The Rise of Neo-Communism in New York?

SBINSIDER NEWS\ANALYSIS | June 28th, 2025

In the 1930’s communism was on the rise as a legitimate form of government due to epic excesses of unregulated capitalism in the West. By 1932, all of the major western economic powers, England, Germany, the US and others were suffering extremely high unemployment and economic depression. Germany, having lost WWI had a severely diminished workforce from the war, followed by a terrific level of inflation (Versailles Treaty) which destroyed all middle-class savings followed by the high employment, too. Italy was cratering and Russia still floundering from the end of an aristocracy via a communist revolution.

In that economic environment, the entire belief structure of laissez-faire capitalism was called into question. Newly elected FDR responded with the New Deal, raising taxes and dumping money into hundreds of programs-which sorta worked. In fact, the economy never began to organically recover until the huge spending (and borrowing) programs needed to fund our WWII war machine. By building a 15 million man army and employing millions of women in the war factories, unemployment vanished and the US leveraged the entire world out of the depression.

Even with the recovery underway, FDR asked Henry Wallace, a Democratic-Socialist who was closer in his beliefs to Lenin than mainstream socialists such as Eugene Debs to be his Vice-President. Wallace later ran as the Progressive Party candidate in 1948.

Several big city mayors, and several governors also labeled themselves as Democratic-Socialists in the manner of Bernie Sanders.

Mayor of New York

All this background to illustrate that socialist elements have been a feature of most liberal democracies as an alternative to capitalism since the 20th century. Envy and getting something for free (but only from the rich) has always been popular with the masses. The latest iteration is the Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York. Avowed socialist Zohran Mamdani was considered a very long shot only 5 months ago. But his social media presence, telegenic, savvy media appearances were attractive to voters who had enough of former Governor Andrew Cuomo who resigned his office after chasing too many skirts of underlings.

Then there is the incumbent Democrat mayor, Eric Adams, who is severely tainted by Federal and State charges into his campaign contributions and a plethora of questionable ethical moves. President Trump ordered the DOJ to drop its portion of the charges early in the year. Still, Adams has so tainted his tenure that his favorability with voters stands at 20% or less.

Given the current dynamics, Zohran Mamdani is likely to win the mayor’s race. By promising to lower rents, provide free public transportation, create government-run grocery stores, fund more daycare centers and support every major and minor cultural socialist policy, he is the dream candidate of the Left and the anathema of modern capitalists and conservatives.

Mamdani, a Muslim, has been taken to task for his opinions on the Israel-Gaza war, putting most of the blame on Israel-in a city that has the 2nd largest population of Jewish residents-blaming Israel incredibly garnered him a large majority of votes from highly educated whites-which would presumably include many of Jewish descent. Liberal guilt apparently being more powerful than ethnicity. Perhaps the only way Mamdani could lose would be if President Trump endorsed him!!

In SBINSIDER’s opinion, a Mamdani win will not affect any other political races or policies in the US. Most voters consider New York, Chicago, Minneapolis and Los Angeles to be enclaves of nonsensical left-wing weirdos, better to be ignored.