'This Is Socialism' Propaganda Is Ridiculous

Governor of Minnesota says the quiet part out loud.

“Don’t ever shy away from our progressive values. One person's socialism is another person's neighborliness.”

Gov. Tim Walz made the comments during the ‘White Dudes for Harris’ fundraiser. pic.twitter.com/FfQWRF9n4b

— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) July 30, 2024

Zohran Mamdani is touting his failure to destroy New York in six months as proof that socialism works, as if the city not immediately collapsing into a pile of rubble is proof that Karl Marx was a genius. Mamdani's acolytes are smiling into the camera and claiming that the mere existence of government itself is socialist. 

Melat Kiros: “We have socialism already. It’s in the roads we drive on, the schools we send our kids to, the fire stations we call upon. I’m just asking that we extend that security to our healthcare, to our housing, to our nutritional food, to our higher education so that we’re… pic.twitter.com/FmmWqWzLsR

— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) June 28, 2026

Melat Kiros: “We have socialism already. It’s in the roads we drive on, the schools we send our kids to, the fire stations we call upon. I’m just asking that we extend that security to our healthcare, to our housing, to our nutritional food, to our higher education so that we’re actually meeting the basic needs of everyday working families in this country”

The effort, to those who know better, is ridiculous. But then again, Kaitlin Collins and a whole host of Pravda Media folks keep insisting that Democratic Socialism is totally normal and has nothing to do with Marxism. PolitiFact famously insisted that it was totally false that Mamdani himself was a Marxist, despite his quoting Marx all the time and bragging that he intended to "seize the means of production" and turn apartment buildings into city-owned collectives. 

He has already started that project, by the way. 

DSA: "We're democratic socialists. That's different from communists."

Also DSA website: "Marx Marx Marx Marx Marx Engels Marxism Marx Marx!!!!" pic.twitter.com/UA8Bk9EHH0

— Phil Magness (@PhilWMagness) July 12, 2026

As part of this effort to blur the line between socialism and a capitalist economy with limited government, there are "influencers" out there making the case by showcasing "government that works." 

Now I don't want to say that there are NO cases of government working, but let's just say that they are fewer and farther apart than we would like, and that many of the examples trotted out are more than a bit questionable.

Like this one. 

Another terrifying day in Socialist, Communist Mamdanistan apparently!
Bryant Park, New York City pic.twitter.com/vojKlTeFV6

— NYC Photographer (@NYCkopp) July 12, 2026

By happenstance, I happen to know something about Bryant Park, despite never having been there. And there is only one reason I do: it is a prime example of how superior private ownership and management are to government services. 

Bryant Park, you see, was privatized after government officials were persuaded that they had to try something new to revitalize the only green space in Midtown Manhattan, which had become a crime-infested dump that no sane person would want to visit unless they were desperate to get a heroin fix. 

The Rockefellers hired Dan Biederman to find a way to clean up the park, and he came up with a plan to develop a private business coalition to invest in the park and the surrounding area, turning it into a little slice of heaven where New Yorkers flock to enjoy a bit of culture and relax in the concrete jungle that surrounds them. 

It went from being a dangerous place to avoid at all costs into a gathering place with businesses, cultural events, clean restrooms, restaurants, and lots of other amenities. It's revival also helped with the revival of the entire area, and sparked interest from other places around the country in how things can be different. 

Thousands of new jobs were created as businesses flocked to the area, and real estate prices skyrocketed. 

There is no charge to enter the park. Most people don't even know that the park is privately run, because they can enjoy it as is. It is funded by local businesses who benefit from increased traffic and quality of life. After the park was renovated, a real-estate boom followed. 

It is an example of a virtuous circle, and a reminder of why major urban areas invested in parks as they grew: they are good for everybody. 

Liberals who know about it, though, hate the idea that it is private. Better that a park be government-run and suck than have private businesses run it at a profit, either direct or indirect. 

The success of Bryant Park reminds of Donald Trump taking over the renovation of the Central Park's Wollman skating rink. After the city botched the renovation of the rink, Trump took the project over and finished it in record time. While it was not privatized, taking the project out of city hands made its completion possible. 

The claim that Bryant Park is an example of socialism at work is a variation on the "stolen valor" theme—glomming on to the success of others in order to claim glory for yourself. Which, come to think of it, is another Tim Walz-type move, with a bit of Graham Platner thrown in.