The Limitations of Reform: Why Zohran Won't Save Us
Mamdani getting chummy with fascist President Trump.
Amid the United States' rapid descent into overt fascism under the Trump Administration, the mayoral election of Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, was a point of hope for millions of Americans indicating that perhaps the rightwing slide could be halted. Zohran put together an impressive coalition of voters to win a decisive victory that was unimaginable to many just a year prior. His campaign seized upon the genuine enthusiasm of the NYC populace for leftist policies, including free city buses, rent freezes in rent-stabilized housing, universal child care, higher taxes on corporations and high earners, raising the minimum wage, and lowering the cost of groceries by implementing city-run grocery stores. If Zohran succeeds in pushing through the above policies, they may very well have a meaningful impact on the material conditions of New Yorkers. However, it is by no means guaranteed that any of these policies will be implemented, given the opposition that Zohran is up against and the broader capitalist system that he is now part of. Predictably, Zohran has already shown red flags and signs of capitulation.
While watching Israel commit genocide against the Palestinians for years with the support of Democratic and Republican administrations alike, Zohran initially seemed to oppose Zionism and support the Palestinian cause. Since winning the election, Zohran has backtracked in troubling ways, first announcing he would have Zionists in his administration, and then condemning language used by Pro-Palestine supporters protesting illegal land sales taking place at a New York synagogue. Similarly, he committed to working with the NYPD and apologized for past statements in which he [correctly] stated that the NYPD should be defunded, and that it is “racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety.” After the Trump administration illegally kidnapped Venezuelan President Maduro and paraded him through the streets of NYC like a trophy, Zohran has offered nothing more than a lukewarm condemnation of Trump. It is worth noting, as well, that Zohran previously parroted imperialist propaganda about Maduro, claiming that he had "done many a horrible thing" and that "Maduro's government was one of repression."
While many of these red flags could be written off as the type of political maneuvering required in order for Zohran to be able to lead NYC, this further illustrates how the capitalist system limits the possibilities of what can be achieved. As Comrade Rosa Luxemburg said:
"With the entry of a socialist into the government, and class domination continuing to exist, the bourgeois government doesn't transform itself into a socialist government, but a socialist transforms himself into a bourgeois minister."
Ultimately, the hope is that Zohran will be able to materially improve the lives of New Yorkers, but liberation will not come from Zohran or any candidate that operates within the capitalist system. Any reforms that are accomplished under capitalism can, and will, be rolled back in the future. The DNC will ignore any lessons that could be learned from Zohran's campaign because they are beholden to capitalist interests. Instead, the DNC will continue to sabotage any candidates to their left, and seek to divert the momentum that propelled Zohran into office right back into their party. We've seen this story play out repeatedly with Bernie, AOC, and other DSA politicians who are ultimately co-opted into the DNC and other existing power structures. Reforms won under capitalism will never dismantle capitalism. Proletarian revolution is the only path forward for working class liberation. Join a local revolutionary organization, specifically fighting for the interests of the poor and working class, abandon purely electoral politics and the Democratic party, get organized, and be prepared. Zohran will not save us. We, the working class, must save ourselves.