A 33-year-old former rapper and New York state assemblyman, Zohran Mamdani, is about to “make it there” as the next Mayor of NYC.

“If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere,” crooned Frank Sinatra about the largest city in America, New York City.

Now, a 33-year-old New York state assemblyman, Zohran Mamdani, is about to “make it there” as the next mayor of NYC.

Mamdani, born in Africa of Indian parents, was the rapper Young Cardeman before his transition to politics. Mamdani identifies as a “Democratic Socialist” like Bernie Sanders and AOC, and he won the Democrat mayoral primary by trouncing former NY Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Mamdani has caused quite a stir with his proposed plans for the The Big Apple. Mamdani promises free bus fare, public child care, city-owned grocery stores, rent freeze, a $30 minimum wage, tax increase and a host of other platform planks and promises which has many labeling the candidate a Communist.

The candidate has also called for the arrest of Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu as a war criminal if he ever so much as sets foot in the city with the world’s largest Jewish population.

Most would agree that communism is the antithesis of American capitalism, free enterprise, and individual liberty, and that Marxist theories have not panned out so well for most citizens in places like the Soviet Union, North Korea, and Cuba. NYC is considered the business/capitalist capital of the world.

Communism in the capitalist capital of the world seems a strange coupling indeed. And yet the polls show Mamdani with a comfortable lead in the race for mayor of Manhattan and all the other boroughs, and now he has the endorsement of NY’s governor, Kathy Hochul.

Reportedly, some NYC business interests have raised $20 million to fund a push to keep “Young Cardeman” out of City Hall. President Trump — a former New Yorker — has spoken of the disaster to come for NYC if Mamdani wins the election. Conservative commentators have warned of the catastrophic consequences of Mamdani’s brand of communism and even some democrats are hesitant to jump on the “Free Ride Subway” — last stop Mayor Mamdani.

But maybe Mayor Mamdani wouldn’t be so bad.

If Mamdani as mayor is really such a catastrophe for capitalism why wouldn’t the world’s largest collection of capitalists take more aggressive steps to prevent the attack on their multi-billion-dollar profits?

If Mamdani would really bring down capitalism and the American dream in the city that never sleeps, it seems that the richest, most powerful business people in the world could come up with more than a paltry $20 million to quash the coming crisis.

In Ohio, in 2024, more than $400 million was spent on one senate race. Ohio has Goodyear Rubber and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. NYC has J.P. Morgan, Chase, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Verizon, TrumpTower and Wall Street.

Maybe the NYC captains of industry aren’t really that worried about a Mayor Mamdani. A former resident of Cuba in an interview on FOX described communism as another word for corruption. There are billionaires in Russia and China.

If the NY rich and powerful are really intent on Mamdani joining Kamala Harris in the scrap heap of political losers, they could and should undertake a more drastic course of action.

What if the capitalists, the wealthy, the iconic NY institutions, the Jewish population, even the Yankees vow to pull a Rosie O’Donnell pack up and leave NYC unless the rapper-turned-politician is defeated?

They could all move to Florida, Texas or even help us diversify our economy right here in Nevada.

After all, they made it in NY. They could make it anywhere.

Philip S. Bovee is an attorney and writer who has lived in Pahrump since 2023.