THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST WON! A REPOST

I originally wrote this in June, right after Mamdani won the primary. As he wins the mayoralty today, it’s worth a repeat:

Zohran Mamdani is now the Democratic candidate for Mayor of New York! He beat Andrew Cuomo, who thought he could win without trying to earn the votes of regular New Yorkers but relied on the backing of billionaires and their PAC’s, and both state and national establishment Democrats. Mamdani, on the other hand, campaigned hard for the working class, youth, ethnic minority and progressive voters, crafting a citywide coalition that many doubted was possible. He ran as a Democratic Socialist. His platform focused on making the city more affordable for the average New Yorker, from housing to public transportation, without corruption. And he won.

Now he goes to the general election, against incumbent Eric Adams, possibly Cuomo and the almost insignificant Republican Curtis Sliwa. And while these opponents will have different platforms, the one thing they will have in common: the charge of “Socialist.” They will, implicitly or explicitly, try to portray him as an anti-capitalist Communist sympathizer who will take away your chance to make as much money as you can, vote in a fair election, have freedom. No matter what their shortcomings, at least they are not socialist. Vote for me!

Truth be told, the word does, indeed, scare many people. The national Democratic party is especially scared of it. They think that it may fly in particularly progressive enclaves, but it will kill any chance for a candidate to win a national general election. It conjures up images of the former Soviet Union, Cuba, North Korea, China—it alienates the middle of the electorate without whom they cannot win. The actual platform of Democratic Socialists may be compelling, but that’s irrelevant; the tag of Socialist trumps everything. Bernie Sanders and AOC may be attracting 30,000 sized crowds, but that’s irrelevant; the tag of Socialist makes them untenable as winning national candidates. Mamdani can win in New York, but that’s just New York. He’s now on the national stage, but he can’t win on it. He’s a Socialist.

Actually, he isn’t a Socialist or a Communist for that matter. He’s a Democratic Socialist, and there’s a difference. While all three critique capitalism for putting the accumulation of wealth over the welfare of people amongst other things, their goals, methods and degrees of government involvement differ greatly.

Socialism advocates for public or collective ownership of the means of production (factories, land, capital) to ensure equality and reduce exploitation. It can come into power through either election or revolution. (think Venezuela)

Democratic Socialism blends socialist economics with democratic political systems. It supports social ownership within a democratic framework. It seeks to build socialism through elections, pluralism, and civil liberties, not revolution or authoritarianism. Government exists to expand public welfare (universal healthcare, free education, strong labor rights) while maintaining democracy and civil freedoms. It comes into power through elections and reform. (think Sweden or Norway)

Communism envisions a classless, stateless society where all property is communally owned and there is no private ownership of the means of production. Government is centralized and authoritarian. It comes into power through revolution. (think the former Soviet Union or Castro’s Cuba)

Nobody in their right mind today is looking to emulate the Soviet Union. Cuba, with the highest literacy rate in the Caribbean and Central America and a universally lauded healthcare system, still receives some interest, but the entrenched poverty and the relentless interference from the United States make their Communist appeal limited. Socialism aims to ensure economic and civic equality but can veer into authoritarian tendencies. Democratic Socialism strives for the economic system of Socialism which stresses the public welfare, but it requires a high tax rate on all citizens, including the working class. So, if you want a system that ensures both an economic system that enhances the lives of its citizens and does so within a democratic framework, what are you to do?

And that brings us back to Zohran Mamdani. He defines himself as a Democratic Socialist, and his participation in the Democratic primary combined with his progressive platform bears this out. His platform attempted to incorporate Socialist principles about equity and public responsibility into programs that could be enacted by the city government. Affordable housing, free public transportation, a fair immigration system, etc. Without the label of Democratic Socialism, does this sound radical to many (if not most) New Yorkers? He is facing a challenge that every American Democratic Socialist faces: how do we create a Democratic Socialism that fits the unique situation that is the US? In Zohran’s case, how do we do this for New York?

He took campaigning to a whole other level, reaching the ethnic communities of the outer boroughs, using social media to great effect, having an easily described platform. But campaigning is not governing. That charge of inexperience has some weight. If I’m a New Yorker and my garbage isn’t picked up, if the trains are sporadic, dirty, or unsafe, if gentrification is allowed to continue and make neighborhoods unaffordable, I don’t give a good goddamn about your campaign platform. (And for God’s sake, no corruption!) He will have to bear with attacks as a Muslim, an anti-Semitic, and above all a Socialist/Communist. It’s a good time to be facing these attacks, though. Muslims are not as scary as they used to be to most Americans. Criticizing Isreal does not necessarily mark you as anti-Semitic amongst young people. And those who did not grow up during the Cold War and have no deep feelings about the Soviet Union or Communism can hear Zohan’s agenda without fearing the concept of socialism. Even so, the charge will still have potency.

The Republicans are not the only ones to watch out for. The Democratic party doesn’t like the Zohran victory much either. The word Socialist (it’s like they don’t even hear the Democratic part) scares them, too. Will they embrace his platform anyway? Will they emulate his campaign strategy? Will they support Andrew Cuomo? Will they ignore the fact that HE WON?

Congratulations to Zohran Mamdani. And may Democratic Socialists use this opportunity to define themselves for the American public.