Capitalism, Socialism, and the New York Election

By Tzvi B

Every election season, people start throwing around big words like capitalism and socialism.
This year’s race between Mandoni and Cuomo is no different. Just this time, it is on steroids.
One side warns that the city is turning socialist and that our future could not be bleaker.
The other says, “Vote for me, I will save you. If not, you are doomed.”
But when I look around New York, I am not sure what either side is fighting for.

Because the truth is, we already live in a socialist society.

When Capitalism Actually Meant Competition

Once upon a time, capitalism meant a real free market.
People competed. The best ideas won.

There were no income taxes. Income tax was introduced in 1913.
There were no endless programs and no safety net.
People worked hard and took real risks, risks with consequences.
That was the only way to get ahead.

That is when the greatest inventions were born.
People were creating for the sake of progress, innovation, and ingenuity.

When the System Became the Business

But slowly, government spending grew, and working the system became a business of its own.
The smartest people realized they did not need to invent anything. They just had to learn how to bill the government.

And you cannot even blame them. Some might say that is actually capitalism.
Why spend years building a product that might fail, investing in ideas people might not like,
when you can earn the same income running a program that is one hundred percent funded and guaranteed to pay?

Let us break down some examples: ABA therapy, daycare vouchers, and housing subsidies.
They are all built around the same idea: the government pays, so you do not have to.

Developers and Daycares

Take a look at what is happening in the Bronx.
Developers are building like never before, but not because regular tenants are lining up.
It is because program tenants are guaranteed.
The government pays inflated rents on time, and everyone is happy.

That is not the free market.
That is a partnership between capitalism and socialism where the state carries the risk.

Or look at daycares.
Ever since vouchers came in, you cannot even find a private slot anymore.
Even parents who can pay are turned away.

Why? Because why should a daycare risk a private paying citizen who might fall on hard times and stop paying,
when government checks are guaranteed and often more inflated than what the free market would provide?

So maybe we should stop pretending we are fighting for a purely capitalist society.
If we are going to run half socialist programs, maybe make them universal and fair for everyone.

The Rent Freeze Argument

Then there is the rent freeze that Mandoni wants to introduce.
Some landlords say a rent freeze is socialism.
They claim there should be a free market and they should have the right to raise rents as much as they want.
And yes, our community is affected by this tremendously.

But those same landlords collect rent from tenants who get city vouchers or Section 8.
Take those programs away and watch how fast their tune changes.
They will turn socialist faster than you can say press conference.

Again, I am not arguing for one position over the other.
It is about being real, seeing things from a balanced perspective, and not getting swept up in the rhetoric from either side.

What Are We Even Debating?

So when I hear people panic about Mandoni being a socialist, I do not get it.
And when Cuomo tries to act like he is defending us from some economic terror about to hit,
I try to stay sane and think with a straight head.

New York has been running on social programs for decades.
Housing, childcare, education, healthcare, you name it.

The rich get their benefits through tax breaks and subsidies.
The poor get theirs through vouchers and programs.
Everyone is connected to the same machine, just on different ends of it.

The Real Issue

That is why this election does not feel as monumental as people make it sound.
We are being campaigned to as if our lives depend on it.
But what we have now is a hybrid city, capitalist in language and socialist in practice.

And maybe that is fine.
Maybe it is the only way a place like New York survives.
But let us at least be honest about it.

So no, Mandoni does not scare me.
Cuomo’s slogans do not impress me either.
The city’s path will continue just as it has for years.

The only question left is who is willing to admit what is actually going on
and who will keep pretending that voting for someone new will suddenly change everything.

P.S. You can save and copy this for the next election. See you in four years.

Lastly:
Remember, Hashem runs the world.
We are in His hands, and He will take care of us.