Latest news with #ZohranKwameMamdani
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Zohran Mamdani says he's a socialist; Trump calls him a ‘communist lunatic' – What's the difference?
Zohran Kwame Mamdani seems to be sticking to the news – for all the relevant reasons. However, at this point, the 33-year-old member of the New York State Assembly and the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor is under the microscope – because the US President doesn't seem to get over his win in the Primary Election and move on from his milestone victory. And this 'obsession' has ignited an intense debate. Mamdani proudly identifies as a democratic socialist. He supports and advocates for policies like rent freezes, fare-free buses, publicly owned grocery stores, universal childcare, and higher taxes on the wealthy – key pointers of the idea of social democracy. But Donald Trump doesn't seem to agree with Mamdani's self-proclamation – at all. Rather, the US President has repeatedly slammed Mamdani as a '100% Communist Lunatic,' calling him a 'pure communist' and threatening to withhold federal funding or even deploy the federal government if Mamdani is elected. This stark contrast raises a critical question: What's the real difference between socialism and communism, and what's at stake in this high-stakes rhetorical battle over New York's next mayor? Moreover, these clashing narratives – between democratic socialism and alleged communism – raise some more vital questions: What exactly distinguishes the two ideologies? And why is Trump labeling Mamdani a communist when his policies are arguably far more moderate? Let's unpack. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Understanding Democratic Socialism Democratic socialism is a political philosophy that combines democratic governance with a commitment to social ownership or regulation of key sectors. In Mamdani's case, his focus is on expanding public services and reducing inequality, not dismantling the private economy. Key components include: Democratic governance: Preserving elections, multi-party systems, and political freedoms. Targeted public ownership or subsidization: Rent regulation, municipal grocery stores, public transit, childcare. Mixed economy: Encouraging private enterprise alongside robust public investment. Progressive taxation: Increasing revenue from corporations and millionaires to fund social programs. Mamdani sees democratic socialism as a path toward 'redistributed wealth and power…where necessities of life are rights.' His alignment with figures like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez places him squarely in the tradition of modern US democratic socialism, which emphasizes incremental reforms through democratic institutions. What is Communism, and why Mamdani isn't it Communism, as historically practiced in the Soviet Union, Maoist China, and other one-party states, involves: Abolition of private property and transfer of all means of production to the state. Centralized, planned economy with no role for markets. Authoritarian, single-party rule, often repressing dissent. Mamdani is conspicuously not advocating any of these. To put it in a list, he does not support : Seizing private businesses or banning markets. Imposing a single-party regime or abolishing elections. Forcing price controls beyond regulated rents or pilot grocery stores. Anna Grzymala-Busse, Stanford University professor of international studies, wrote in an email to PolitiFact, as reported by Al Jazeera: 'Communism involves a centrally planned economy, with no market forces. Prices and quantities are set by a central government authority. There is no democratic political competition, and instead a single party rules the country,' clarifying that, Mamdani, 'is not calling for any of this. ' Democratic socialists explicitly reject authoritarianism and nationalization of the entire industry – components at the heart of classic communism. What's Mamdani's actual agenda in NYC Mamdani's policy platform prioritizes affordability and equity: Rent freezes and expanded rent stability, combating displacement. Fare-free public transit, echoing successful models like Kansas municipal buses. City-owned grocery pilots, to ensure fair access, intended to supplement, not replace, private grocery chains. Universal childcare, with state-funded support and family "baby baskets." Higher taxes on millionaires and corporations to support public programs. Progressive police reform, focusing on community policing and social services. These policy goals fall squarely within the tradition of European social democracy, and none of these proposals involves overturning fundamental capitalist structures or erasing private property – hallmarks of communism. Trump's Rhetoric: Scare tactics vs. substance Trump's attacks on Mamdani have been both forceful and persistent. He has labeled Mamdani a 'communist,' 'pure communist,' 'communist nutjob,' and '100% communist lunatic' across various platforms. Trump has threatened to withhold federal funds or stage federal takeovers if Mamdani pursues progressive policies. He has even suggested that Mamdani could face arrest, deportation, or have his citizenship stripped, despite being a naturalized citizen since 2018. These attacks reflect classic 'red-baiting,' which leverages fear of 'communism' to undermine dissenting views and portray them as extreme or authoritarian. In this way, Trump's approach is both inaccurate and misleading, yet strategic: it stirs fear, diverts attention from substantive policy discussions, and rallies conservative voters. The broader implications This conflict is about more than just labels; it reveals deeper dynamics in politics: Public confusion: Citizens may misinterpret real policy intentions, fearing authoritarian control instead of seeing efforts for increased services. Fear of socialism: Conservatives often equate democratic socialism with historical communism to incite alarm. This fear-mongering can enable political opponents to block policy reforms by branding them as 'communist.' Political signaling and polarization: Trump's rhetoric resonates with voters who are uneasy about so-called 'radical left' ideas. Labeling Mamdani as a communist may deepen societal divisions and distract from pressing issues such as housing and transit affordability. Democratic legitimacy: Attacking Mamdani's citizenship and threatening federal funds raises concerns among Democrats about undermining local self-governance. For NYC voters, Mamdani's campaign emphasizes trust in public provision for basic needs, while Trump's response exacerbates polarization and raises constitutional concerns regarding federal overreach. Clarity over confusion Understanding the substantive differences between these ideologies is crucial because: Voters deserve accurate information to evaluate policies based on their merits rather than on mischaracterizations. Democratic socialism seeks to reform rather than replace capitalism, advocating for public programs alongside private enterprise. Communism aims to completely overthrow capitalism, representing a radical and historically authoritarian transformation. Political discourse benefits from precise terminology, which ensures accountability and fosters constructive debate. Labeling Mamdani as a communist dilutes the meaning of both ideologies and fuels reactionary political strategies, for accurate ideological framing helps preserve a healthy democratic process. To sum it up… At its heart, this debate is illustrative of a larger battle over public understanding, democratic resilience, and ideological framing in American politics. Zohran Mamdani 's identification as a democratic socialist – championing expanded public services, affordability, and progressive taxation – differs sharply from communism, which entails total state control, abolishment of markets, and one-party rule. Trump's description of Mamdani as a 'communist lunatic' reflects a longstanding strategy of political hyperbole and fearmongering, not an accurate ideological assessment. Understanding these distinctions allows voters to engage critically with both policy substance and political rhetoric, while ensuring that democracy remains informed, not inflamed. 'Lunatic, Terrible-Looking': Trump Attacks NYC Muslim Mayor Hopeful Zohran Mamdani | Watch
New York Post
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Zohran Mamdani shared ‘sick' video mocking Hannukah and ‘cosplaying Jews,' advocacy group charges
A Jewish advocacy group slammed Democratic socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani for posting a 'sick' video mocking Hannukah and 'cosplaying Jews.' The mayoral front-runner shared a video on his X account last year from the Geeta Brothers Duet Group, showing two men wearing wigs dancing behind a menorah, playing with dreidels and celebrating with Punjabi-style music. 'Zohran Mamdani posts Indian men cosplaying Jews, spinning dreidels and lighting the menorah,' pro-Jewish group Stop Antisemitism wrote in a post to X Saturday, which included the controversial song. Advertisement 'Our holidays and traditions are sacred and not for your comedic pleasure _ZohranKMamdani — this is sick.' 4 The music video 'Hey Hanukkah' was shared by Zohran Mamdani last year during the solemn holiday. Zohran Kwame Mamdani, /X Advertisement Mamdani, 33, shared the campy song called 'Hey Hannukah' during last year's Festival of Lights. 'Happy 3rd night of Hanukkah from Astoria and Long Island City,' the Queens lawmaker wrote on X at the time. The video is from the 2015 parody album 'Punjabi Christmas Album Hits' from the Geeta Brothers — a side project of Sikh-Canadian musician and comedian Jus Reign. 4 The video from the Geeta Brothers showed men in wigs playing with dreidels, performing Punjabi music, and dancing behind a menorah. Zohran Kwame Mamdani, /X Advertisement Mamdani shared a similar video from the same comedy group on Christmas Eve 2024. 'Wishing you all a very merry Christmas from Astoria and Long Island City,' the self-described 'nepo-baby' wrote, sharing a video for the song 'Jingle Bells,' in which the performers wear similar wigs. The tone-deaf post is not the only reason Jewish New Yorkers are outraged over the rise of the socialist pol. 4 The video is from a 2015 parody holiday album that is the brainchild of Sikh-Canadian comedian Jus Reign. Zohran Kwame Mamdani, /X Advertisement Some Big Apple voters were gobsmacked when they received pro-Mamdani text messages that invoked the horrors of the October 7th attack in Israel. 'My friend Idan was murdered on October 7 at the Re'im music festival. The war is personal to me, as it is to many in our community,' a text shared with The Post read. 'The war is personal to me, as it is to many others in our community. Idan believed in peace, just like Zohran does,' the text read. It's unclear who sent them. 4 Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto/Shutterstock The state assemblyman has previously come under fire for refusing to recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. Earlier this week, the Bronx Science graduate, who was born in Uganda to Indian parents, alienated Black New Yorkers when it was revealed that he claimed he was African American on his application to Columbia University.
India Today
01-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Who the Fork Are You?
Zohran Kwame Mamdani, the American political wunderkind with a Gujarati Shia Muslim father from Uganda, a Hindu mother from Indian Punjab, and a middle name from Ghana, is deeply divisive, like politicians are. I have zero qualms about dragging him for eating with his hands during an interview. Savage. cardinal rule of civilised dining is simple: don't yammer while you're stuffing your face with biryani. Talking with a mouthful is a culinary crime, and I would curry ninda anyone committing it, be it in Mumbai or in Manhattan. But some Americans, particularly the MAGA brigade, aren't clutching pearls over his chatter. No, they're apoplectic about his hands. Eating with fingers? Heathen! To them, cutlery is the hallmark of sophistication, and bare hands are for isn't just fuel, it's a sensory orgy. Thank the lord for blessing us with the food on the table and our body with the five senses: sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing. Traditional eating was a five-star experience for all five senses. You gazed at the dish, caressed its texture with your fingers, inhaled its aroma, savoured its flavour, and relished the crunch or melt. Forks, knives, and spoons? Those were born in grim, water-scarce lands where icy streams and filthy paws made hand-eating a hygiene horror. But in cultures where hand-washing was a sacred prelude to anything worthwhile, fingers were the ultimate utensil. Enter colonialism: the fork-wielding masters branded their ways 'civilised' and the hand-eating colonised 'savage.' The cutlery supremacy was Mamdani was busy committing the sin of talking through his meal, he waxed poetic about his 'Third World sensibilities.' Oh, please. The Third World doesn't endorse mid-bite monologues. We offer our food to the cosmos, whisper a verse for universal nourishment, and then dig in with reverence. Chatting over dinner is a Western quirk, born of their obsession with 'table talk.' We didn't even have tables until the Brits showed up, and we only use cutlery for foods that demand them. Like a spoon for soup or forks for spaghetti. Never for says his worldview is inspired by the 3rd world while eating rice with his hands End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) June 29, 2025advertisementKnives, those primal tools of hunter-gatherers, were Europe's early claim to culinary fame. But while Asia was living its spice-infused golden age, Europe was slumming it with bread and stew. Spoons slurped the broth, knives hacked the loaf. Basic, boring, beige. Meanwhile, in lands of abundance, rice ruled. Spices danced, cuisines dazzled, and clean hands were all you needed. Why trust a fork that's been in who-knows-whose gob when your own washed hand is a known quantity? As the saying goes: you can't pick your fork's past, but you can scrub your medieval Europe was a hands-on affair. Knives sliced, fingers or bread scooped. Spoons were the soup sakhas, forks a later cameo. But as dining became a flex of class, forks crept in, promising cleaner, posher meals, untangled from the plebeian paw. By the 19th century, the four-tined fork and blunt table knife were Western dining's dynamic duo, with fish forks and butter knives arriving with a 'look at us, we're fancy!' Colonisation and trade spread this cutlery cult worldwide, but many cultures stuck to their guns, or rather, their hands. West of India, hands. East of India, chopsticks. India had the eating hand, thoroughly washed, before and India has an eating hand. Because, we have a washing hand, equally pristine. Thoroughly washed, before and after. Americans, still strangers to the bidet, might want to sit this hygiene lecture out. The nation that loves 'cutting red tape' still clings to paperwork to finish the job, calling desis unwashed while their own behinds stay, ahem, unfinished. I don't shake hands with suspected paper-users. hand-eating isn't just practical, it's a vibe. Touching food gauges its temperature, sparing you the 'ooh, aah, ouch' of a fork-shovelled scald. It's intimate, intentional, a middle finger to the fork fetishists. So, Zohran, keep eating with your hands. Just shut up while you're at it.(Kamlesh Singh, a columnist and satirist, is director of news with India Today Digital)- Ends(Views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author)Must Watch
The Hindu
28-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Manhattan's progressive man
In a stunning political upset that has caught the eye of political observers and could potentially upend the Democratic Party in the U.S., a new progressive star has emerged: Zohran Kwame Mamdani, the presumptive winner of the New York City mayoral primary. For an Indian progressive uninitiated in American politics, the name Zohran Kwame Mamdani will invoke references to two familiar figures. The 33-year-old is the son of noted postcolonial theorist and academic Mahmood Mamdani, who has written extensively on the legacy of colonialism in Africa, and acclaimed film director Mira Nair. His middle name is, of course, a reference to Kwame Nkrumah, the Ghanaian Pan-Africanist revolutionary leader. But now the younger Mamdani has become a name to be reckoned with on his own accord. By defeating a formidable establishment figure — former Governor Andrew Cuomo — in the New York City mayoral Democratic primary race, Mr. Mamdani has catalysed sharp discourse within the fractured and soul-searching Democratic Party, still reeling from stinging defeats in the presidential and Congressional races in 2024 that heralded the Trump 2.0 era. New York is largely a Democratic stronghold, and the winner of the primary typically goes on to win the mayoral race. In the November Mayoral election, Mr. Mamdani will take on the incumbent, the unpopular Eric Adams, who is expected to run as an independent. Mr. Mamdani's political career is relatively short — he was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020. In the State capital of Albany, he joined a small group of lawmakers affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a progressive and socialist organisation that was formed in 1982 but truly took flight during Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign in 2016. Since then, it has emerged as a major leftist pressure group operating both within and outside the Democratic Party. Mr. Mamdani's victory is reminiscent of a similar triumph in New York when Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (fondly known as AOC) won a Congressional election in the city's 14th district in 2018. While Mr. Mamdani's legislative record is relatively modest in terms of Bills passed, his colleagues acknowledge that his work helped shift the Assembly's ideological emphasis to the left. If elected, Mr. Mamdani would be the city's youngest Mayor since 1917 and the first Muslim to hold the post. Mr. Mamdani's victory was no mean feat. He had to overcome the challenge posed by a candidate with extensive political experience — former two-term New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo. Mr. Cuomo has deep establishment ties and was endorsed by multi-billionaire Michael Bloomberg and former U.S. President Bill Clinton, among others. He was also backed by a super Political Action Committee that raised $25 million to bankroll his candidacy. The fact that Mr. Cuomo had resigned from his gubernatorial duties a few years ago after being embroiled in sexual harassment cases did not deter him from attempting to obscure this record while running a conventional campaign that featured attack ads targeting Mr. Mamdani's identity and views. Grassroots mobilisation Mr. Mamdani overcame these challenges by relying on massive grassroots mobilisation — reportedly 50,000 volunteers organised by the DSA's New York Chapter conducted a door-to-door campaign that reached an astounding 1.5 million doors. Focusing on one key issue — 'affordability' in New York's high-cost economy — Mr. Mamdani pledged to address this through a series of concrete measures. These included freezing rents for nearly a million New Yorkers in rent-stabilised apartments, providing free city buses (based on a pilot programme he had helped start as a lawmaker), creating city-owned grocery stores that would keep food costs low by buying wholesale and operating on city land, and providing childcare for infants and toddlers. The focus on livelihood-based 'bread-and-butter economic issues' helped his campaign build a broad coalition of support, including in neighbourhoods that were won by Donald Trump in the 2024 elections. Notably, Mr. Mamdani's message was tailored to redirect working-class frustration away from the Right's targets — immigrants and marginalised groups — toward a different culprit: billionaires. The endorsements by the doyen of the American democratic Left, Bernie Sanders, and its key public figure, AOC, also bolstered his candidacy. Interestingly, Mr. Mamdani managed to register a strong win while unapologetically taking a pro-Palestine position, accusing Israel of committing 'apartheid and genocide in Gaza', supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and openly embracing his Muslim identity. This stood in sharp contrast to the Democratic Presidential campaign in 2024, where candidate Kamala Harris tacked to the right of centre, refused to halt arms sales to Israel, and did not allow a Palestinian voice to speak at the Democratic Convention. In many ways, Mr. Mamdani's campaign — focused on welfare issues while celebrating his identity as the son of immigrant parents and a practising Muslim — represented everything the Trump administration has demonised during its current tenure. Seen in this light, Mr. Mamdani's victory could possibly be the biggest win for the democratic socialist movement that has taken root in U.S. cities since Mr. Sanders's national campaign. It offers a boost to a demoralised American Left caught between the right-wing populism of Mr. Trump (which has attracted segments of the traditional working class) and what critics see as the vapid centrism of the Democratic Party establishment that refuses to change course, particularly on foreign policy. Inevitably, the question arises: Is Mr. Mamdani's win a blueprint for future success for the beleaguered Democratic Party? His campaign — combining modern social media tools with traditional door-to-door campaigning — managed to generate broad support across a sprawling urban metropolis, offering lessons for other Democratic mobilisations in similar environments across the U.S. A freewheeling, accessible style is clearly a more effective approach than the carefully scripted strategy that cost Democrats in 2024. Road ahead Yet, challenges remain. Republicans are already working to brand Mr. Mamdani as the radical face of the Democratic Party, while the media establishment that supports the GOP has sought to use his identity to tarnish his record, with one Republican Congress representative's fundraising appeal branding him as a 'Hamas Terrorist sympathiser'. His brand of democratic socialism may indeed prove a difficult sell in the small towns and red bastions of middle America. Ultimately, Mr. Mamdani's victory may be less a simple blueprint to be copied and more a mirror held up to the Democratic Party. It has forced a reckoning, proving that a campaign centred on economic justice and unapologetic principles can generate a powerful movement. The question for party leadership is not whether they can perfectly replicate a New York City race, but whether they are willing to embrace the grassroots energy, class-based populism, and bold vision that this stunning victory represents. The future of the party may well depend on their answer.
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Business Standard
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Zohran Mamdani's NYC mayoral win draws sharp political reactions in India
Zohran Kwame Mamdani's victory in the Democratic primary race for New York City mayor has evoked sharp reactions in India. In a post on X, Congress Rajya Sabha member Abhishek Singhvi said: 'When Zohran Mamdani opens his mouth, Pakistan's PR team takes the day off. India doesn't need enemies with 'allies' like him shouting fiction from New York.' Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha member Kangana Ranaut also reacted on X, appending a video clip of Mamdani participating in a protest against the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on 'the ruins of Babri Masjid', and insinuated that he is anti-Hindu. 'He sounds more Pakistani than Indian,' she said. In the past, Mamdani has criticised the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat. More recently, he said he would not share a stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, drawing a parallel between Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A senior Sangh Parivar leader, who handles diaspora outreach, described Mamdani as having close ties with the Pakistani diaspora in the US and as someone known to take anti-India positions. During Mamdani's election campaign, the India Impact Fund—an organisation that promotes the participation of South Asian Americans in US politics—supported him. Other groups, such as 'Indian Americans for Cuomo' (supporting his rival Andrew Cuomo) and the 'American Hindu Coalition', opposed him.
