Zohran Mamdani waves to a crowd of supporters at his inauguration on Jan. 1, 2026. Courtesy | New York City Government

Rugged individualism may have its pitfalls, but collectivism is not compassion. 

When New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani affirmed his intent to carry out campaign promises on affordability, child care, and a rent freeze, one promise in particular stood out.

“We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism,” Mamdani said in his Jan. 1 inaugural address. “If our campaign demonstrated that the people of New York yearn for solidarity, then let this government foster it.” 

For the opening shot of an administration built on the promises of progress and compassion, Mamdani could not have picked an ideology more averse to those ends. While he uses governmental collectivism almost as a synonym for compassion and social cohesion, collectivism is, above all, a dangerous ideology that has resulted in more than 100 million deaths in the past century. New Yorkers — and all Americans — ought to reject it as a remedy for modern-day problems and political frustration. 

Since Mamdani’s mention of collectivism was only a single buzzword in a 24-minute-long speech, this may seem like a non-issue. In fact, it may even seem on-brand for Mamdani: a bold, self-proclaimed democratic socialist who isn’t afraid to step on toes and flaunt an anti-establishment persona.

Whether Mamdani knows it or not, collectivism signifies more than an alternative to capitalist greed and poverty. 

One of the first traces of collectivism in Western civilization appeared in Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s 1762 work, “The Social Contract,” in which he argued that individuals ought to surrender some freedoms in favor of the general will of the people. 

The idea could almost pass as harmless. Collectivism itself — especially in Marxist socialism and communism — even seems to promise a more progressive and compassionate society, as Mamdani also does.

But when taken to an extreme, the ideology justifies radical democracy and collective decision-making by removing individuals’ rights through governmental force.

Collectivism has always been taken to this extreme. 

Rousseau did not advocate violent revolution. Nonetheless, nearly a decade after his death, the French Revolution began in 1789, culminating in the Reign of Terror — a collectivist uprising that saw churches destroyed, thousands killed, and free speech thoroughly suppressed.

In the 20th century, the Soviet Union, fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, and communist China contributed to millions of deaths. Even in recent years, collectivist regimes in Cuba, North Korea, and Venezuela have proven to be nothing short of disastrous for their people. 

Many of these regimes promised compassion, progress, and even better lives for their people. But in the end, they were about none of those things — they were about control. 

No matter how attractive it may seem when presented in a savvy social media campaign or by a charismatic mayor, collectivism has only devastated every nation in which it has been attempted. Mamdani’s attempt to invoke collectivism while ignoring its obvious history will fail. As the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board put it, “He can almost make socialism sound appealing if you missed the last century, which as it happens he did.” 

This is not to fearmonger about Mamdani’s administration or even to dismiss the authentic concerns about issues like the cost of living in New York City. Mamdani is correct that New Yorkers need affordability — something I wish conservative politicians even pretended to care about. New Yorkers also need compassion. Many immigrants, who make up roughly one-third of the city’s population, need the American dream they came to our country for. 

But Mamdani shouldn’t pretend that turning a blind eye to some of the most crucial historical lessons of the past century will solve these present-day problems. Collectivism has been tried, tested, and found wanting — not in theory, but in human cost. 

By any means, Mamdani won’t be the next Lenin. But New Yorkers deserve solutions rooted in reality, not amnesia. 

Elijah Guevara is a sophomore studying history.