Source: The Peaceful Revolutionist
by David S D’Amato
“Class analysis is unsettling to many Americans because if it is true, then the wealth and political power of elites comes into question; we begin to see the means of extraction, and these means don’t look like the concepts in political and moral philosophy. It is almost like the philosophers were looking for after-the-fact ways to paper over what ruling classes had in fact done. This is why we must insist that the observable facts are more important than philosophical abstractions.” (11/07/25)
“After the terror attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, I watched in disbelief as the world elevated the perpetrators and ignored the victims. Overnight, terrorism became something to excuse rather than condemn. The moral protections we assumed were universal, no longer applied to Jews. Outside my New York City home, protests erupted with vandalism, violence, threats and intimidation. Demonstrators acted with striking confidence, as if a new permission structure had been activated in which boundaries no longer existed. During that time, I helped expose university professor Amin Husain who said that Hamas was not a terrorist group and that reports of Oct. 7 atrocities were ‘not true’. He boasted openly about his reputation as an antisemite and his students laughed. In that moment, it became clear to me that someone was rewiring how a generation perceives morality, conflict and identity, shaping belief, weaponizing language and re-engineering society.” (11/08/25)
“Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral victory in New York City is a triumph of moral barbarism, economic illiteracy, illogic, and just plain envy. Mamdani’s campaign had a double pitch: billionaires should not exist, and ‘the people’ deserve free stuff.” (11/07/25)
“The openly Marxist, openly divisive and openly fraudulent Zohran Mamdani is the new Mayor of New York City, elected with 52% of the vote in a city formerly considered the crown jewel of America, and arguably the most important city worldwide of the past 200 years. During Mamdani’s victory speech, he spoke words that held true to his Marxist vision, and that should send chills down the spine of any student of history, or any keen observer of our modern world. ‘We will prove that there is no problem too large for government to solve, and no concern too small for it to care about.’ Of course, every aspect of society, personal choice, foreign intervention, economics, etc., etc., that the government takes an interest in ‘solving’ inevitably results in hardship, stifling regulation, spiraling costs and shortages.” (11/07/25)
“On Tuesday night, New Yorkers elected Zohran Mamdani to be our 111th Mayor — our first immigrant mayor in generations, and the first Muslim mayor in our city’s history. ‘In this moment of political darkness,’ Zohran said on Election Night, ’New York will be the light.’ He lit the match — but it’s on all of us to make it shine brightly. Zohran ran an inspired and inspiring campaign that came out of nowhere and stunned people with its momentum. … Voters were compelled by his laser focus on affordability. And they were inspired by his vision of a city where everyone belongs, where the full diversity of New Yorkers can live in dignity, instead of constant struggle. Andrew Cuomo, on the other hand, ran a sour, selfish, fear-mongering campaign, which exacerbated tensions and divisions in New York City.” (11/07/25)
Source: Cato Institute
by Ryan Bourne & Nathan Miller
“In reaction to Mamdani’s success, some Republicans want to carve out their own affordability policy offer. Tyler Cowen has a good piece in The Free Press that warns about the consequences of both parties rushing headlong into fighting on this ‘affordability politics’ front. He is right, not least because the context has changed since I advocated for just such a focus. We’ve just lived through the sharpest burst of inflation since 1981, and inflation is still above target. Groceries (food-at-home) prices are up 30 percent since January 2020, having previously taken sixteen years to increase by that proportion. The pre-inflation price level is still recent enough that people remember how sharply prices have risen and hanker for those good ol’ days at the old price level.” (11/07/25)
“At September’s televised memorial service for Charlie Kirk, President Donald Trump commented on the conservative commentator’s character, saying, ‘He did not hate his opponents; he wanted the best for them.’ He then added, ‘That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponents. And I don’t want the best for them.’ Like too much of the political class across the ideological spectrum, Trump is prone to despising those he disagrees with. It raises questions about why people should ever submit to the governance of those who hate them — and whether politicians realize they’re a big part of what brought us to this unfortunate moment.” (for publication 12/25)
“In the spirit of American democracy and federalism, New Yorkers are now going all in on socialism — choosing to leave behind more traditional Democrats who signal at least some allegiance to economic reality and free markets. Mamdani’s big win New York gives the Democratic Party an even stronger leftward shove, making socialism less a fringe ideal and more a governing philosophy. A common refrain among socialists is that socialism has never been properly tried or implemented — a convenient coping mechanism to dismiss the wreckage that socialist policies have caused throughout history. … Federalism offers New Yorkers a chance at another swing at the utopian dream, while limiting much of the damage to the city’s five boroughs. Yes, this will be an expensive civics lesson, but many Americans need another reminder of the ruins and rubble socialism leaves behind it.” (11/06/25)
“Thousands of flights will be canceled because the federal government is in a supposed ‘shutdown.’ Air traffic controllers are working without pay until that ‘shutdown’ gets resolved. As you might imagine, employees who aren’t getting paychecks become less reliable about showing up for work. Some of them quit. Others call in sick. Towers are short-staffed. … Now we’re reaching the point where there just aren’t enough controllers working to safely handle the 10 million commercial flights that take off and land each year at American airports. … There’s an easy long-term solution to this problem, and it doesn’t involve screaming at politicians to get their act together, pass a spending bill, and start paying all those air traffic controllers again. It’s time to take air traffic control away from the government, at least with respect to letting the Federal Aviation Administration serve as the controllers’ employer.” (11/06/25)
