On June 23, 2016, citizens of the United Kingdom voted to exit the European Union. Nine years and two days later, New York Democrats voted to emulate the Soviet Union.
Watching the Brexit argument unfold from across the pond nine years ago, I was stunned that almost every argument I saw from the Remain movement was regarding the economic harm that might befall the island if it became, well, an island again.
Such issues were certainly fair to debate, as no one knew exactly what the economic fallout of leaving the EU would be. But man is more than homo economicus and there were many more issues at stake, from immigration to culture to national sovereignty, all of which continue to dominate their politics. I think the Brits made the right choice that day, even if their feeble follow through has been mystifying.
New Yorkers, on the other hand, are rushing headlong into the abyss by handing a democratic socialist—I don’t know why they even bother with the adjective—Zohran Mamdani a mayoral primary victory and, odds are, the keys to City Hall in November.
A century or more ago, the socialist siren song may have been somewhat alluring, at least among people who’ve never read a book. Today it’s just plain grating. The 2020 COVID pandemic, aided and abetted by the policies of then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo (ironically Mamdani’s primary challenger), is nothing compared to the virulent side effects Trump Derangement Syndrome is causing throughout our nation’s foremost city.
Which is why I say, “Go for it, New York.”
If Mamdani gets his way, his policies will significantly expand the number of minimum wage earners—minimum wage always and everywhere being $0—run off millionaires and billionaires with punitive taxes, cause an unprecedented exodus of jobs and corporate headquarters, bankrupt the bus and subway systems, exacerbate the housing shortage, pour gasoline on the city’s crime problem, roll out the red carpet to illegal immigrants, fund gender dysphoria-affirming child mutilation, put Christians in the legal crosshairs, and further globalize the intifada, among other things.
Oh, and let’s not forget his plans for government grocery stores, taking on the existing fat cats with their outrageous 1% margins. Some of us are old enough to remember the images of communist Eastern European grocery stores and their shelves full of … shelving.
So why would someone like me encourage New Yorkers to embrace such dystopia?
Because, as U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louie Brandeis said, “States are the laboratories of democracy.” He believed that states, and by implication cities, should be free to innovate. Or as they say in Silicon Valley, fail fast.
What better way for 49 states to see if a given public policy works than by letting one state take the risk of implementing it? What better way for America’s 20,000 cities, towns, and villages to avoid the fallout of foolish policies than by letting one suffer the consequences of them? Sure, I feel bad for the people of New York, but let’s face it: They got themselves into this position and if Mamdani wins in November, they will have asked for it.
This is an important moment in our nation’s history, as too many of our young people have been taught nothing about the evils of Marxism and are falling prey to its lies—with an assist from the soon-to-be-extinct federal Department of Education. If New York takes a big bite out of that poison apple now, perhaps its rapid and very visible decline will be a wake-up call to us all. As magnificent a city that it is, it can recover quickly once New Yorkers regain their senses.
So go for it, Mamdani, and good luck. I’d send you a contribution, but I have a feeling your campaign is already bought and paid for.
We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal.
