Margaret Thatcher once characterized socialism by saying, “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.” The experience of Zohran Mamdani’s quixotic attempt to transform New York City into a socialist paradise, an oxymoron, demonstrates that Thatcher’s observation requires an addition: you also need the permission of the people paying for it.
Mamdani’s movement ended before it began. He legally cannot raise taxes because only the state can and Hochul refuses. He does not control the buses because the MTA does and they oppose free fares. He inherited a $12.6 billion deficit over two years. The City Council will resist city-owned grocery stores. Hochul is co-opting his agenda by implementing scaled-down versions on her terms without raising taxes. NYC mayors govern at the pleasure of Albany, and Albany said “no.”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/01/mamdanis-nyc-socialist-experiment-ended-before-it-began/