HERE is the opening paragraph of my last Tuesday column. “The true test of character is when you can walk into an arena knowing that the arena belongs to your opponent, but you say to yourself, ‘I am made of stern stuff, and you can go into his space and take him on. When a politician has that temperament, then he/she has leadership qualities.”
No columnist should ever finish his/her career without a commentary on the phenomenal genius of an American politician named Zohran Mamdani and what he had done in the United States. At a deep, psychic level, perhaps all Americans believe that New York is the USA and the USA is New York. The Governor of New York and the Mayor of New York City are strategically placed politicians in the entire United States simply because of the importance of New York to the sociological existence of the USA.
I would rank Mamdani’s victory as Mayor of New York City as the most incredible political occurrence in the US after the Civil War. Mamdani’s victory makes Obama’s acquisition of the US presidency look like a banal, ordinary achievement. Incidentally, Mamdani was no admirer of Obama. He referred to him as a liar and “pretty darn evil.”
The difference between Obama’s presidential success and Mamdani’s victory are like tar and milk. First, Obama was the favoured candidate of the Jewish lobby and Wall Street. Secondly, Obama was a proclaimed Christian. Thirdly, Obama was backed by the billionaires of the United States. And fourthly, he was trusted by the military/industrial complex and the deep state as someone who will continue the status quo.
It is in the contrast with Obama, you see the genius of Mamdani. First, he is a practising Muslim in a country where there is enormous pressure on mainstream Muslim politicians. Secondly, in a country where you can lose everything in life if you denounce Israel or show sympathy for Palestine, Mamdani is an avowed supporter of the Palestinian people in Gaza. Fourthly, Mamdani has publicly proclaimed his ideology as democratic socialism.
This is where his phenomenal accomplishment lies. Nowhere on Planet Earth is unbridled capitalism more pronounced than in New York City, and Mamdani has endorsed socialist economics in his campaign. Interestingly, in his victory speech, he quoted the famous American socialist Eugene Debs.
Fifthly, Mamdani ran for one of the most important political positions in the American system against hostile reactions from the White House, Republicans in the US House of Representatives, and Republicans in the Senate. The White House has threatened retaliations if he wins. Here is what he said in his victory speech: “Against all odds, we have grasped it”. Obama did not run against all odds. To conclude with the comparison, Obama’s victory was easy pickings compared to Mamdani’s.
Here is a most important thing to note about the regressive nature of Barack Obama. Three important elections were being watched around the world because of their implications for President Trump’s continued direction. The governor’s races in two states –Virginia and New Jersey—and the mayoral contest in New York City. Obama campaigned for the two Democratic contenders in the governor’s race but not for Mamdani.
Around the world, his victory is being hailed as incredible, and he is seen as an international hero. There is only one explanation for that. This politician demonstrated incredible courage of conviction in a country where people criticise President Trump with trepidation.
He demonstrated unbelievable self-confidence when he told the entire American people that Israel is a rogue nation. In today’s US, a politician running for one of the most strategic positions in the American system simply cannot say positive things about the Palestinians and negative things about Israel and win. Most analysts would probably agree that Mamdani did the impossible.
It is interesting to see how his relationship with the Governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, pans out. In the Labour Day parade, Ms. Hochul did not want to be seen too close to Bernie Sanders and Mamdani. Hochul, during the genocidal war waged by Israel against the Palestinians, suggested that Israel should bomb Gaza out of existence.
Zohran Mamdani is a fresh, scented breeze that has flown in through the windows of the world. His almost impossible victory should give hope to others who want to emulate him to stick to what they believe in and not to recede from what they are made of. Remember what Martin Luther King said: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Good Mr. Mamdani, the world embraces you!
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.