Mamdani's "Warm Collective"

In his inauguration speech as New York City's mayor on January 1, 2026, Zohran Mamdani articulated a nightmare vision for governance rooted in the elevation of the "collective." He pledged to "govern expansively and audaciously," (which means controlling the collective) emphasizing policies aimed at solving all problems through his collective action.

Central to his address was a metaphorical contrast: "We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism."

This framing portrays individualism as cold and isolating, while collectivism is depicted as warm and unifying is historically false. This characterization reveals a complete misunderstanding of American individualism by Mamdani. Individualism is not as a source of temperature, but a foundational principle enshrined in the nation's founding documents, designed to protect the individual's pursuit of happiness and infinity of value. 

By elevating collectivism as inherently superior, Mamdani's rhetoric overlooks the atrocity-filled historical pitfalls of group-based identities, from tribal divisions to aristocratic hierarchies, and even modern instances of violence justified under collective banners.

American individualism, far from being "frigid," is rooted in the warmth of Enlightenment ideals that shaped the United States. The Declaration of Independence famously asserts that all individuals are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, including "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

This is not a call to isolation but a guarantee that government exists to secure these rights for every person, regardless of their background. The U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights further emphasize individual protections—freedom of speech, religion, and assembly—ensuring that no collective authority, whether state or societal, can infringe upon personal autonomy.

This framework was a deliberate rejection of the Old World's systems, where individuals were often frozen in class under feudal loyalties, monarchies, or religious hierarchies. The "pursuit of happiness" is inherently personal: it allows for self-determination, innovation, and mobility, fostering a society where merit and effort, not group identity, determine one's path.

Mamdani's depiction of "rugged individualism" as cold completey misses this warmth of empowerment; it is the fire of personal agency that has driven American progress, from entrepreneurial innovation to civil rights movements led by individuals like Martin Luther King Jr., who appealed to universal human dignity over group grievances.

In contrast, Mamdani's advocacy for the "warmth of collectivism" echoes historical systems where group identity supersedes the individual, often leading to exclusion and conflict. European aristocracy provides a stark example: for centuries, people's worth was determined by their birth into collectives—nobility, clergy, or peasantry.

Social mobility was rare, and judgments were made based on class affiliation rather than personal character or achievement. This collectivist structure bred inequality and resentment, culminating in revolutions like the French Revolution, which sought to dismantle such hierarchies in favor of individual rights.

Similarly, tribalism—a form of collectivism based on kinship or ethnic groups—has historically prioritized the collective's survival over individual freedoms, sometimes justifying violence against outsiders or dissenters within the group.

Mamdani seems ignorant of the history of collective identity. History shows that when collectivism becomes the dominant lens, it can devolve into "us versus them" dynamics, where the warmth of in-group loyalty turns cold toward those outside it.

It features sectarian divides, like the Sunni-Shia schism, which has led to centuries of conflict, from the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE to modern proxy wars in the Middle East. Even among fellow Muslims, intolerance has manifested in purges and persecutions, such as those against Sufis or Ahmadiyya communities deemed heretical by more orthodox groups.

In contemporary times, radical interpretations of Islam have justified horrific acts, including murders of innocents in terrorist attacks by groups like ISIS or Al-Qaeda, often in the name of defending the ummah (Muslim collective) against perceived threats. These examples illustrate that collectivism, when tied to religious or ideological identity, usualy breeds extremism rather than harmony.

The ultimate peril of judging individuals by their collective or worshipping collectivism over individualism is exemplified in the Holocaust, where Jews were dehumanized not as unique persons but as a monolithic group deemed unworthy. Mamdani himself is considered antisemitic and has no problem with the chant of "globalizing the intifada" - meaning to murder Jews around the world.  

Jews are one Mamdani "collective" he is not  willing to bring "warmth" to. 

The United States was founded in opposition to such thinking: the American experiment insists on evaluating and judging people as individuals, with equal protection under the law - including Jews. 

American society thrives when individualism is tempered with voluntary cooperation, not government mandated collectivism that risks suppressing personal freedoms. Government primary duty is to protect individual rights while facilitating communal efforts, not replace one with the other.

In conclusion, Mayor Mamdani's call to replace the "frigidity" of individualism with collectivist warmth, while poetically appealing, has historically proven to be a human relational disaster. From European aristocracies to religious sectarianism and genocides like the Holocaust, collectivism's "warmth" has too often masked division and violence.

The U.S. was built on recognizing the inherent worth of every individual, allowing for a pursuit of happiness that is personal yet interconnected. New York is going down a regressive path of tribalism and collective identificaton connected to government socialism that has exorably led to some of the worst human tragedies and failures in history.

Mamdani's path may very well lead to the "frigidity" of collectivsm and its dehumanization of unique individuals and quench the warm fires of American freedom, creativity and individual worth that made America what it is after 250 years. Nothing good will come from going backwards in time to ancient tribalism.