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In just a few days, a Karl Marx-quoting communist who has struggled to disavow Hamas is likely to be elected the next mayor of the nation’s financial and cultural epicenter. Thirty-three-year-old New York state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani has surged to the front of the race. He leads by double digits in virtually every public poll, he is an overwhelming favorite in the online betting markets. Absent a miracle, in short, Mamdani is going to win and will be the next mayor of New York City. But one might be forgiven for believing in the possibility of miracles. Mamdani must, somehow, be rejected — and if he prevails, the grave consequences will extend far beyond the Big Apple. First, consider Mandani's platform. He proposes a rent freeze on all rent-stabilized apartments, the creation of hundreds of thousands of publicly owned housing units, “free” city-run grocery stores, universal child care from infancy to kindergarten, free bus service, and steep tax hikes — including a jump in the corporate tax from 7.25 percent to 11.5 percent, and a new 2 percent surcharge on incomes exceeding a million dollars a year. On public safety, he would divert funds away from the New York City Police Department to a new Department of Community Safety staffed by social workers and activists. This is not reform. It is social transformation. And to understand what’s truly at stake for all of us non-New Yorkers, one must remember what New York City still represents. When the nation’s largest and most important city thrives, the entire country feels the lift. And when New York falters, the ripple effects are often national. For better or worse, New York remains the economic, cultural, and innovative engine of the United States. It is the American epicenter of finance, media, and the arts — where Wall Street meets Broadway, and venture capital meets high fashion. Its GDP rivals that of most nations. Its museums, universities, and creative industries shape not just American identity but global ... No hoodwinking or hornswoggling here. Support independent journalism and get unlimited access to quality commentary. Subscribe Already a subscriber? Login here

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