Socialism in New York City: From Hustle to Handouts

New York used to be the city of hustle. If you wanted to make it in America, you got on a bus, showed up in Manhattan, and worked your tail off. It was a city that rewarded grit, not pity. And if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. That’s why the rise of socialism in New York City feels like betrayal. Instead of celebrating ambition, politicians are selling government dependency as the new way forward.

Now the city is becoming the capital of socialist cosplay. Politicians like Zohran Mamdani and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez aren’t selling opportunity; they’re selling dependency. They wrap the same old failed socialism in hashtags, latte foam, and TikTok clips. It’s not a movement. It’s marketing.

In the United States, scientific socialism was adopted by the Progressive movement. President Woodrow Wilson, although he never formally referred to himself as a socialist, and jailed Socialist Party presidential candidate Eugene Debs, embraced the ideology.

After the Progressive movement lost its luster, socialism has continued to resurface in the United States under a variety of iterations and names. It has had its ups and downs; its ebbs and flows.

However, over the past decade or so, socialism has come back with a vengeance in the United States. In 2016, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced the oxymoronic term “democratic socialism” into the political lexicon.

Since then, nouveau socialists like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) have made New York ground zero for the development and rise of democratic socialism. AOC makes socialism seem so empathetic and in line with democratic principles. She is superb at spouting socialist slogans. – RedState

Why Young People Fall for Socialism in New York City

Young people aren’t buying socialism because they’ve read Marx. They’re buying it because life has gotten brutally expensive. Rent is insane. College saddled them with debt. Paychecks vanish into taxes and overpriced groceries before the month is even half over. They’ve been told, “Work hard and you’ll get ahead,” but when they do, they’re still broke. The ones that do work anyway. The ones we haven’t lost yet.

That frustration makes free everything sound like salvation. Free housing, free health care, free groceries, I mean who wouldn’t want that when you’re staring at an empty checking account? The pain is real, but the promise is fake. Socialism doesn’t fix the cost-of-living crisis. It just replaces landlords with bureaucrats and bills with rations.

Socialism with glitter: New York City’s Mamdani momentum.

Tea Leaves Warning: Zohran Mamdani soars to record highs on Polymarket — 82% chance he’s New York City’s next Mayor.

How on earth did we get here?

Many Americans want to know how we reached a point where… pic.twitter.com/SDuSZ0L5Xz

— Tosca Austen (@ToscaAusten) August 13, 2025

Socialism in New York City Is Packaged as Lifestyle Branding

This isn’t breadline socialism. This is avocado-toast socialism. It’s polished, ironic, and Instagram-ready. It plays well in campus auditoriums and Brooklyn coffee shops. “From each according to his ability” sounds deep until you realize what it means: the guy working doubles pays for the guy still “finding himself” at 30.

It’s not a revolution. It’s a hobby for privileged activists who never missed a meal but love the idea of playing underdog.

New York’s Real DNA

New York didn’t rise because of government-run groceries. It grew because people chased dreams, opened shops, and built the skyline out of ambition. Every block tells a story of hustle, not handouts.

Now the socialist pitch is to replace that legacy with city-run everything. Look at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the agency that runs New York’s subways and buses; it’s already a disaster. Billions wasted, filthy stations, broken escalators, and trains that don’t show up on time. Or take the New York City Housing Authority projects, where crime is rampant and buildings rot with mold while taxpayers keep footing the bill.

But sure, let’s trust these same people to run grocery stores and corner shops. If you like broken elevators and train delays, you’ll love city-run supermarkets.

via GIPHY

 The Working Class Knows Better

The working class isn’t cheering. The Uber driver grinding until 3 a.m. doesn’t want socialism. The deli owner in Queens doesn’t want socialism. The people who actually keep the city running don’t want it either. They want stability, safety, and the ability to keep what they earn.

The applause is coming from people who’ve never had to juggle a real budget. College kids, nonprofit staffers, and influencers. Socialism is the easiest thing to sell when your rent is still covered by Mom and Dad.

Since then, nouveau socialists like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) have made New York ground zero for the development and rise of democratic socialism. AOC makes socialism seem so empathetic and in line with democratic principles. She is superb at spouting socialist slogans.

Make no mistake, as of now, socialism has gained a foothold among the left in New York City. Ironic, isn’t it? After all, Columbia University played a vital role in spreading Marxist philosophy throughout America’s institutions of higher learning nearly a century ago.

[…]

The point is that most Americans, especially downtrodden and working-class Americans, still reject socialism. They know it sounds good, but does not work. Some of these people have even come to the United States to escape their poverty-ridden socialist homeland.

Socialism may be gaining ground among rich, college-educated, white liberals in places like New York City, but I doubt it will ultimately resonate among the millions of hardworking, freedom-loving Americans in the so-called fly-over states. – RedState

Socialism Eats Its Own

And even when it wins, socialism always eats itself. Today’s radical is tomorrow’s sellout. It’s a purity contest that ends in collapse, finger-pointing, and more misery for the people who trusted the promises. New York’s socialist clique won’t be any different.

Meanwhile, families will continue to pack U-Hauls, businesses will remain shuttered, and the so-called greatest city in the world will continue to bleed out.

Don’t Let the Cosplay Spread

The danger is not just in New York. Socialists aim to make it a model for the rest of the country. What happens there seeps into city councils and statehouses everywhere else.

And that’s why calling it out matters. Because socialism is like mold, you don’t notice it until it’s everywhere, and then it’s already rotting the foundation.

Conclusion: Grit or Grifters

New York deserves better than hashtag radicals and latte Marxists. It deserves leaders who respect its history of grit and ambition. Socialism doesn’t make the city stronger. It makes it weaker, softer, and dependent. Sadly, I’m afraid they are going to find this out the hard way eventually.

The real choice for New Yorkers is simple: do you want a city of hustlers, or a city of grifters?

Feature Image: Bingjiefu He, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons/edited in Canva Pro

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