Will the Democrats Globalize Zohran?

Zohran Mamdani demands to be taken seriously. And well we should.

By Greg Rabidoux

The name Zohran in Arabic means to "blossom." And certainly, at 33 years young, and much to the dismay of moderate Dems (like Fetterman) the old guard (Clintons, Obamas, Bidens) and current Mayor Eric Adams (former Dem) he, and his unapologetically socialist, sitting-on-the-edge communist views are taking root in their Party, now his, and blossoming. He, along with his youthful and energetic supporters, believe now is the time to seize the day. Not tomorrow, or some time down the road when he might be more seasoned (not counting his brief rapping career). Nope. The time is now for the Dems to paint the town red. The Left seems to be allergic to actually doing grown-up things before demanding grown-up power. But they sure like ideas, the more extreme the better. And they worship at the cult of being young and largely ignorant of what works and what doesn't. History? Unless it's a tome about evil white men, many on the Left seem indifferent at best. So, trying to tell them the many reasons why socialism turns into communism and why that never works is like explaining how being addicted to their cell phone apps is harmful. If only they'd stop texting long enough to learn.

Still, the fact that this young, charismatic, Ugandan-born candidate is even in this position, being the presumptive NYC mayoral winner, is no fluke. This has actually been a long time in coming, dating back to about 2008 when the Left, funded by Soros billions started strategically activating a myriad of NGOs, non-profits, and very young, very impressionable political activists. They had several aims. Chief among these were to promote the spread of socialism, normalize antisemitism, and "Globalize the Intifada." In a big way. In other words, in the "Big Apple." If democratic socialists, okay, socialists with a very concerning predisposition to radicalism, can do it there, they can do it anywhere. It really was up to you, New York, New York. And, in the city that never sleeps, the NYC Dems seem hell-bent on turning their city into "the second city" of Chicago. No doubt because the socialist mayor there is doing such a bang-up job. Not so much.

Regardless of the track record of his ideas and ideology, young Mr. Mamdani seems ready-made for the moment. He is the son of a "Gaza-Ground Zero" Columbia University professor of revolutionary studies with communist cred and his mother is a celebrated Indian filmmaker. So, chances were good that Zohran appreciated the power of imagery and urban populism at an early age. And what has this two-term NYC Assemblyman promised to implement if elected?

Free or heavily subsidized, government-run grocery stores. De-funding the police. Doubling down on NYC as a sanctuary city for illegal immigrants, regardless of criminal status, upping the ante on anti-ICE protests, increasing taxes on the rich and property owners (of course, he is a socialist after all) and implementing specialized fees on "White" neighborhoods (of course, he is a democratic-socialist after all) and then there's the whole globalizing the intifada. Mr. Mamdani has already been given several chances by the Leftist apologist media to soften or "clarify" what he meant but to his credit he has remained steadfast. No. The media got it right. Mr. Mamdani does indeed want to globalize the intifada. You'll recall that "intifada" means overthrowing or uprising and is used by our enemies and terrorists when calling for "Death to Jews" and "Death to America." And globalizing means wanting this done wherever Americans and Jews may be residing. The Ayatollah Ali Khamanei of Iran just called for this as he hid in a bunker. I'll bet he's clear on its meaning. You'd think that if you were running for any elected office in any American city, you'd want to tone down such vitriolic hatred a notch or two. Or three. Good old communist-capitalist Bernie Sanders has already tried to "re-frame" this clarion call to simply being against Israeli policies but not being antisemitic or anti-American. But Zohran has yet to cave. Apparently, he really does mean what the rest of us think he means. But time and electoral polls will tell if Mamdani "softens" his more radical edges for mainstream consumption.

On the other hand, why would he have to? To be a Democrat today is to be um, unburdened by any more moderate past. Radicalism, rage, antisemitism, and hatred for all things America seems to be the stuff that fuels the Left. Will it change in a post-Trump world? Will the Dems snap out of it as Cher once implored her smitten suitor to do in the NYC film Moonstruck? Not if Zohran and his socialists have their way.

Either way, the rest of us had better take him and the new look Democrats seriously. Because they sure do.

Greg Rabidoux is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and author. And while he's not a socialist he does admit to liking "Monsoon Wedding."