Think Berlin Gedachtniskirche (with an umlaut); in English, the “Memory Church,” a ruin of a once beautiful church in downtown Berlin, now a memorial to the horrors, the folly and the destruction that Germany inflicted and then suffered through Hitler’s Nazi terror.
Pondering the fate of New York City (NYC) under the likely mayoralty of uber-radical Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, the Gedachtniskirche should spring to mind.
Bespeaking the power of political charisma, Mamdani, a man gifted with a glib tongue and nary a life accomplishment beyond perfecting the metro beard, is almost certain to be the Big Apple’s next mayor. And the thing about Mamdani, as with most radical socialists, is that he doesn’t just spout destructive inanities about what should be done. He really believes them. No, really!
Being a man of no consequential experience, Mamdani’s policy ministrations may be thwarted by the city council and reality. But a better bet is that he’ll carry through regarding rent control, higher taxes, crime tolerance, etc.
The result is as predictable as the sunrise: NYC will fall into a doom loop whereby the major businesses and the wealthy, aka the tax base, will flee.
Meanwhile, the city’s existing government-created housing crisis will rapidly worsen under stricter rent controls, forcing more to flee.
And, if dilapidated, rent-controlled housing doesn’t empty the city, Mamdani’s antipathy toward the police and accountability for criminals will unleash said criminals as though given a free pass.
In short, if Mamdani wins, then NYC’s future will bear a remarkable likeness to that of 1945 Berlin under the combined onslaughts of allied bombers.
Except, first, the time will come when, flat-busted broke, the city will plead for relief from Albany, only to be turned away as with collapsed NYC revenue streams the state’s finances will follow suit. Whoever succeeds the current governor, Kathy Hochul, will surely damn her often for endorsing Mamdani.
Coming away empty-handed from Albany, Mamdani will crawl to Washington for a massive bailout. New York’s Batman and Robin — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries— will probably threaten a government shutdown to compel a Big Apple bailout.
This will not be an easy moment. NYC exudes something marvelous and magical. There’s grit and grime, a no-nonsense toughness, but also an undeniable energy about the city. Many will want to rescue it from the consequences of its Mamdani follies.
Don’t.
Say it now. No.
Be ready for the pleas and turn away.
Socialist quackery is ascendent in the Democratic Party. After years on the nutty fringe, Democratic Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has achieved remarkable success in making nutty seem mainstream among Democrats. He now has many elected fellow travelers such as AOC, Jasmine Crockett, and Ilhan Omar. Many more embrace the nutty, especially in the Senate, but lack the courage to admit it publicly…yet.
Reasoned words, pleas, and exhortations to common sense are the first line of defense against the radical nuts, but nothing says stupid quite like a memorial to the destruction wrought by their ideas put into practice.
Throughout history, great cities have come and gone. Perhaps NYC’s time has gone. Other American cities will rise to take its place. In the tech-enhanced modern age, a financial capital can rise up anywhere; could be Dallas, Texas, or even Memphis, Tenn.
If necessary, and without a wisp of satisfaction or glee, as Paul McCartney wrote for the Beatles half a century ago, “let it be.” If Mamdani makes his vision for NYC a reality, then the reality is New York City will slide fast toward ruin, a Gedachtniskirche-like memorial to socialism in America. That, too, would serve a purpose.
J.D. Foster is the former chief economist at the Office of Management and Budget and former chief economist and senior vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He now resides in relative freedom in the hills of Idaho.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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