The Mamdani Experiment In Socialism

[steve_bank]

What about those wealthy democrats? Hollywood?

One other thing. Trump's propping up the coal industry while inhibiting solar a and wind is anti free market and anti competition. Selection is supposed to be made by market forces, not government.

 

[Patooka]

What about those wealthy democrats? Hollywood?

Well, what about them?

 

[steve_bank]

What about those wealthy democrats? Hollywood?

Well, what about them?

It is easy to tell them apart.

Wealthy on the right are dressed in black. Wealthy on the left wear shining armor and ride white horses.

My view from the center is they are both equally corrupt and exploitative.

Microsoft under Bill Gates was highly exploitative and predatory in its guest for profit and dominance. As greedy as any conservative arch villain. Gates was anti competitive suppressing completion.

The left and right are equally part of the economic problems.

 

[Elixir]

The left and right BILLIONAIRES are equally part of the economic problems.

FIFY Steve. This is getting tiresome.
You keep warning us that “the left” is going to do, intends to do, and will do
EVERY FUCKING STUPID TRAITOROUS THING THAT THE TRUMP REGIME IS DOING RIGHT NOW!
Da fuq is the matter? Mental retinopathy?

 

[laughing dog]

What about those wealthy democrats? Hollywood?

Well, what about them?

It is easy to tell them apart.

Wealthy on the right are dressed in black. Wealthy on the left wear shining armor and ride white horses.

My view from the center is they are both equally corrupt and exploitative.

Microsoft under Bill Gates was highly exploitative and predatory in its guest for profit and dominance. As greedy as any conservative arch villain. Gates was anti competitive suppressing completion.

The left and right are equally part of the economic problems.

Why would anyone think Bill Gates is part of “the left”?

 

[Derec]

For years I always thought the perfect economy would look like pure capitalism

19th century company towns? The 21st century equivalent would be Detroit in Robocop my dude.

Or maybe the Weyland-Yutani Corporation from the Alien franchise.

That said, I do not see how that's worse than an entire country being a "company town" for state-owned enterprises like in most versions of actually existing socialism.

 

[Derec]

From a 2025 report, yes, food deserts exist in New York City, particularly affecting low-income communities of color in the outer boroughs and upper Manhattan. An estimated 750,000 residents live in areas with limited supermarket access, while roughly 3 million live where fresh produce is scarce.

Again this 750k figure, like in that NY Times opinion piece from 2009. It's as if that unsourced figure gets passed down from author to author through time. You'd think the number would change either up or down in 16 years.
That CUNY pdf seems to be an undergrad assignment. It does not define terms. It also mentions that many New Yorkers only have bodegas nearby. First, even that is exaggerated, as I have shown above.
But, more fundamentally, in dense urban neighborhoods, there is limited space for full-service grocery stores. There is no reason why corner bodegas cannot sell fresh fruits or vegetables, if they sell in sufficient quantities to make it worthwhile.
There are also produce carts operating in NYC. You don't need a store with 10s of thousands of square feet of floor space to not have a food desert.

The other link has already been posted by Jimmy Higgins, and we already talked about how bonkers that site is.

 

[Derec]

So why are you snd your ilk having conniptions, if this won’t have an effect?

We aren't having "conniptions"; we are just pointing out that it's a bad idea economically, and that it is most likely just a publicity stunt.

 

[Derec]

As the wealth disparity grows and more working people who keep things going can not afford housing and food the system will fail.

My argument wasn't against taxing the rich more, but about the folly of wealth and unrealized gains taxation schemes that have unfortunately captured the imaginations of many who now cannot abide any plan that does not include this.

Food security is growing. Mamdan's approach is relatively pointless.

It's completely pointless. More targeted programs, like I already mentioned, would offer far more benefit at a lower price tag.

Inn a sense every working person in the country helps Musk to make his money.

I guess given that the US government is a Space X client, we kind of do through our taxes. But that is true for every company that sells goods or provides services for the feds. Which is a lot of American companies.

 

[Patooka]

What about those wealthy democrats? Hollywood?

Well, what about them?

It is easy to tell them apart.

Wealthy on the right are dressed in black. Wealthy on the left wear shining armor and ride white horses.

My view from the center is they are both equally corrupt and exploitative.

Microsoft under Bill Gates was highly exploitative and predatory in its guest for profit and dominance. As greedy as any conservative arch villain. Gates was anti competitive suppressing completion.

The left and right are equally part of the economic problems.

If you think "Hollywood" is just as bad and destructive as the Heritage Foundation, the Mercer family, the Koch brother(s) or Elon Musk you aren't viewing from the centre. You're viewing from an insane asylum. "Both sides" is a pathetic argument for either a)people making bad faith assertions or b)idiots who haven't been paying attention over the last decade and still think it's the 80s or something.

 

[Derec]

If you think "Hollywood" is just as bad and destructive as the Heritage Foundation, the Mercer family, the Koch brother(s) or Elon Musk you aren't viewing from the centre.

To reduce the left-wing ecosystem to just "Hollywood" is simplistic. Also, I never understood the hatred for the Kochs. Not too familiar with the Mercers. But the Left has its own billionaires, most prominently Soros and Steyer.

You're viewing from an insane asylum. "Both sides" is a pathetic argument for either a)people making bad faith assertions or b)idiots who haven't been paying attention over the last decade and still think it's the 80s or something.

On the contrary, it is becoming more relevant than ever with the rise of DSA nutjobs. Even most toxic of DSA candidates like Adam Hamawy and Avila Chevalier are gaining nominations under the Democratic ballot line. A Democratic Party with a backbone would have excluded these people already.

 

[laughing dog]

So why are you snd your ilk having conniptions, if this won’t have an effect?

We aren't having "conniptions"; we are just pointing out that it's a bad idea economically, and that it is most likely just a publicity stunt.

Riiiight. It's a bad idea economically even though no one has any idea how it is going to operated or at what scale. Doesn't matter that it was a campaign promise and that the promiser was elected.

As I pointed out earlier, given the number of private competitors, it is hard to imagine it will have a large effect on those competitors, especially since it seems to be selling very low margin items. Depending on who is eligible to buy at promised discounts, it may help a relatively small segment of the population. And, it may be a gigantic snafu and fail spectacularly. It certainly doesn't merit the amount of teeth gnashing and fear I've seen in this thread.

 

[Patooka]

To reduce the left-wing ecosystem to just "Hollywood" is simplistic.

Tell that to Steve

Also, I never understood the hatred for the Kochs. Not too familiar with the Mercers. But the Left has its own billionaires, most prominently Soros and Steyer.

Ah yes. The George Soros boogey man.



I didn't realise I had to break this down into crayon form but okay;

Yes there are corrupt billionaires with leftists attitudes. They are very much in the minority of the billionaire class. Saying leftist billionaires cause as much damage as rightists billionaires is like saying jaywalking is the same as murder because they are both crimes.

On the contrary, it is becoming more relevant than ever with the rise of DSA nutjobs. Even most toxic of DSA candidates like Adam Hamawy and Avila Chevalier are gaining nominations under the Democratic ballot line. A Democratic Party with a backbone would have excluded these people alread

I'm gonna be frank - you not liking them is probably one of the best endorsements I can think of with regards to these candidates.

 

[ZiprHead]

From a 2025 report, yes, food deserts exist in New York City, particularly affecting low-income communities of color in the outer boroughs and upper Manhattan. An estimated 750,000 residents live in areas with limited supermarket access, while roughly 3 million live where fresh produce is scarce.

Again this 750k figure, like in that NY Times opinion piece from 2009. It's as if that unsourced figure gets passed down from author to author through time. You'd think the number would change either up or down in 16 years.
That CUNY pdf seems to be an undergrad assignment. It does not define terms. It also mentions that many New Yorkers only have bodegas nearby. First, even that is exaggerated, as I have shown above.
But, more fundamentally, in dense urban neighborhoods, there is limited space for full-service grocery stores. There is no reason why corner bodegas cannot sell fresh fruits or vegetables, if they sell in sufficient quantities to make it worthwhile.
There are also produce carts operating in NYC. You don't need a store with 10s of thousands of square feet of floor space to not have a food desert.

The other link has already been posted by Jimmy Higgins, and we already talked about how bonkers that site is.

Speaking of unsourced.

You show one unsourced photograph. No clue of where the photo was taken. And this is your argument that there are no food deserts.

 

[ZiprHead]

To reduce the left-wing ecosystem to just "Hollywood" is simplistic. Also, I never understood the hatred for the Kochs. Not too familiar with the Mercers. But the Left has its own billionaires, most prominently Soros and Steyer.

Do Soros and Steyer hold sway over the government the way the Kochs, the Mercers, Bezos, Leonard Leo, Peter Theil, and Musk do?

 

[Patooka]

To reduce the left-wing ecosystem to just "Hollywood" is simplistic. Also, I never understood the hatred for the Kochs. Not too familiar with the Mercers. But the Left has its own billionaires, most prominently Soros and Steyer.

Do Soros and Steyer hold sway over the government the way the Kochs, the Mercers, Bezos, Leonard Leo, Peter Theil, and Musk do?

No they don't. This is a poor whataboutism from Derec.

 

[GenesisNemesis]

To reduce the left-wing ecosystem to just "Hollywood" is simplistic. Also, I never understood the hatred for the Kochs. Not too familiar with the Mercers. But the Left has its own billionaires, most prominently Soros and Steyer.

Do Soros and Steyer hold sway over the government the way the Kochs, the Mercers, Bezos, Leonard Leo, Peter Theil, and Musk do?

No they don't. This is a poor whataboutism from Derec.

The guy who famously doesn't do whataboutisms.

 

[bilby]

Speaking of unsourced.

You show one unsourced photograph. No clue of where the photo was taken.

No clue? It's clearly on the Q41 bus route, which a quick google tells me runs from Howard Beach to Jamaica, via Cross Bay Blvd and Rockaway Blvd.

 

[Derec]

Riiiight. It's a bad idea economically even though no one has any idea how it is going to operated or at what scale. Doesn't matter that it was a campaign promise and that the promiser was elected.

This lack of specificity is further evidence of just how unserious a figure Mamdani is.

But yes, I cannot conceive a version of this that would be a good idea economically. Either it's "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
signifying nothing" (but still costing plenty) if it remains at the five stores. Or alternatively it will be a much more expensive boondoggle which will cannibalize other grocery stores' business.

As I pointed out earlier, given the number of private competitors, it is hard to imagine it will have a large effect on those competitors, especially since it seems to be selling very low margin items.

Low margin means that private sellers will not be able to compete on price with the government-subsidized Mamdani Marts. Perhaps not a big problem if it's only five of them, but the same goes for any utility of them.
And as you pointed out earlier, and I expanded upon, there is a large number of grocery stores and bodegas in NYC. So many that the average distance between former is 600' and between latter 400'. Again, what need is there for the Mamdani Marts?

Depending on who is eligible to buy at promised discounts, it may help a relatively small segment of the population. And, it may be a gigantic snafu and fail spectacularly. It certainly doesn't merit the amount of teeth gnashing and fear I've seen in this thread.

I don't think he mentioned any eligibility restrictions. And this is Political Discussions. Critiquing what government officials say or do is what we do.

 

[Derec]

Ah yes. The George Soros boogey man.

Less a "boogey man", more a funder of far left causes.

By the way, is that poor quality video (not even a proper video capture, just somebody taking a video of a TV screen) from a fictional TV show supposed to be some kind of argument?

I didn't realise I had to break this down into crayon form but okay;

No, normal text will do just fine.

Yes there are corrupt billionaires with leftists attitudes. They are very much in the minority of the billionaire class. Saying leftist billionaires cause as much damage as rightists billionaires is like saying jaywalking is the same as murder because they are both crimes.

I did not say that they cause equal damage, I just made a point that your list was one sided.

I'm gonna be frank - you not liking them is probably one of the best endorsements I can think of with regards to these candidates.

And you liking them is a reason why nothing you say should be taken seriously by anyone.
Especially since you like them for a very petty reason and do not seem to have looked into their history or positions.