5 days ago
‘Jurassic World Rebirth' is the perfect metaphor for Mamdani's socialism
' Jurassic World Rebirth ' is the perfect metaphor for Zohran Mamdani's mayoral campaign.
The New York City Democratic mayoral nominee and Democratic socialist Mamdani is enthralled with the dinosaur that is socialism. He wants to take New Yorkers to a place where the dinosaur will roam free.
Despite all previous visitors having been devoured, Mamdani promises he can do it right. What could go wrong?
Socialism is undisputedly a dinosaur. Dressed up as new and avant garde, it goes back centuries in Europe. In the 1820s America had socialist Owenite communes; even its now standard Marxist variant is a product of the late 19th century.
It's not timeless; it's Jurassic-age technology.
'Jurassic World Rebirth,' where the dinosaurs live, is a place people should not go. The movie explicitly tells us this. We moviegoers know all too well why: Dinosaurs devour people. Whatever their rationale, dinosaur projects always fail. Always.
Yet, filled with humanity's hubris (and that is what the 'Jurassic' movies are about), each new group imagines it holds the key: Dinosaurs can be lived with. We will all be better for it.
And each new group is wrong.
The movie's cast is young and attractive; after all, hunting dinosaurs is a young person's game — at least when the dinosaurs are breathing and not merely bones. There's a young woman, a young male professor, a father, children scattered from teen to 'tween,' some locals for color and a corporate executive, for greed.
Like the movie, Mamdani's attempt at socialism features stock characters. Through all runs the thread of passion — and anger, always anger: clenched fists thrust upward, clenched jaws thrust forward. All represent far more than they actually are.
Of course, Mamdani is the lead: young, earnest, with a beard that adds just the touch of gravitas, while maintaining the millennial vibe. An accomplished actor, Mamdani began his career auditioning as a Black student for a role at Columbia University.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is the femme fatale, just a beret short of Che. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) brings the tousle-haired head of experience, an avuncular mentor and guide. Although he has never been to where he professes to take his followers, the others don't doubt he knows the way.
And there are ensemble characters. The Squad, not intended to be closely scrutinized, communicate by their presence. They look so right for right now, how could they be wrong?
The movie's location is exotically tropical — an island just offshore of Suriname and next door to Guyana, which by coincidence is where another American, Jim Jones, failed to establish a socialist utopia half a century ago.
Mamdani socialism's intended location is New York City. Here, in the words of Frank Sinatra, it is looking to 'make a brand-new start of it.' If socialism can 'make it there,' it can 'make it anywhere.'
As for the movie's plot, no spoiler alert is needed. If you've seen one of the earlier versions you know what happens here. It's a good romp, but suffice it to say, people get eaten.
The same applies to Mamdani's socialism's plot: If you've seen one attempt, you've seen them all. People will get 'eaten' here too — lots and lots and lots of them. Everything will come crashing down at the end, or it will die with a whimper. Socialism has many routes to its coda, but always the same one: failure.
'Jurassic World Rebirth,' offers a new cast, higher production costs, better special effects and an updated plot. Mamdani's socialist project offers the same. He brings with him a cast of mostly young, new faces dressing up the old premise that you can somehow get something for nothing — housing, free bus rides, government-run grocery stores and childcare.
His New York special effects are new to the U.S., and if he gets his hands on the city's budget, his production costs will be massively larger than any other American socialism project before it.
'Jurassic World Rebirth' is a summer blockbuster. People are lining up to see it. People are also crowding to see Mamdani's socialism project. And if he wins the mayoral race, they will be lining up too, only then, to get out.
J.T. Young is the author of 'Unprecedented Assault: How Big Government Unleashed America's Socialist Left.' He has over three decades' experience working in Congress, the Department of Treasury, the Office of Management, and Budget, and representing a Fortune 20 company.
