Tag: socialism

SOCIALISM IN AMERICA

In the wake of Comrade Zoh’s election as mayor of NYC socialists around the country are optimistic that an inexorable trend to the left is developing. They cite the 2025 election of socialist Katie Wilson as mayor of Seattle (whose policies and beliefs are closely aligned with those of Mamdani), Mikie Sherrill as governor of NJ, Abigail Spanberger as governor of VA, and the approval of CA’s redistricting plan, which is expected to yield several additional Dem seats in the House of Representatives. They are anticipating that this trend will carry forward to the 2026 off-year elections and beyond.

I say, “slow your roll.” While there is no denying the significance of Zoh’s election I would suggest that Dems should be cognizant of the fact that NJ and VA are traditionally blue states, so in essence they have merely “held serve” in those two elections. Additionally, the CA redistricting was expected, and it merely balances out the Rep gains from the redistricting in TX.

That said, in my view the socialist wing of the Dem Party, though a minority in terms of numbers, has taken control of the Party. With few exceptions, such as PA Senator John Fetterman, moderate Dems have become reluctant to speak out lest they face a primary challenge the next time they are up for re-election. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has become a “dead man walking.” As a result, the de facto leaders of the Dem Party are left wingers, such as Bernie Sanders, AOC and Jasmine Crockett. They and their supporters are dragging the Party so far to the left of the mainstream that it will be difficult for it to win the 2028 Presidential Election, but that is the subject of another blog on another day.

Although no one would characterize the US as a “socialist country” in fairness I would be remiss if I failed to denote that the US economy does contain certain elements of socialism, such as social security, Medicare, Medicaid and unemployment insurance. These programs are not perfect, but they are well-established and have served us well. Regardless the US is overwhelmingly a capitalist, free enterprise country.

There has been much speculation of the impact of Zoh’s program prospectively. As I have discussed in recent blogs the conventional wisdom is that, though alluring, most of them are impractical, illegal, and exaggerated, and they won’t work. Already his ill-conceived, ill-advised scheme to have social workers respond to 911 calls has been exposed.

Many people have denoted various examples of socialism’s failure in other countries. Of course, advocates of the program dispute this. However, we have empirical evidence of its failure right here in the US.

Portland, Oregon has a strong socialist history dating back to the early 20th century. Currently, according to articles published in the NY Times and elsewhere the city is run by officials affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America, which have majority control of the city council. Their current mantra is that the city has been “run by the rich” for too long, and their aim is to “rectify” that. I assert that their programs mirror those proposed by Mamdani, and their failures present a precursor for NYC under Mamdani.

As we know, the keystones of Mamdani’s campaign is free stuff, such as free buses, frozen rents, defunding the police, and levying higher taxes on businesses and wealthy individuals to pay for it all. The masses drank the Kool-Aide and elected him. So, what will happen next? How will his socialist “utopia” be enacted? What will the results be?

Well, we don’t have to speculate. All we have to do is look at the city of Portland, which as I said has been operating under socialism for many years. According to the NY Post Portland has devolved into the “poster child of urban decay, a smoldering mess of crime, with businesses fleeing and [rampant] homeliness.” It has “defunded and defanged” the police considerably. Large corporations such as Intel have drastically reduced their number of employees. Unemployment is up to 5%. The Wall Street Journal has reported that the US Bancorp Tower, which was formerly one of the most prestigious addresses in the city is now characterized by a 60% rate of vacancies and is infested with vagrants living in the hallways and abandoned offices who “start fires in the stairwells,” take drugs and defecate whenever and wherever they want.

Those people remaining are fed up. In lieu of “equity” and “social justice” they are just interested in providing for their families. According to a recent survey by Public Opinion Strategies 67% of respondents described Portland’s economy as “pretty seriously on the wrong track.” The term “buyers’ remorse” comes to mind.

Conclusion

The horrendous situation in Portland is yet another reminder that socialism does not work. It never has and never will. It may sound good and look good, but eventually the blemishes appear. We don’t have to speculate. Portland is providing empirical evidence. Eventually a socialist government runs out of other people’s money. This is what the people of NYC voted for, and this is what they can expect.

Mamdani has not even been sworn into office, yet policemen, businesses and wealthy taxpayers are leaving. According to Police Pension Fund data 245 police left the force in October, a 35% increase from October 2024. Thanks to the internet one can conduct business remotely. There are a plethora of business-friendly and tax-friendly states to which they can relocate such as Florida, Tennessee, and Texas. Financial firms such as Goldman Sachs have been relocating to South Florida to such an extent that Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, and Broward counties have been dubbed “Wall Street South.” This trend will only accelerate as time goes on.

The socialist Dems and their supporters should take heed, but they won’t. In the short term they may win some local elections, but eventually the “chickens will come home to roost.”

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LIFE UNDER COMRADE ZOH

So, all you Mamdani voters got your wish. He won, but my message is to be careful what you wish for. You drank the Kool-Aide, but in my opinion, you got suckered. You fell for the mirage of free stuff. You fell for the promise of free buses and subways, rent controlled apartments, government-operated grocery stores and the like.

Consequently, you have elected an inexperienced, antisemitic communist who has continually associated with known terrorists and has exhibited a deep disdain for America, its way of life and its system of government. All of this has been well-documented by Zoh’s own words and actions.

Many of his supporters view him as a panacea for their economic and social problems. Many of them are frustrated by their failure to get a good job, afford a home, and support a family. They choose to blame the system not themselves. Maybe they didn’t go to college or learn a trade. Or maybe they went to college but earned a worthless degree in Asian studies, liberal arts or humanities, etc., rather than one such as accounting, finance, engineering or the medical field that would translate into gainful employment and a career. They not only want what other people have without working for it, they feel entitled to it. They are not cognizant of or choose to ignore the historical failures of socialism/communism. They don’t realize that America does not owe them success; it owes them the opportunity to succeed. Success comes from the individual’s ingenuity, ambition and work ethic.

Zoh is charismatic and articulate, but he is a phony. He tells people what they want to hear, but I assert that he is not the solution to their problems. The solution has to come from within. Such is the basis of America’s free enterprise system.

Astute people know there is no such thing as free stuff. Somehow, somewhere, someone has to pay for it. Don’t expect Zoh to deliver on most of his promises, which I discussed in a previous blog. Some of them are illegal; some are just not practical; others will require the approval of NYS or the Feds. Governor Hochul will probably cooperate to an extent, because she is afraid of the radical left, but she cannot afford to be “all in” as she is facing a tough election campaign next year. President Trump, whom Zoh arrogantly and foolishly has antagonized in an effort to act tough for his base, will likely provide only the bare minimum of money and other assistance.

Where will Zoh get the billions of dollars necessary to implement his policies? He has told us he will raise taxes on businesses and rich individuals to the tune of $8 billion according to the NY Post. This may sound good to the masses, but it is deeply flawed. For one thing, it will cause an exodus from NYC and possibly NYS. This has already begun, and now that he has actually been elected it will increase, perhaps considerably.

In the internet age it is no longer necessary to be located physically in NYC to do business there. Many financial institutions have already relocated much of their business activities to other more tax-friendly states, such as Texas and Florida. Additionally, wealthy people can easily relocate, and those who choose to stay have the wherewithal to transfer their wealth elsewhere. To quote the late Margaret Thatcher, “the problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”

Zoh does not have the foggiest notion of how to administer a city of eight million people. He lacks the requisite experience and knowledge. You, I, and millions of others would be better qualified. His ill-advised policies will adversely affect every aspect of life politically, economically and socially.

His antipathy toward the police and leniency toward criminals have been extensively documented. He has characterized the police as “racist,” and “wicked” and has advocated cutting their funding and curtailing their authority. The exodus of cops has already begun. We have already seen the results of lax law enforcement in other cities such as Chicago and Minneapolis. As I have written in other blogs his administration has the potential to ruin a once-great city that to many is the very symbol of the USA.

As I have written in previous blogs Comrade Zoh is NOT a socialist as he and the media like to portray him. He is an antisemitic communist who hates America and all that it stands for. What is the difference?

Socialism and communism are both economic systems focused on shared ownership of the means of production, but they differ as to the role of the government and the extent of private ownership. Briefly, socialism is characterized by a mixed economy with private property existing alongside public ownership. On the other hand, communism features a stateless, classless society where all property is communally owned, and resources are distributed based on need (“from each according to his ability, to each according to his need”). Historically, communist states have been ruled by autocratic governments that have subjugated the citizenry, eliminated private property and individual liberties and controlled all aspects of life politically, economically and socially. 

Historically, socialist states have developed through the democratic process, whereas communist states have developed as a result of violence. For example, much of Western Europe is socialist; China and Soviet Russia of the Cold War Era are and were communist. These systems have failed everywhere they have been tried. The most recent examples are Cuba and Venezuela.

Conclusion

Lefties everywhere are hailing Zoh’s election as a clear mandate and a portent of the rising tide of socialism. Some of them such as Bernie Sanders and AOC are predicting that this trend will continue through the 2026 and 2028 elections. On the other hand, most moderates and conservatives maintain Zoh’s mayoralty will be an abject failure for all the reasons I have cited and will demonstrate once again that socialism/communism will not work. Who is correct? We’ll see, but for the sake of our way of life and the future of our children and grandchildren I strongly hope it is the latter.

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COMRADE ZOH’S INNER CIRCLE AND POLICIES REVEALED

It is going from bad to worse. It was bad enough that NYC, the nation’s largest city and longtime symbol of capitalism and free enterprise, is on the cusp of electing a communist mayor. Now, we are just learning the depth of inanity that would be in store for the city.

My hope and expectation was that Comrade Zoh, recognizing his radical bent and inexperience in business, finance and basic governance, would, as mayor, attempt to broaden the political scope of his administration by including some more moderate and experienced advisors. Instead, the opposite appears to be the case.

According to the NY Post Comrade Zoh’s inner circle will consist almost entirely of persons who have virtually the same limited experience and radical ideas as he does. The Post has characterized them as “30-something or even younger Gen Zers with little-to-no experience in government – but long histories of radical left-wing politics.” Apparently, there will be no moderating voices in this inner circle, no dissent, no one to try to temper some of his far-out policies. Also, there will be no one with a background of advocating for the wants and needs of the working class and disadvantaged people, which, ironically, Comrade Zoh claims to champion. There will be no healthy exchange of different ideas or courses of action. Rather, everyone will be in lockstep. In my opinion, if that comes to pass it will be most distressing for the future of NYC and its residents.

According to the NY Post Comrade Zoh’s top advisors are not members of the working class. Like him, many of them attended private schools and were raised in wealth and privilege. In addition, they are wealthy in their own right sporting six figure annual incomes, well above the average NYCer’s salary of $58,000. Thus, they cannot possibly identify with the wants, needs and problems of the average NYCer , much less the poor, downtrodden and disadvantaged of which there are many. Their life experiences and attitudes are totally different. As an illustration, many of them have close ties to the radical billionaire George Soros and various so-called elites.

Comrade Zoh and his supporters have gone to great lengths to disguise, downplay and mitigate many of his radical policies. I contend that many, if not most, of his supporters are not cognizant of them. In addition, I contend that most of these policies are impractical, overly costly and/or of questionable legality.

Recently, the NY Post was able to obtain a list of some of them and published it for those who care to edify themselves. They are the following:

  1. Decriminalize all drugs, petty crimes and sex work.
  2. Expunge all convictions for petty crimes including sex work and drug offenses and immediately release everyone who is currently incarcerated for those crimes.
  3. Criminals under 26 would be charged as “youthful” offenders.
  4. Eliminate cash bail and pretrial incarceration.
  5. Close the detention facility at Rikers Island.
  6. Establish a review board that would have the authority to prosecute law enforcement officers for “misconduct.”
  7. Expunge all gang databases.
  8. Allow illegal immigrants to vote and run for political office.
  9. Restrict ICE’s access further and extend and expand sanctuary protections.
  10. Decertify banks that contract with or fund ICE.
  11. Abolish the Board of Education.
  12. Cease the creation of new charter schools.
  13. Eliminate the presence of police and safety officers in schools
  14. Guarantee tenure for teachers and eliminate standardized testing as a basis for teacher evaluations.
  15. Allocate money to promote DEI in public schools.
  16. Reparations for Native Americans and Blacks.
  17. Allow trans-minors access to transition-related care WITHOUT parental consent.
  18. Make all public transportation free.
  19. Establish government-owned and operated grocery stores.
  20. Establish government-owned and operated tech companies and utilities.
  21. Universal rent control.
  22. Avowed antisemite.

According to the most recent polls Comrade Zoh remains the clear front-runner with former Governor Andrew Cuomo as his closest competitor. The results of an American Pulse Research & Polling survey released in August disclosed Comrade Zoh garnered 37% compared to Cuomo’s 25%. However, a recent Tulchin Research poll disclosed that in a two-man race Cuomo would defeat Comrade Zoh 52-41. Will some or all of the other candidates drop out? Your guess is as good as mine.

Conclusion

Voters of NYC, this is the real type of mayor and government you are on the cusp of electing. Is this what you really want? The media characterizes Zoh as a socialist. Not true.

Socialism is a somewhat benign interpretation of his real beliefs. It is intended to disguise or mitigate his real beliefs, which have many elements of communism. Generally, it is characterized by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. Think Sweden. Communism goes further. It is a stateless, classless society where resources are distributed based on need.  Put succinctly, it is a society where everything is owned by everyone, and all members have equal rights to the benefits of society. Think Communist China or the Soviet Union.

Folks, Zoh is a COMMUNIST plain and simple, and also an avowed antisemite.

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CAN COMRADE ZOH BE STOPPED?

We are less than three months from election day on November 4, and all indications are that NYC is on the precipice of self-destruction. And what’s more NYS and the country may be dragged down as well.

On that date Comrade Zoh will likely be elected mayor of NYC. Zoh’s extreme views, which I have detailed in previous blogs are unrealistic, unworkable and, in a few cases, illegal. They will drive people and businesses away to relocate in other states with lower taxes, lower crime and “friendlier” lifestyles. This trend has already commenced, and if Zoh becomes mayor it will only accelerate.

As we all know, Comrade Zoh won the Dem primary for mayor decisively, which in NYC, where Dems hold a 6:1 edge in registration over GOPers, is tantamount to election. How did he manage to win? I have discussed this in previous blogs in detail, and I don’t see the need to regurgitate it all here, but, in summary, in my view there were four main reasons.

  1. Zoh is a charismatic figure and a compelling speaker reminiscent of another rabble-rouser in Germany in the 1930s.
  2. His campaign was well-organized and well-funded by outside leftist groups.
  3. He has been and still is being portrayed as a socialist, whereas in reality his own statements identify him as a communist in the Soviet mold. Voters were unaware of or indifferent to his communist policies and as well as his virulent antisemitism.
  4. His primary opponents, Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams, are unpopular and each is carrying significant political “baggage.”

As I write this, Comrade Zoh has a decisive lead in the polls. For instance, according to Politico he has the support of 35% of registered voters, followed by Cuomo with 25%, Curtis Sliwa with 14%, Adams at 11% and attorney Jim Walden with 1%. The remainder were undecided. Even more inexplicably, a recently published Haaritz, US News survey disclosed that Zoh has a 17% lead among Jewish voters.

The more we find out about Comrade Zoh the worse it gets. The NY Post has reported that he is closely aligned with Mahmoud Khalil, the former Columbia University “student” and known terrorist who was one of the leaders of the pro-Palestinian/ pro-Hamas/anti-Israel/antisemitic protests over the last few years. The US has ample grounds to deport him and has been trying to do so but so far, it has not succeeded.

Conclusion

Zoh has received strong support from far-left Dems such as AOC and Bernie Sanders as well as the left-leaning media and various left-leaning PACs both domestic and foreign. Most moderate Dems, including Senate Minority Leader (Up)Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have declined to endorse him, but inexplicably have failed to speak out against him. In my opinion, this is due to a lack of courage. They are afraid of the small but vocal far left wing of the Dem Party. They will probably be primaried anyway in 2026, so for the sake of the Party they might as well do what’s right. Speak their minds.

At this point, I don’t see how Zoh can be stopped. In my opinion, this election will be a watershed moment not only for NYC and NYS but also for the Dems and America as a whole. Dems will have to run on his record in 2026 and beyond. They will pay for their cowardice.

Moreover, the impact of a communist mayor in NYC, the largest and most prestigious city in the country, will be enormous and far-reaching. Everybody likes free stuff. The problem is that free stuff is not really free; somewhere, somehow, somebody has to pay for it. It’s been proven time and again that communist/socialist policies do not work. Never have; never will. In the words of the late Margaret Thatcher, “[t]he problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”

The financial, political, economic and social ramifications of Conrade Zoh’s election will be incalculable. We may be sowing the seeds of our own destruction.

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