The other day, a NYC photographer accidentally made the case for capitalism, pointing to Bryant Park as a win for socialism. There was a problem with that, of course. While Bryant Park is owned by the government, the maintenance of the park is done entirely by the private sector. The Bryant Park Corporation (BPC) is a nonprofit that operates the park, including plant cultivation, security, and landscaping.
Another Lefty did this with Central Park itself, which is also maintained by the private sector, the Central Park Conservancy (CPC). Many of the people behind the BPC and CPC are wealthy folks who want to live in a nice city.
We understand that's anathema to the Left, who think cleaning up graffiti and making fountains work and cleaning up parks is a Republican "vanity project" and that decay and social disorder are requirements for living in urban areas.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani tried playing that card, saying most of our society is already driven by Democratic Socialist principles, like libraries.
Zohran Mamdani: “A lot of what we’ve come to accept as the facts of life across our country is driven by democratic socialist principles. If today you and I were to introduce the idea of a building that lends out books for free, we would be slandered in the same way that so many… pic.twitter.com/b1MxtTKrJ2
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) July 22, 2026
There's just one problem with that. Libraries, started by Ben Franklin, were funded through private donations and operated with membership fees. It was not a government program.
And the earliest fire departments were volunteer-based.
Ben Franklin kicked off the library concept and it was all through private donations, and operated with membership fees. It was not a government program.
— Brad Slager: CNN+ Lifetime Subscriber (@MartiniShark) July 23, 2026
The first fire departments were all volunteer citizens.
But whatever, “socialist wisdom!”, or something…
And, as always, the public systems are not the socialism Mamdani wants.
For the 1000th time - taxpayer support of appropriate government functions - i.e. those that individual citizens cannot readily supply for themselves such as fire and police departments, roads and bridges and, yes, defense —is NOT the socialism that Mandami wants. He wants the…
— BellaT (@sasso333) July 22, 2026
"He wants the version that Cuba has, that the USSR had, the one that destroyed Venezuela," the user wrote.
Yes. The destruction of America via communism—just as it destroyed Cuba, the USSR, and Venezuela.
What an idiot. The idea of free libraries have existed since the days of Benjamin Franklin, who personally contributed books to that effect. Early on, many towns built free libraries, some used taxpayer money, while millionaires like Astor and Carnegie bequeathed them.
— Danishova (@Danishova) July 23, 2026
Oh, there are those evil rich people doing good things again.
Don’t you see? Libraries and firemen are just like emptying the prisons and seizing your assets. https://t.co/ZIbIUOhQYX
— Bridget Phetasy (@BridgetPhetasy) July 23, 2026
Totally the same thing.
Wait till he finds out that the first libraries in America were funded by private donations, bequests, membership fees, and churches.
— L A R R Y (@LarryOConnor) July 23, 2026
Stewart is ill-equipped for an interview like this. Why is he so prepared when interviewing Republicans about trans issues? https://t.co/RmlnQgcdkM
Because that's (D)ifferent.
The argument that because we have police (which Mamdani wants to defund), fire departments, and libraries proves that we should let Mamdani take our property and our income is stupid, at best. And dangerous at worst.