Winds of change in New York City

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Back in 1865, Lewis Carrol wrote Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland with the title character declaring that things were ‘curiouser and curiouser’ as she first entered his world of make-believe; that famous phrase perfectly encapsulates how ordinary folks view today’s global political scene.

We all live in scary and dangerous times with 30,000 pound bunker busting bombs flying around the world on B2 Stealth Bombers; with talk of “Regime Change for Iran” being suggested one day, and then being denied the next; with elected leaders of European countries behaving like children trying to impress their schoolteacher when the US leader drops in for a couple of hours of a scheduled NATO meeting. Such strange happenings that the average news-consumer needs a very well-constructed filter to separate fake news from factual; as we are force-fed confusing slants on truths, half-truths and speculations. Many media companies believe that everything happening in the world radiates from that Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, but if we consider who is sitting behind that desk, it all becomes a macabre form of entertainment.

Continuing on the entertainment theme, I don’t follow New York City politics closely, but there was a very unexpected turn of events in the “city that never sleeps” when the Democratic Party held a primary vote for mayoral elections. The lacklustre party had Andrew Cuomo as their front-runner, seemingly forgiven for sexual dalliances that caused his resignation as governor in 2021 in the midst of an impeachment investigation. He was touted as the only one who could handle President Trump in a time of perceived chaos.

Then a largely unknown State Assemblyman called Zorhan Mamdani launched an Internet campaign that put an end to Mr. Cuomo’s planned political resurrection, and easily defeated him in the polls. You couldn’t make this stuff up, although it sounds like something concocted in the world of professional wrestling, with Mr. Mamdani supported by the enigmatic Democratic Socialist tag-team of young Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and ageing senator Bernie Sanders. Interesting times lie ahead for this 33-year old Muslim of South-Asian heritage who supports Palestinians in Gaza, thrusting himself into the spotlight in a city with a Jewish population second only to Tel Aviv, as all eyes will soon focus on a probable regime change in New York City.

BERNIE SMITH

Parksville, BC

Canada