this post was submitted on 27 Oct 2025
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[–] Fermion@mander.xyz 119 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (3 children)

Billionaires still don't get that their fear and outrage is a ringing endorsement for someone like Mamdani. Every dollar they spend implies many more dollars available to be collected by the city. Their best strategy would have been utter indifference. I guess now we know who has a terrible poker face.

[–] obsoleteacct@lemmy.zip 55 points 3 days ago

"He's spending more money than that I would even tax him... Habibi, I don't even want that much" - Zorhan Mamdani on Bill Ackerman's efforts to buy the election.

[–] Aeao@lemmy.world 30 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

It gotten to the point every time a see a political add and it’s like

“Do you want puppies to be happy? Then vote yes on prop 106b to stop people from killing puppies with chainsaws”

So I go look it up and it’s like “106b passing would mean Elon musk can personally kick us in the balls every morning… I feel like that advertisement was a bit misleading… he nearly got me that time… why does he want to kick me in the balls so bad? It’s getting weird “

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 12 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

billionaires arent exactly known for thier subtlety, they are all narcissists that require sycophants to surround them.

[–] Mycatiskai@lemmy.ca 75 points 3 days ago (1 children)

This just shows how much they want to keep living and working in NYC. So he can raise their taxes to the same amount they would pay in New Jersey and they will stay, because they want to do business and go to Broadway shows.

Life for poor people might get slightly better. Rich people might not even notice 2% more taxes paid but the person serving them at a Michelin star restaurant might have a real smile on their face instead of a fake one.

[–] cassandrafatigue@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Fuck that. Kick them out. Tax them until they have to live like human beings if they want to stay in new york. If they're the enemy, and they are, he should treat them like it.

These scum should be punished for buying elections. And, you know; everything else they do.

[–] Mycatiskai@lemmy.ca 8 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Zohran shouldn't increase their taxes too much. If he can raise it this tiny unnoticeable amount and get lower rents, free busses, cheaper childcare, and lower food prices then it will show other cities and states what they can do with taxing these greedy assholes. Then in the next federal election cycle someone like him can come in and push for a bigger tax rise federally for these robber barons. Give them tax hikes or give them a one way trip to the guillotine basket, suddenly taxes won't seem like such a bother.

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[–] obsoleteacct@lemmy.zip 70 points 3 days ago (1 children)

The thing I think a lot of people miss when talking about how harshly billionaires oppose him, is that the billionaires are not afraid of a socialist, or a democratic socialist, or paying 2% more in taxes. Not just that anyway.

They are afraid of having elected officials they can't buy. If you're a billionaire, it doesn't matter if Cuomo, or Adams wins. You may have a preference, but you can "donate to" either of those guys. They'll take the money.

Taxes are nothing compared to the way they fear public support for ethical, economic-populism.

The irony is they could have gotten rid of him for a fraction of the cost, by donating to him and when asked about it after the fact saying they'd "come to an understanding" with his campaign. That would erode trust faster than all the racist mailers money can buy.

It is entirely about control to them and making everyone beneath them their bitch. If you could logically argue that for 1% of their networth they can turn the planet into a paradise and have a 100% approval rating among the entire world and people would be building statues of them and singing songs of praise centuries after they die they would still say no to that. Because everything has to be about them being in control and ordering everyone and everything.

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 39 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Lauder, a Republican, has long been a financial supporter of Cuomo. He is the president of the World Jewish Congress.

Those two sentences alone say a lot more about Cuomo, power brokering, and the inherent corruption at the heart of the system than the leadership of either major party wants you to know.

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[–] Binturong@lemmy.ca 32 points 2 days ago (4 children)

Amazing how they'll spend all that money to protect their comfort and exploitation but NOT just PAY THEIR TAXES at a reasonable rate?? They cannot see how this is a brain sickness and their money has made them disordered hoarders and a drain on society. People would like them if they just put the money back into the system that enabled them to extract it in the first place, but they don't understand the concept of enough. Frankly, they need to be saved from their money just as much as we need to be saved from their greed.

[–] Donkter@lemmy.world 16 points 2 days ago (2 children)

As Mamdani has said, some of them are literally spending more money than he would tax them which just shows how poisoned they are.

I had to read this six times before it would stick to my brain. I literally couldn't believe it on some deep, fundamental level.

"Poisoned" is right. I'd love to hear what psychology is at work here, because it ain't a matter of basic math.

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[–] mad_lentil@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 days ago

Capital possesses men like a demon.

[–] buddascrayon@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Just remember that a lot of the money that these people have has been stolen from the people who have worked for them and their companies whom they've grossly underpaid, some of them for literally decades.

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[–] frezik@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 2 days ago

The "you have mettled, Mr Beale" rant has a lot of truth to it in the sense that it reveals their actual motivations.

[–] DaMummy@lemmy.world 31 points 3 days ago (5 children)

That's not the last ditch. Kirking him is in their repertoire.

[–] ProfThadBach@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] Mycatiskai@lemmy.ca 14 points 3 days ago

As in Charlie

[–] krashmo@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] grue@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago (2 children)

In theory, I guess. But when's the last time that sort of thing actually happened in the U.S.? Even perpetrators of "kirkings" of right-wingers are usually either infighting right-wingers themselves, or are just nutjobs with some motive other than politics entirely (e.g. impressing Jodie Foster).

[–] DaMummy@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago (6 children)

The CEO of UnitedHealthcare and a CEO of BlackStone would like a word with you the day after Halloween.

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[–] IronBird@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

...2 michigan state reps were assassinated in their homes just this year

[–] grue@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

First of all, it was ~~Massachusetts~~ (edit: damn, I apparently can't tell m-states apart either), not Michigan (although some articles claim he was planning to target some Michigan politicians too).

Second, that's proving my point, not refuting it. The assertion I was challenging was that it was in "our" (i.e. leftist, or at least liberal) repertoire too, but what you cited was the common case of a right-winger targeting progressives, not the other way around.

[–] kdcd@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

It was state representative Melissa Hortman who was assassinated and she was from Minnesota not Massachusetts.

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[–] Formfiller@lemmy.world 22 points 3 days ago (3 children)
[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

The reign of terror in France led to Napoleon becoming emperor. It was not even a short term solution, let alone long term. It would probably be cathartic, but I don't think it would repair democracy.

[–] buddascrayon@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

You should read about Napoleon. He was actually a pretty decent ruler. This is by no means an endorsement of authoritarian rule "so long as it's the right ruler". But when you look at the what existed before and what came immediately after, I believe he's unfairly maligned.

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If Mamdani isn’t planning on running an ad hilighting how all these rich fucks are piling on against him… that’s a big missed opportunity

[–] buddascrayon@lemmy.world 19 points 2 days ago (1 children)

billionaire philanthropist

Has there ever been a more bullshit term in the entirety of the English language?

[–] Saledovil@sh.itjust.works 13 points 2 days ago

The poorest billionaire could give away 90% of their fortune, and still earn more a year through interest on the remaining wealth than a normal person will in their entire life.

So no.

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 16 points 2 days ago (5 children)

Ooh, it's in a week. I'm excited!

I'm not even American. Nor do I plan to step foot in the US until the current crisis is over. But growing up with movies and shows set in what is probably an overly romanticized version of NYC and then actually visiting the city briefly a few years ago, it still seems like such an amazing place. Perhaps not for the many, many New Yorkers who can't afford it (which Mamdani is trying to fix after all), but in general... You just walk around and behind every corner there's something interesting. No need to go to the tourist traps, because the entire city is cool and so alive.

Before a bunch of things happened in my life that tied me down for the next 2 decades or so, I wanted to see if I could get a tech job in NYC. Financially it doesn't seem as great as the Bay Area, but I like the dense city with the subway and everything. Envisioned myself living in a fancy apartment complex that has its own gym and pool one day lol

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[–] cassandrafatigue@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 3 days ago (4 children)

He needs to do everything he can to nail their balls to two different horses running opposite directions.

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[–] mrdown@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

Let them waste their money

[–] not_IO@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

what does the article mean by "x gave y $ to 'fix the city'"? it's in each of the billionairs listed

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 13 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Fix the City, Inc., is an independent expenditure committee (IE) organized under New York law that was initially established to support the mayoral candidacy of Andrew Cuomo and expanded its mission in June 2025 to oppose the election of Zohran Mamdani.

Their website is straight up ad-hominem propaganda against Mamdani.

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