianism is now emerging from outside the party's control. To refuse this dynamic means refusing the premise that the Democratic party is the only vehicle for anti-fascist politics (is it?).
I agree and this is the main counter argument I would make to Garry. I am a very reliable middle-aged Democratic voter, but I am dismayed with the party's lack of energy and passion.
I’m skeptical of the guy on a number of counts. I do despise the DSA.
But he’s also clearly driven by principles and addressing voters economic concerns in a direct way that no other Democrat seems to be doing. Must say, I think the government grocery stuff is really stupid and a bad idea but it at least addresses core concerns. He actually appears willing to fight for working and middle economic interests in what is a very Gilded Age. Democrats need to take notice of this and adjust of they don’t want the DSA types to eat their lunch.
Democrats are not going to win on soft conservatism. They need to stand for something. I agree, I’d rather it not be what this guy stands for. But it can’t be status quo and desperately holding things together, as that is a losing position in the face of this populist moment.
The Mamdani Effect is psychological more than political. When movements built on grievance run out of oppressors, they start inventing them – though as long as the Jews exist, they’ll never have to look far. The far left’s moral energy depends on a sense of persecution, which is why it makes such a natural ally for Islamists. Ideology plays its part, but the real engine is a toxic blend of self-pity, narcissism, and the addictive thrill of outrage.
Ehh people are tired of the narrative “Jews are the victims” when it’s patently false. The amount of financial and media power that Israel wields is astounding, and people have had enough. That’s largely the draw of Mamdani, but many bury their heads in the sand about it.
You can keep repeating you anti-Semitic (yes, that’s what is is, animated as it is by animus and disgust, and a literally conflation WITHIN THE SENTENCE between Jews and Israel) but that doesn’t make it true.
You guys make the conflation with Israel and Jewishness. No one in the last few years has been able to critique Israel or Zionism without being accused of anti-semitism - so now antisemitism has lost its meaning.
Well done, you can read. Now, the next step is to work on comprehension. I made the conflation as they’re all interchangeable based on whiners like yourself who constantly scream antisemitism at the slightest criticism of Israel, which indicates that Jewishness and Israel are synonymous. If people like yourself didn’t constantly scream antisemitism at the slight mention of Israel, it wouldn’t be conflated…Anyhow, it’s clear the majority of Jewish people want that conflation so ultimately you’ve made your bed so now you can sleep in it.
I think the main draw of Mamdani is how he positioned his campaign around affordability and quality of life improvements not his stance on Israel and Zionism. It definitely has a draw for the many that are critical of Israel but I just don't see it as the main draw of Mamdani
True, but I think it’s more the so principled stand and divergence from the mainstream kowtowing to Israel that almost every politician in American is ensnared in that is the visible identifier of: this is someone different. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the rise of Mamdani has coincided with the mainstream rise of questioning AIPAC and its overt influence which would’ve been unthinkable even as little as 5 years ago.
> The far left’s moral energy depends on a sense of persecution
I would argue that conservatives have a strong belief that white people and Christians are persecuted in modern society. It’s a bunch of nonsense, like the so-called “war on Christmas”.
"The position of Mayor of New York City does not include dictating international policy. Yet, Vienna’s Jewish history has shown us that antisemitic rhetoric can have a global impact."
Your piece doesn't actually describe any of his left-wing policies. It brings attention to some unsavoury moments that could prove a liability, but these are leftist by association rather than by philosophy. The fact is that the Democrats are having trouble showing that they have policy ideas that will improve the lives of people ... and do it with a sense of urgency that meets the moment. Are there problems with his actual policy ideas? What are they? Is it right (is it a winning strategy) to relegate them below his associations with unsavoury figures?
At the end of the day, people are sick of Zionism/Israel in its brazen manipulation and puppeteering of US politicians and their agendas. A Mamdani was inevitable, and democrats need to lean into that. People desire change, real change and not just the tepid centre left policies that retain the status quo - who else is offering an alternative?
You are assuming an insultingly low level of agency among supporters, or at least tentative supporters, of Israel. Isn't it possible that some people decided to support Israel on their own without being "puppets"? Yes Israel wants to influence public opinion in their favor, but what country doesn't? People are free to agree or disagree.
People may indeed want change, but change isn't by definition good. The argument you are making is exactly what people on the right said before Trump was first elected. The direction and endpoint of the change matter a lot. I think Garry makes a compelling case that Mamdani's change is not something we should want.
I didn’t refer to the supporters as being puppets but the “leaders” available for us to all vote for, evident in the obscene money AIPAC pours into them. Sure other countries lobby for their interest, but Israel is an outlier in its influence and arrogance in its attempts to do so.
Fair, maybe Mamdani’s vision isn’t something we should want. What should we want? The centrist and now right wing models haven’t worked, so people naturally want to try the next new alternative.
You do realize that AIPAC is far, far from the biggest donors in Washington. But it doesn’t suit your antisemitic narrative of Jews using their dirty money to control the hapless Christians of America (at the same time were accused of being communists). An”outlier in its influence and arrogance”? I am far from being an AIPAC supporter, but your post is grotesque
You and others like you have watered down anti-semitism claims to the point where many people do not care anymore. Apparently critiquing Israel or Zionism is anti-Semitic, so is critiquing Judaism or Jewish people - who cares, we can all be critical of them and we should be; they’re all ideologies at the end of the day.
Who are you pretending - you’re clearly an AIPAC supporter.
Wow. So you don’t care if antisemitism exists. And you’re fine with people smearing Jews. I’m restraining myself not to insult your hatefulness with the equivalent of what you said
I know you didn't, but what I said still stands for at least some of them too. I am aware that AIPAC does indeed have a good amount of influence, I am just skeptical it is as all powerful as hinted at.
'What should we want?' I think this is an essential questions that everybody should ask themselves. Unless people have some idea here, various bad actors across the political spectrum will fill that vacuum with their harmful ideas.
Karl Popper had a key insight about this in The Open Society and its Enemies. He argued that it's a mistake to try to find the 'perfect' or 'wisest' leader and then give them the power to create a perfect society. That doesn't work as it tends to lead to tyranny. The simple reasons is that 'perfect' means something different to everyone, and leaders with too much power inevitably abuse it.
Instead, we should focus on improving the "system" rather than look to individuals to fix things. The goal should be to build the best guardrails within government possible. We should want a system designed to prevent the worst possible outcomes. The reason we want this system is to allow for the 'pursuit of happiness.' I mean that in the classical sense as espoused by Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. That is it means the freedom and security to improve as human beings to build a family, start a business, pursue knowledge, practice our faith, and live a virtuous life as we define it, as long as we don't harm others.
With this as a starting point, asking 'What should we want?' becomes a bit easier to answer. For you, I would imagine you want a system that is less influenced by outside parties that may not have our citizen's best interests at heart. Someone else may want a system that intrudes less in people lives or provides for the well-fare of its citizens. While the details will change from person to person, it is the framework that would allow people to fill in the details that I think we should want.
Well said. The social disease of populism has many faces. Whether it is Trump or Mamdani, it all flows from pointing out something that is true and proposing a simplistic, easy to understand ‘explanation’ that leads to a purported ‘solution’ that ends up making things worse.
It is equivalent to going to the doctor, getting a semi correct diagnosis and therefore the wrong treatment. If it is a doctor, you sue him/her when the disease begins to make you feel worse and worse. But if you became psychologically invested in your ‘doctor’s’ charisma and promises, you go back to the same doctor, who will probably just give you a higher dose of what is making you sick. That is what happens when critical thinking is replaced by blind faith. To me, both Trump and Mamdani are symptoms of the disease of populism.
This is an Islamophobic hit piece and complete BS. Mamdani’s policies and focus mirror those of Franklin Roosevelt. Which is what matters. Bring costs down, take down the oligarchy and focus on the people. DSA is not nearly as extreme as MAGA, a party run exclusively by the Christian nationalist oligarchy that has militarized ICE to racially profile and terrorize citizens while enriching and further empowering the richest among us.
To respect and support Judaism does not require you to be a Zionist. It is ridiculous to think a Muslim American would be a Zionist any more than a Catholic priest would be pro-choice. Both can be great leaders and humanists. It is 100% time the Democratic Party take both populism and separation of church and state seriously.
I’m a progressive agnostic and focused on policy. Mamdani has the right priority. Have the rich pay a bit more so everyone can get free transportation and affordable food and housing. And get racism, religious bias and xenophobia out of policing. That’s why he’s winning and getting endorsements - and it’s the right answer next to the options on hand.
At this point either we are seriously against the oligarchy or we are fascist. Republicans’ lurch to the right left us with that choice alone. Mamdani represents a legit option, not someone as morally void as Coumo or a bunch of centrists that desire status quo.
There is no middle ground to fight MAGA extremism and a corrupt government. Centrist Reaganomics, and moderate Democrats handcuffed to corporate funding have lead us to this dark spot. How about we try something different and stop being so damn fearful of socialism or diversity. They can both enrich democracy and neither equate to communism or antisemitism. If we really give a shit about people, ALL people then we must broaden our tent and lean into policies that really do tax the richest and create policies that make life better for all citizens. That is what Mamdani is pitching for NYC.
This whole hack piece assumes the Overton window isn't skewed far to the right, which it is. And it recycles Republican talking points trying to paint Mamdani as far more extreme than he is. There is a world of difference between democratic socialism and communism. Democratic socialists are anti-communists and anti-fascists, and in fact have the policy platform for the greatest democratic stability. That's what we need, and it's common in other European countries where quality of life is much higher.
Mamadani is a left-center candidate and his policies, like all those of democratic socialists, are popular when viewed in isolation of tribalistic "race to the bottom of the brainstem" politics. I wish him all the success. And I guess I'd expect better of a "world renowned" chess player. I guess spending your life moving pieces around on a board only gets you so far.
He’s harmless. Did you see the treasure hunt his campaign held?
Trump, on the other hand, is breaking laws left and right. He claims powers which he doesn’t have, and the Republican majority Congress and Republican majority Extreme Court won’t hold him in check.
Trump and the Republican Party are the threat to America and to the world. Keep you eye on the ball.
Woah Gary. This is a crazy post. Are you serious? Boy I hope not. It’s not communism that mandani professes its humanism and its practical for those who live in nyc. I’m glad I don’t. . Are Sweden and Denmark also communist countries because they give people services for free after they tax the heck out of them. Don’t Think so. Not much different here in this instance.
Hoo boy, lot’s of nonsense in this one. Where to start?
Or his refusal to reject the phrase “globalize the Intifada,” which has fueled anti-Jewish terrorism in America and Europe.
- Citation needed on this one. Fueled means caused. Please show evidence of a causal effect of the phrase “globalize the Intifada” on anti-Jewish terrorism in America and Europe.
But why point at Israel as the hand that guides the police when the NYPD maintains partnerships with non-democracies like Qatar, the UAE, and Jordan?
- The NYPD has Liason offices in many countries, but AFAICT it does not perform any officer trainings in the countries listed in the article (which are all Muslim-majority and scary sounding places for the rank-and-file-Islamophobe). Maybe he said what he said because many police departments have sent some officers to undergo training in Israel, and he’s critical of that due to rampant police violence, and well, the apartheid system over there, see the source below.
Apologists hide behind the fact that Mamdani did not make these statements himself. That the DSA is a fractious organization.
- The fact that you anticipated the retort here means that you know that his argument is nonsense.
It’s interesting that this piece focuses on what an out of control radical extremist Zohran Mamdani is without really talking about any of his policies. You know, those things that make him popular.
I don’t know what you centrist liberals truly want, but you are not going to win anyone with all of this hyperbolic tone-policing. You all need to open the tent a bit, so you can either go left or go right. If you go right, by all means try, but it seems like the American right is now a kleptocratic authoritarian cult of personality run by an MLM pyramid scheme power-tower of techno-brolos, crypto-fascists, and socially-limited losers that are all hell bent on your destruction. We lefties will eventually give up on the Democratic party and do our own thing and win elections in the places where we can, like NYC. Or you can open the tent left and try to find common ground with us. Busses will be free, taxes will be a bit higher, and some of the mayors may end up being a bit brown from time to time, but in exchange there won’t militia-larping dolts picking people off the street.
I don't think any of the ideological stuff has been driving Mamdani's campaign. He has focused on affordability and has hammered home this message relentlessly, and there's a lot that Democrats can learn from that. Real proposals, not tax credits. A real personality, not a milquetoast who can't speak normally. I like Mamdani, although I don't agree with any of the DSA positions you mention. The Republicans are going to call any Democrat Marxist and Communist, so who cares? They've been doing it forever (I'm 56). I hope Mamdani is a successful mayor, and I hope that Democrats take the right lessons from his amazingly successful campaign.
Did Mussolini win power because he was going to make the trains run on time? I don’t think so.
what do you mean? are you comparing Mamdani who hasn't even been elected Mayor of NY to Mussolini, when we have an actual Mussolini as our president? I'm confused...
Which he actually didn’t do.
Brilliant piece
You’ve provided a bracing and sensible critique of Mr. Mandami. I too am dismayed by the way in which some Democrats ( the party I vote for by default here in Texas) are fawning over him.
Kudos.
I certainly think the DSA has some extremist views, particularly about Israel & Palestine and sometimes policing. (Although “abolish ICE” looks a lot better now since ICE agents bend and even break the law without consequence or conscience)
Mamdani should also be criticized for those statements. That’s why most Democrats have kept him at arms length & Schumer has refused to endorse him. That’s why I’ve defended Schumer from not endorsing Mamdani.
And I understand defending him. Mamdani won the Democratic primary and Cuomo is an awful alternative. Covering up the nursing home deaths while bragging about your pandemic success - why did Cuomo and his donors think he deserved to be mayor. Disgusting.
And maybe Mamdani will fail as mayor. His lack of experience is concerning. And most mayors fail. Being a big city mayor is the most difficult job in American government.
But Mamdani has also focused his campaign on affordability and the problems that New Yorkers say they face. Would all politicians be willing to speak with and engage with so many regular citizens.
A focus on economic fairness is also why Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are popular.
And none of them are for breaking laws or ignoring the Constitution. The current administration is doing that regularly and its MAGA supporters are cheering it on. We’re killing civilians with our military without any legal justification- ie murder - and we’re cuffing American citizens because they look like they might be undocumented immigrants. The President suggests running for a third term and doesn’t know if he has to uphold the Constitution.
If we are judging an organization on as extreme based on their adherence to small-d democracy and liberal freedoms than the Republican Party is more extreme than DSA.
As for being the face of the Democratic Party. Mamdani will
be a Mayor. He won’t be as important as Newsom or Pritzker. He won’t be seen as the head of the party as Schumer is. Once his campaign is over interest will move on. And Mamdani won’t be part of running for President in 2028, a race that will begin as soon as the ‘26 midterms are over. If anything, Democrats running in Iowa or Texas will be able to distinguish themselves from Democrats and show their independence by criticizing Mamdani.
Mamdani will continue to be a prominent Democrat due to his charisma.
I agree with everything else you said. The Republican Party is villainous and extreme. Let’s not get carried away with criticizing a charismatic leader who seems much more centrist in terms of respecting norms and the laws than do the Republicans.
Mamdani will never be president: he wasn’t born in the USA.
Another reason he won’t be part of ‘28!
The rise of Mamdani is not an ideological victory but the symptom of a political vacuum. The Democratic Party establishment, captured by corporate donors, has become so passive and devoid of solutions that it has ceased to function as an opposition party. Its favorability is at a historic low of 37% because it offers nothing. The machine running is one of managed decline.
Into this void steps a clear, populist, anti-oligarchic message. The dialectic is that the party’s attempt to be a "big tent" has left it an empty field. The real opposition to authoritarianism is now emerging from outside the party's control. To refuse this dynamic means refusing the premise that the Democratic party is the only vehicle for anti-fascist politics (is it?).
I agree and this is the main counter argument I would make to Garry. I am a very reliable middle-aged Democratic voter, but I am dismayed with the party's lack of energy and passion.
... and lack of vision! I feel like the party is unmoored and rudderless, to use a sailing analogy.
This is excellent analysis
You make a good argument here. Thank you
I’m skeptical of the guy on a number of counts. I do despise the DSA.
But he’s also clearly driven by principles and addressing voters economic concerns in a direct way that no other Democrat seems to be doing. Must say, I think the government grocery stuff is really stupid and a bad idea but it at least addresses core concerns. He actually appears willing to fight for working and middle economic interests in what is a very Gilded Age. Democrats need to take notice of this and adjust of they don’t want the DSA types to eat their lunch.
Democrats are not going to win on soft conservatism. They need to stand for something. I agree, I’d rather it not be what this guy stands for. But it can’t be status quo and desperately holding things together, as that is a losing position in the face of this populist moment.
Bravo
The Mamdani Effect is psychological more than political. When movements built on grievance run out of oppressors, they start inventing them – though as long as the Jews exist, they’ll never have to look far. The far left’s moral energy depends on a sense of persecution, which is why it makes such a natural ally for Islamists. Ideology plays its part, but the real engine is a toxic blend of self-pity, narcissism, and the addictive thrill of outrage.
Ehh people are tired of the narrative “Jews are the victims” when it’s patently false. The amount of financial and media power that Israel wields is astounding, and people have had enough. That’s largely the draw of Mamdani, but many bury their heads in the sand about it.
You can keep repeating you anti-Semitic (yes, that’s what is is, animated as it is by animus and disgust, and a literally conflation WITHIN THE SENTENCE between Jews and Israel) but that doesn’t make it true.
You guys make the conflation with Israel and Jewishness. No one in the last few years has been able to critique Israel or Zionism without being accused of anti-semitism - so now antisemitism has lost its meaning.
You literally did it within the same sentence you illiterate goon.
Well done, you can read. Now, the next step is to work on comprehension. I made the conflation as they’re all interchangeable based on whiners like yourself who constantly scream antisemitism at the slightest criticism of Israel, which indicates that Jewishness and Israel are synonymous. If people like yourself didn’t constantly scream antisemitism at the slight mention of Israel, it wouldn’t be conflated…Anyhow, it’s clear the majority of Jewish people want that conflation so ultimately you’ve made your bed so now you can sleep in it.
You’re an anti-Semite.
I think the main draw of Mamdani is how he positioned his campaign around affordability and quality of life improvements not his stance on Israel and Zionism. It definitely has a draw for the many that are critical of Israel but I just don't see it as the main draw of Mamdani
True, but I think it’s more the so principled stand and divergence from the mainstream kowtowing to Israel that almost every politician in American is ensnared in that is the visible identifier of: this is someone different. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the rise of Mamdani has coincided with the mainstream rise of questioning AIPAC and its overt influence which would’ve been unthinkable even as little as 5 years ago.
> The far left’s moral energy depends on a sense of persecution
I would argue that conservatives have a strong belief that white people and Christians are persecuted in modern society. It’s a bunch of nonsense, like the so-called “war on Christmas”.
More about Mamdani (his father actually):
‘Slow Poison’ Review: Idi Amin Reconsidered
The father of New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani says the notorious Ugandan dictator was really an anticolonial hero.
https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/books/slow-poison-review-idi-amin-reconsidered-7de6c38f
Archived:
https://archive.ph/jhe6q
A Tale of Two Cities: Vienna’s Historical Warning to New York on Mamdani
Vienna’s tragic past warns New York: when populism turns antisemitic, hate becomes the new normal.
https://substack.com/home/post/p-176757108
"The position of Mayor of New York City does not include dictating international policy. Yet, Vienna’s Jewish history has shown us that antisemitic rhetoric can have a global impact."
https://aish.com/viennas-historical-warning-to-new-york-on-mamdani/
You’re insane
Sorry if your politcs blind you to the hard, unfortunate truth. MAMDANI is a RADICAL and an ANTI-SEMITE
Lovely ad hominem.
Your piece doesn't actually describe any of his left-wing policies. It brings attention to some unsavoury moments that could prove a liability, but these are leftist by association rather than by philosophy. The fact is that the Democrats are having trouble showing that they have policy ideas that will improve the lives of people ... and do it with a sense of urgency that meets the moment. Are there problems with his actual policy ideas? What are they? Is it right (is it a winning strategy) to relegate them below his associations with unsavoury figures?
Good advice 👍 I’m a pragmatist, so to me, fanaticism of any kind is a road to ruin as we can plainly see in MAGA.
At the end of the day, people are sick of Zionism/Israel in its brazen manipulation and puppeteering of US politicians and their agendas. A Mamdani was inevitable, and democrats need to lean into that. People desire change, real change and not just the tepid centre left policies that retain the status quo - who else is offering an alternative?
You are assuming an insultingly low level of agency among supporters, or at least tentative supporters, of Israel. Isn't it possible that some people decided to support Israel on their own without being "puppets"? Yes Israel wants to influence public opinion in their favor, but what country doesn't? People are free to agree or disagree.
People may indeed want change, but change isn't by definition good. The argument you are making is exactly what people on the right said before Trump was first elected. The direction and endpoint of the change matter a lot. I think Garry makes a compelling case that Mamdani's change is not something we should want.
I didn’t refer to the supporters as being puppets but the “leaders” available for us to all vote for, evident in the obscene money AIPAC pours into them. Sure other countries lobby for their interest, but Israel is an outlier in its influence and arrogance in its attempts to do so.
Fair, maybe Mamdani’s vision isn’t something we should want. What should we want? The centrist and now right wing models haven’t worked, so people naturally want to try the next new alternative.
You do realize that AIPAC is far, far from the biggest donors in Washington. But it doesn’t suit your antisemitic narrative of Jews using their dirty money to control the hapless Christians of America (at the same time were accused of being communists). An”outlier in its influence and arrogance”? I am far from being an AIPAC supporter, but your post is grotesque
Also your tropes of puppets and manipulators are really offensive. You make the case that anti Zionism is in fact anti semitic
You and others like you have watered down anti-semitism claims to the point where many people do not care anymore. Apparently critiquing Israel or Zionism is anti-Semitic, so is critiquing Judaism or Jewish people - who cares, we can all be critical of them and we should be; they’re all ideologies at the end of the day.
Who are you pretending - you’re clearly an AIPAC supporter.
Wow. So you don’t care if antisemitism exists. And you’re fine with people smearing Jews. I’m restraining myself not to insult your hatefulness with the equivalent of what you said
I know you didn't, but what I said still stands for at least some of them too. I am aware that AIPAC does indeed have a good amount of influence, I am just skeptical it is as all powerful as hinted at.
'What should we want?' I think this is an essential questions that everybody should ask themselves. Unless people have some idea here, various bad actors across the political spectrum will fill that vacuum with their harmful ideas.
Karl Popper had a key insight about this in The Open Society and its Enemies. He argued that it's a mistake to try to find the 'perfect' or 'wisest' leader and then give them the power to create a perfect society. That doesn't work as it tends to lead to tyranny. The simple reasons is that 'perfect' means something different to everyone, and leaders with too much power inevitably abuse it.
Instead, we should focus on improving the "system" rather than look to individuals to fix things. The goal should be to build the best guardrails within government possible. We should want a system designed to prevent the worst possible outcomes. The reason we want this system is to allow for the 'pursuit of happiness.' I mean that in the classical sense as espoused by Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. That is it means the freedom and security to improve as human beings to build a family, start a business, pursue knowledge, practice our faith, and live a virtuous life as we define it, as long as we don't harm others.
With this as a starting point, asking 'What should we want?' becomes a bit easier to answer. For you, I would imagine you want a system that is less influenced by outside parties that may not have our citizen's best interests at heart. Someone else may want a system that intrudes less in people lives or provides for the well-fare of its citizens. While the details will change from person to person, it is the framework that would allow people to fill in the details that I think we should want.
Nope
Oh thanks so much for praising my religion. I feel so much better now
Well said. The social disease of populism has many faces. Whether it is Trump or Mamdani, it all flows from pointing out something that is true and proposing a simplistic, easy to understand ‘explanation’ that leads to a purported ‘solution’ that ends up making things worse.
It is equivalent to going to the doctor, getting a semi correct diagnosis and therefore the wrong treatment. If it is a doctor, you sue him/her when the disease begins to make you feel worse and worse. But if you became psychologically invested in your ‘doctor’s’ charisma and promises, you go back to the same doctor, who will probably just give you a higher dose of what is making you sick. That is what happens when critical thinking is replaced by blind faith. To me, both Trump and Mamdani are symptoms of the disease of populism.
Very well said !
This is an Islamophobic hit piece and complete BS. Mamdani’s policies and focus mirror those of Franklin Roosevelt. Which is what matters. Bring costs down, take down the oligarchy and focus on the people. DSA is not nearly as extreme as MAGA, a party run exclusively by the Christian nationalist oligarchy that has militarized ICE to racially profile and terrorize citizens while enriching and further empowering the richest among us.
To respect and support Judaism does not require you to be a Zionist. It is ridiculous to think a Muslim American would be a Zionist any more than a Catholic priest would be pro-choice. Both can be great leaders and humanists. It is 100% time the Democratic Party take both populism and separation of church and state seriously.
I’m a progressive agnostic and focused on policy. Mamdani has the right priority. Have the rich pay a bit more so everyone can get free transportation and affordable food and housing. And get racism, religious bias and xenophobia out of policing. That’s why he’s winning and getting endorsements - and it’s the right answer next to the options on hand.
At this point either we are seriously against the oligarchy or we are fascist. Republicans’ lurch to the right left us with that choice alone. Mamdani represents a legit option, not someone as morally void as Coumo or a bunch of centrists that desire status quo.
There is no middle ground to fight MAGA extremism and a corrupt government. Centrist Reaganomics, and moderate Democrats handcuffed to corporate funding have lead us to this dark spot. How about we try something different and stop being so damn fearful of socialism or diversity. They can both enrich democracy and neither equate to communism or antisemitism. If we really give a shit about people, ALL people then we must broaden our tent and lean into policies that really do tax the richest and create policies that make life better for all citizens. That is what Mamdani is pitching for NYC.
This whole hack piece assumes the Overton window isn't skewed far to the right, which it is. And it recycles Republican talking points trying to paint Mamdani as far more extreme than he is. There is a world of difference between democratic socialism and communism. Democratic socialists are anti-communists and anti-fascists, and in fact have the policy platform for the greatest democratic stability. That's what we need, and it's common in other European countries where quality of life is much higher.
Mamadani is a left-center candidate and his policies, like all those of democratic socialists, are popular when viewed in isolation of tribalistic "race to the bottom of the brainstem" politics. I wish him all the success. And I guess I'd expect better of a "world renowned" chess player. I guess spending your life moving pieces around on a board only gets you so far.
Europe here : US still doesn’t understand Mamdani is a dangerous guy. We have them here and believe if Mamdani wins it will not be pretty
He’s harmless. Did you see the treasure hunt his campaign held?
Trump, on the other hand, is breaking laws left and right. He claims powers which he doesn’t have, and the Republican majority Congress and Republican majority Extreme Court won’t hold him in check.
Trump and the Republican Party are the threat to America and to the world. Keep you eye on the ball.
He’s harmless because there’s a big limit to what he can do as a mayor. But he definitely far left. Trump & Co will exploit him to scare people.
Trump’s credibility and public approval are in ruins.
He still maintains a cult like base. :(
Canadian here: Mamdani would be considered far left here (government run grocery stores, that alone would do it).
Woah Gary. This is a crazy post. Are you serious? Boy I hope not. It’s not communism that mandani professes its humanism and its practical for those who live in nyc. I’m glad I don’t. . Are Sweden and Denmark also communist countries because they give people services for free after they tax the heck out of them. Don’t Think so. Not much different here in this instance.
Hoo boy, lot’s of nonsense in this one. Where to start?
Or his refusal to reject the phrase “globalize the Intifada,” which has fueled anti-Jewish terrorism in America and Europe.
- Citation needed on this one. Fueled means caused. Please show evidence of a causal effect of the phrase “globalize the Intifada” on anti-Jewish terrorism in America and Europe.
But why point at Israel as the hand that guides the police when the NYPD maintains partnerships with non-democracies like Qatar, the UAE, and Jordan?
- The NYPD has Liason offices in many countries, but AFAICT it does not perform any officer trainings in the countries listed in the article (which are all Muslim-majority and scary sounding places for the rank-and-file-Islamophobe). Maybe he said what he said because many police departments have sent some officers to undergo training in Israel, and he’s critical of that due to rampant police violence, and well, the apartheid system over there, see the source below.
https://www.amnestyusa.org/blog/with-whom-are-many-u-s-police-departments-training-with-a-chronic-human-rights-violator-israel/
Apologists hide behind the fact that Mamdani did not make these statements himself. That the DSA is a fractious organization.
- The fact that you anticipated the retort here means that you know that his argument is nonsense.
It’s interesting that this piece focuses on what an out of control radical extremist Zohran Mamdani is without really talking about any of his policies. You know, those things that make him popular.
I don’t know what you centrist liberals truly want, but you are not going to win anyone with all of this hyperbolic tone-policing. You all need to open the tent a bit, so you can either go left or go right. If you go right, by all means try, but it seems like the American right is now a kleptocratic authoritarian cult of personality run by an MLM pyramid scheme power-tower of techno-brolos, crypto-fascists, and socially-limited losers that are all hell bent on your destruction. We lefties will eventually give up on the Democratic party and do our own thing and win elections in the places where we can, like NYC. Or you can open the tent left and try to find common ground with us. Busses will be free, taxes will be a bit higher, and some of the mayors may end up being a bit brown from time to time, but in exchange there won’t militia-larping dolts picking people off the street.
You mad bro?