In 1947, as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) sought to spread communism in Greece and Turkey, President Harry S. Truman addressed a joint session of Congress and proposed a plan to “contain communism” via the Truman Doctrine.
Nearly 80 years later, and more than a few decades since the utter collapse of the once-mighty Soviet Union, President Trump should deliver a similar message to our national legislators; however, this time, he needs to propose a plan to contain communism here at home.
On November 4, New York City voters elected Zohran Mamdani, a self-avowed communist who supports seizing the means of production and opening government-run grocery stores.
Why did this happen? Because New Yorkers, like most Americans, are facing an affordability crisis. To his credit, Mamdani stressed the affordability crisis. It was his central issue. He is correct that average NYC residents are struggling to afford rent, utility bills, health care, groceries, gas, etc.
According to the exit polls, which tell the real story of why voters made their decisions, nearly 80 percent of voters under 30 years old voted for Mamdani. Approximately six in 10 NYC renters voted for Mamdani. And more than seven in 10 NYC voters said the “cost of housing” was a major problem where they live. Non-economic issues like crime, education, immigration, and health care were not priorities for voters; they cared about the cost of groceries and the fact that their paychecks just don’t go as far as they used to.
Sadly, most of these voters do not understand that the primary forces driving the cost-of-living crisis they face are due to too much government, not the other way around.
As a socialist, it is easy for Mamdani to spew simple slogans for complicated problems. He says freezing rent, opening government-run grocery stores, and more government-run “affordable” housing will solve multidimensional problems that have been worsening for several years.
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Mamdani’s socialist propaganda is also easy for people to believe, especially when they’ve been indoctrinated by a government-run school system that glosses over the horrors and evils perpetuated under every socialist/communist regime in history while touting collectivism as equitable, moral, and fair. Mamdani mesmerized voters under 45 with slick social media videos and socialist soundbites that resonated big time.
While some may say that NYC voters electing a communist to run the financial capital of the world is not a big deal, they are woefully misguided.
Communism is like a virus; it spreads and infects its hosts.
The reason that Truman knew that he must contain international communism was because he knew that places like Greece and Turkey were vulnerable after the devastation of World War II. He knew that the masses facing widespread economic hardship were susceptible to the Soviet Union’s socialist utopia rhetoric.
A few years later, China fell to communism and President Eisenhower introduced us to the domino theory.
Terms like containment and the domino theory no longer belong in the history books; they are more than applicable today, as we enter the age of American socialism.
Domestic containment can come in many forms. Some states, like Florida, have required that their public schools explicitly educate students about the history of communism. Although this will help over the long term, it does little in the short term to address the present crisis.
The best way to blunt the current spread of socialism is for lawmakers to present policies and programs that will foster free-market solutions to the affordability crisis.
At the state and local level, ease draconian licensing requirements that prevent people from doing business. Reduce permitting and zoning burdens so people can build homes. Stop taxing everything profitable and subsidizing everything that is unprofitable. Prioritize reliable and affordable energy over unaffordable and unreliable green energy.
At the national level, quit printing and borrowing money. Achieve U.S. energy dominance. Shrink the size and scope of the federal bureaucracy. Streamline the national government and revive federalism.
Of course, these system-wide fixes will take time. Patience is a virtue, and it is needed more than ever as we begin to address the affordability crisis that threatens the viability of the American dream for generations to come.
Chris Talgo (ctalgo@heartland.org) is editorial director at The Heartland Institute.
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.
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