Same, and I'm not a New Yorker. But the city stills the meaning of "greatness" that I want to see flourish. I want more Americans to see successful immigration and the civic co-existence of many cultures, languages, and histories as an amazing achievement.
You’re absolutely right — many of us, myself included, campaigned for Zohran because he had the courage to take a clear stand against the ongoing genocide. It’s also worth noting that a large number of those who worked on his campaign were Jewish New Yorkers, both young and old.
Assuming that Mamdani is as competent a politician as he seems, I'm concerned about three things now:
1. "Deep state" resistance through non-feasance by members of the police and other civil service of NYC like public works. Mamdani needs to get everyone on board.
2. Appointing overly ideological and incompetent subordinates who will say and do things which are easily framed as ridiculous or unconstitutionally preferential, especially in the identity / "equity" and gender spheres.
3. Incompetent execution of good ideas, see (2). That NYC supermarket has to be clean, efficiently run so it isn't overly-subsidized, and a good value.
I think this is right. One challenge will be carrying the vibes into policies and governance, and maintaining the support of those enthusiastic voters through inevitable and necessary compromises. RE #1 in particular, I also fear he will face serious headwinds. It makes me think about early 2009, when Mitch McConnell and company famously vowed to make Obama a one-term president.
Reading a lot of what Mamdani has said, it seems like he's aware of all three potential problems. He's started forging bonds with some NYPD groups (pakistani cops, who are numerous) to soften edges, he's made clear he wanted to work with competent people, even if they had disagreements with them (in general views and in what should be done), and he's got this City Hall wonk side to him where you just understand he's been in City Hall politics for awhile and is very conscious of the good ideas that weren't getting done and why (eg : bus lanes). And of course there's this fondness of him for mayors of the past and this wonderful inspiration from sewer socialism. He has the potential to be great.
There's a lot in here that made me smile, but I'm thinking about your final line, "I do know he's right that it's the problem." Mamdani is not just right about affordability and Gaza, but he's able to state these obvious truths clearly and out loud. I think this has become a kind of lowest-bar, meta-level test for politicians. Can they literally just say this thing we all know to be true?
I think you're right that Gaza played a critical role in Mamdani's rapid and unlikely rise to prominence, and there's a lesson in there for left organizing and activism. BEING RIGHT ON THE MERITS is ultimately a much more powerful weapon to wield than having the right allies or the right enemies or the aesthetically appealing point of view.
The bipartisan mainstream's Oslo-era reflex position on the conflict was monstrously cynical and immoral and biased by donor interests and blah blah blah. All true. But it was also wrong. It was an incorrect view of the facts on the ground that couldn't anticipate events and over time just couldn't hold against the dissonance of what was happening.
Exactly what everyone should know about New York City. But, er, if the city's biggest problem is affordability (and it is!) then the only solution is to build a lot of middle- and working-class housing so people can afford the rent. And realistically the only way to get there from here is through easing up on rent controls. Many liberals are moving in that direction, but can Mamdani and his supporters turn around?
"I think Mamdani agrees with all this, or I wouldn’t have voted for him. The only thing that prevents this city from being a true utopia is that it’s just way too expensive."
“Although I’m much closer to Mamdani than Cuomo on Palestine, I remain a little nervous about the introduction of a foreign ethnic conflict into our city”
I have also found this frustrating in Canadian politics. I don’t have any issue with people sincere universalists (as is typical for pro-pal/ukr) but i don’t appreciate people demanding particularism on behalf of other nations (eg, we’ve seen very sharp advocacy for Israel from groups & con party, and a lot of obscure internecine issues among south asians). And I think the latter does not come off well to the broader public when it escapes containment.
I think the key difference, in the case of Israel/Gaza, is it’s not ‘introducing ethnic conflict’ when western gov’ts that do represent us are directly implicated and responsible for fueling that conflict, spitting on international law, and covering for historic crimes. When our gov’ts are complicit, it becomes our business, it becomes a domestic matter, it’s not an import.
Decades of anti-imperialist writing and activism trying to get people to understand and take responsibility for our role in ‘far away’ catastrophes could only dream of having the impact that the prolonged destruction of Gaza has had, and the spectacle of the endless lies and distortions from our public officials that have accompanied it. The conflict is far away, but it’s not ‘foreign’.
Find your formulation a bit odd. Mamdani did not “introduce a foreign ethnic conflict into our city.” He responded to it better than others as you say.
Yay NYC! In the city that gave us Trump maybe the arc of history does bend toward justice after all?! I'm definitely rooting for the economic and culture dynamism of NYC's multicultural Have-nots but you know Wall Street will double-down on austerity and do everything it can to make Mamdani's "affordability" reforms, the economic populism and democratic socialism, look like unworkable failures; like monopolies and greedflation and tax evasions against Bidenomics. Good luck!
I clicked to read your political take and got a love letter to NYC in addition. Thanks, that made my morning.
Same, and I'm not a New Yorker. But the city stills the meaning of "greatness" that I want to see flourish. I want more Americans to see successful immigration and the civic co-existence of many cultures, languages, and histories as an amazing achievement.
You’re absolutely right — many of us, myself included, campaigned for Zohran because he had the courage to take a clear stand against the ongoing genocide. It’s also worth noting that a large number of those who worked on his campaign were Jewish New Yorkers, both young and old.
Assuming that Mamdani is as competent a politician as he seems, I'm concerned about three things now:
1. "Deep state" resistance through non-feasance by members of the police and other civil service of NYC like public works. Mamdani needs to get everyone on board.
2. Appointing overly ideological and incompetent subordinates who will say and do things which are easily framed as ridiculous or unconstitutionally preferential, especially in the identity / "equity" and gender spheres.
3. Incompetent execution of good ideas, see (2). That NYC supermarket has to be clean, efficiently run so it isn't overly-subsidized, and a good value.
I think this is right. One challenge will be carrying the vibes into policies and governance, and maintaining the support of those enthusiastic voters through inevitable and necessary compromises. RE #1 in particular, I also fear he will face serious headwinds. It makes me think about early 2009, when Mitch McConnell and company famously vowed to make Obama a one-term president.
Reading a lot of what Mamdani has said, it seems like he's aware of all three potential problems. He's started forging bonds with some NYPD groups (pakistani cops, who are numerous) to soften edges, he's made clear he wanted to work with competent people, even if they had disagreements with them (in general views and in what should be done), and he's got this City Hall wonk side to him where you just understand he's been in City Hall politics for awhile and is very conscious of the good ideas that weren't getting done and why (eg : bus lanes). And of course there's this fondness of him for mayors of the past and this wonderful inspiration from sewer socialism. He has the potential to be great.
There's a lot in here that made me smile, but I'm thinking about your final line, "I do know he's right that it's the problem." Mamdani is not just right about affordability and Gaza, but he's able to state these obvious truths clearly and out loud. I think this has become a kind of lowest-bar, meta-level test for politicians. Can they literally just say this thing we all know to be true?
What a lovely tribute to NYC. A keeper.
I think you're right that Gaza played a critical role in Mamdani's rapid and unlikely rise to prominence, and there's a lesson in there for left organizing and activism. BEING RIGHT ON THE MERITS is ultimately a much more powerful weapon to wield than having the right allies or the right enemies or the aesthetically appealing point of view.
The bipartisan mainstream's Oslo-era reflex position on the conflict was monstrously cynical and immoral and biased by donor interests and blah blah blah. All true. But it was also wrong. It was an incorrect view of the facts on the ground that couldn't anticipate events and over time just couldn't hold against the dissonance of what was happening.
Exactly what everyone should know about New York City. But, er, if the city's biggest problem is affordability (and it is!) then the only solution is to build a lot of middle- and working-class housing so people can afford the rent. And realistically the only way to get there from here is through easing up on rent controls. Many liberals are moving in that direction, but can Mamdani and his supporters turn around?
"I think Mamdani agrees with all this, or I wouldn’t have voted for him. The only thing that prevents this city from being a true utopia is that it’s just way too expensive."
February in New York is miserable
London > New York
“Although I’m much closer to Mamdani than Cuomo on Palestine, I remain a little nervous about the introduction of a foreign ethnic conflict into our city”
I have also found this frustrating in Canadian politics. I don’t have any issue with people sincere universalists (as is typical for pro-pal/ukr) but i don’t appreciate people demanding particularism on behalf of other nations (eg, we’ve seen very sharp advocacy for Israel from groups & con party, and a lot of obscure internecine issues among south asians). And I think the latter does not come off well to the broader public when it escapes containment.
I think the key difference, in the case of Israel/Gaza, is it’s not ‘introducing ethnic conflict’ when western gov’ts that do represent us are directly implicated and responsible for fueling that conflict, spitting on international law, and covering for historic crimes. When our gov’ts are complicit, it becomes our business, it becomes a domestic matter, it’s not an import.
Decades of anti-imperialist writing and activism trying to get people to understand and take responsibility for our role in ‘far away’ catastrophes could only dream of having the impact that the prolonged destruction of Gaza has had, and the spectacle of the endless lies and distortions from our public officials that have accompanied it. The conflict is far away, but it’s not ‘foreign’.
Now the hard work really begins. This is a great statement of the universalism you mentioned a few posts back.
Fear no evil, come what may.
Find your formulation a bit odd. Mamdani did not “introduce a foreign ethnic conflict into our city.” He responded to it better than others as you say.
I say he did not
heart felt and uplifting, thank you John
London > New York
Yay NYC! In the city that gave us Trump maybe the arc of history does bend toward justice after all?! I'm definitely rooting for the economic and culture dynamism of NYC's multicultural Have-nots but you know Wall Street will double-down on austerity and do everything it can to make Mamdani's "affordability" reforms, the economic populism and democratic socialism, look like unworkable failures; like monopolies and greedflation and tax evasions against Bidenomics. Good luck!