Zohran Mamdani (Sounds like a character out of Flash Gordon, don’t it?) is a sign of the times. He is no anomaly, no one-off. He’s where we’re headed. He is the logical result of (a) the failure, in the home, to teach children humility and instead teaching them that from a young age, they have something profound to say that the rest of us ought to take into consideration and (b) the failure, in our public schools, to teach critical thinking.
Zohran appeals to the self-obsessed snowflakes who conflate freedom with free stuff, like free transportation, free child care, free food, free housing and free social media accounts.
Thus far, several days into his mayorality, Zohran’s most famous ism is, “We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.”
And the gathered began squealing and high-fiving one another as if they actually understood his meaning.
The first collectivist was Nimrod who, according to legend, directed the building of the Tower of Babel, a project that, you will recall, went nowhere. God has made it clear that He does not approve of collectivism. Since Nimrod, infamous collectivists include Josef Stalin, Chairman Mao and Fidel Castro…narcissistic, homicidal maniacs whose collectivist schemes were responsible for the deaths of uber-millions.
American public schools no longer teach the horrors of collectivism (the truth triggers, doncha know?), which is why Zohran Mamdani, the latest incarnation of Ming the Merciless, is able to get away with proposing that socialism is chicken soup for the soul.
The fact that Zohran was elected is indubitable proof that New York City, USA, is already in the throes of collectivism, as in, collective stupidism.
First and foremost, there is no such thing as a free economy. For the band to play, someone has to cough up the gig fee, the problem being that New York is losing population, and fast. In the last five years, close to 500,000 folks have packed up and left New York for warmer, less collectivist climes like South Carolina and Florida. The folks who are moving out are precisely those who can afford to do so; that is, the very folks who can pay the band.
So, when Zohran Mamdani raises taxes, as he must, to pay for his warm and fuzzy collectivist schemes, more New Yorkers will move to ruggedly individualistic places like, say, Alabama.
Leaving behind a once-great city that is collectively broke and whose citizens are collectively miserable.
Copyright 2026, John K. Rosemond
And sadly, those who can't afford to leave will have to pick up the tab. I saw a video of Brooklyn the other day where speakers were blaring a loud call to Muslim prayer. Imagine this once Irish /Italian borough, used to melodic church bells ringing on the hour, now must endure the screeching sounds of a call to worship Allah. 911 is barely in our rear view mirror and we have not only forgotten, we have rewarded! God help us!
Great article, John. When humility and critical thinking get replaced by self-expression as a civic religion, slogans/babel become policy. "Collective” always sounds humane until you follow the incentives and the bill.