In the book "Forgotten Man" by Amity Shlaes, there's a fascinating anecdote about how quickly socialism and communism fail. Shlaes reveals the nascent Soviet Union was already dependent on American capitalism to help keep it afloat just a decade after the Russian Revolution. There's a lesson here. And it's one New York is going to learn the hard way, it seems.
Zohran Mamdani hasn't even been sworn into office yet, and he's only been Mayor-elect for about 36 hours, but it took less than a day for the Democratic Socialist to do what socialists do best: take money from the middle class to bankroll their political careers and bourgeois lifestyle.
NOW — Zohran Mamdani asks “working people who have been left behind” to donate money to his transition team pic.twitter.com/cYmySSx6zr
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) November 5, 2025
"I told supporters across this city to stop donating, and today I am asking them to start once again because of the fact that a transition—or a transition that can meet the moment of preparing for January 1st—is one that will require staff, it will require research and infrastructure," Mamdani said.
"I'm excited about how this will be funded by the very people who brought us to this point: the working people left behind by politics in this city," he added.
Remember, Mamdani grew up rich. He is rich. He attended elite private schools. His parents own a compound in Uganda.
But he needs the working class to pay for his transition team? Yeah, good luck, New Yorkers. Enjoy Venezuelan levels of poverty and crime.
Wasting not even one millisecond.
— Autism Capital 🧩 (@AutismCapital) November 5, 2025
Nope. He's gotta get that grift going right out of the gate.
Not your money, comrade! Our money!
— Aldous Huxley's Ghost™ (@AF632) November 6, 2025
In communist New York, all your money belongs to Mamdani.
The guy who says everything is free is asking for donations.
— Matthew Marsden (@matthewdmarsden) November 5, 2025
That happened fast. https://t.co/XrSwHwoFK4
New York is about to learn that "free" stuff is extremely expensive.
This man tricked so many people.
— Brandt Thomas (@TwinningDad92) November 5, 2025
Less than 24 hours and already asking for money.
Remember, “it’s all going to be free” https://t.co/pph3JnaPJN
"I'm going to take money from you, pocket some of it, and in return you get substandard 'free' stuff."
That's Mamdani's entire plan.
He lied throughout the campaign about this, and Van Jones expressed dismay at the sudden shift in tone from candidate Mamdani to Mayor-elect Mamdani. "So, I felt like it was a little bit of a character switch here, where the warm, open, embracing guy that's close to working people was not on stage tonight. And there were some some other voice on stage," Jones said.
No, it wasn't a switch. It was a revelation.
The rest of us are not surprised, however.