Two Losers Recruit A Third

We ran an editorial on October 2 on how Zoran Mamdani, who is leading in the polls, is racing to become the next mayor of New York City.

We stated that his vision is to implement Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders' ideas verbatim. Mamdani has a dim view of wealth creators who fund the city's nearly $125 billion budget. He views every policy problem through a socialist lens. The classic "haves versus have-nots" dynamic drives everything he says. Unless he helps the millions of New York City residents to address income inequality through drastic measures, Mamdani insists that the possibilities of the mayor's office are wasted.

Bernie Sanders, who has aggressively campaigned for Mamdani along with AOC (Sanders and AOC appeared at a CNN Town Hall on Wednesday night to discuss the Schumer shutdown, among other topics), sat down for an hour-long interview with Trevor Noah, the former comedian of The Daily Show, who now hosts his video podcast, "What Now."

Noah, a native South African, is about as progressive as they come. Sanders was very comfortable speaking to his gawking host, who threw one softball question after another. Sanders was there to promote his book, and for those of us who have been watching for a long time, nothing he said was particularly new.

Sanders frequently mentioned Elon Musk's wealth, and referred to him as the world's richest billionaire. Noah called him "Elon"; we suppose Noah could take that liberty because they both hail from the same country. Sanders tore into the "haves versus have-nots" tirade, reciting his standard lines, that a single billionaire owns more wealth than the bottom 52% of the country. The top 1% of income-earners own more than 90%. Noah agreed that these facts show how the American oligarchy is inherently unfair.

Nearly all of Sanders' statements were couched in a grand dose of extreme socialism, the kind that Americans would never embrace. Americans are taught not to be bitter about others' successes but to focus on improving themselves, despite the hardships that life throws their way. In Sanders' view, there is no hope for the country because the government isn't fulfilling its responsibilities.

Comparing America to Sweden, Sanders noted that Nordic countries have significantly stronger unions, universal healthcare, excellent childcare facilities, and a free education system. However, Sanders failed to mention that Sweden is predominantly white and is generally anti-immigrant in its stance.

Sweden's population of about ten million people is only slightly bigger than New York City's (of about eight million). Yet, Sweden, with a vast land area mostly uninhabited in the Cold North, is more than three times the size of New York State.

With such a sparsely populated country, many of the problems that America faces - urban crime, lack of housing, the quest to be the world's lone superpower competing against a rising China and aggressive Russia, and illegal immigration - are non-existent in Sweden. Noah never challenged Sanders with any of these facts.

Sanders showed that he has minimal knowledge of economics. He attributed income inequality in America to the oligarchy model that thrives here. A few big companies control key industries, Sanders said. He mentioned the Big Tech and media companies.

Noah threw a softball, quoting from Sanders' book, that only four meat processing companies handle all agricultural production in the United States. Sanders nodded, saying that America's oligarchy is counter to the principles of capitalism and democracy.

Harvard Professor Michael Porter, in his seminal 1980s book, Competitive Advantage, showed that five forces are at play when analyzing the stability of any business. The most crucial among these is the "barrier to entry" force, and this is linked to various factors, such as technology, infrastructure, labor, capital, and other resources that power economic growth.

Consider the civil aviation business. Although numerous companies have attempted to succeed, only Boeing and Airbus continue to thrive. This fact is not because a dictator granted these companies rights to a nation's natural resources in return for bribes. Boeing and Airbus are the only ones capable of scaling, designing, and building aircraft that customers want to buy at a competitive price.

However, consider a low-skilled sector like the cleaning services or lawn care. The barriers to entry are virtually non-existent, as anyone with a broom or a lawn mower can start a business tomorrow. These businesses will never be an oligarchy.

Sanders also failed in another crucial aspect. He bemoaned that America does not provide free goodies to its people, but never mentioned how, with a $37 trillion debt, we can continue offering such benefits while illegal immigrants strain our already weak social safety net.

Sanders said that Trump's actions against the illegals amounted to Demagoguery 101 of blaming the powerless.

Sanders, from ultra-liberal Vermont, can afford to keep talking up his grandiose ideas of socialism, just like his ardent devotee, AOC, does. In his nearly 19 years in the Senate, only one relatively unremarkable bill that Sanders championed has become law. Neither is in any imminent political danger, and so talk is, in a sense, cheap.

Sanders was the primary sponsor of S. 206 in the 113th Congress, which adjusted the cost-of-living increases for military and veteran benefits to match Social Security changes. It passed the Senate unanimously, was approved by the House, and was signed into law by President Obama on December 26, 2013.

In her nearly seven years in the House, AOC was a lead cosponsor of another unremarkable piece of legislation authorizing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to study and implement flood mitigation projects in Queens, New York, including upgrades to water and sewer systems to combat heavy rainfall and storms like Hurricane Ida. President Biden signed it into law on January 20, 2025, the last day of his term.

Sanders and AOC are not serious leaders because they haven't accomplished anything meaningful other than talk.

Mamdani's rise, fueled by such careless Sanders-AOC talk, is dangerous. As New York City's chief executive, Mamdani could turn many of Sanders' ambitious but unrealistic priorities into action, potentially devastating one of the world's truly greatest cities.

1. The Secret Behind Trump’s Middle East Breakthrough—Victor Davis Hanson, The Daily Signal

2. Trump Awards Charlie Kirk A Posthumous Presidential Medal Of Freedom—Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, The Daily Signal

3. Obama’s Legacy Crumbles Before His Eyes—Jarrett Stepman, The Daily Signal

4. Trump’s Israel-Hamas Peace Plan Gets A Big ‘Thumbs Up’ From U.S. Voters: I&I/TIPP Poll—Terry Jones, TIPP Insights.

5. The US Can Break Free From China’s Control Of Rare Earth Minerals—Helen Raleigh, The Daily Signal

6. The Big Apple Deserves Better Than Alvin Bragg’s Incompetence—Zack Smith & Jake Angelillo, The Daily Signal

7. Trump’s Shutdown Management Upends Congressional Dynamics—George Caldwell, The Daily Signal

8. OpenAI To Let Adults Generate Erotica On ChatGPT, Says CEO Sam Altman—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights.

9. Abraham Accords: Trump’s Tool For Peace In Middle East—Virginia Allen, The Daily Signal

10. Supreme Court Weighs Louisiana Case That Could Weaken Voting Rights Act—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights.

11. Walz Had Instructions For Defying Trump On Immigration—Fred Lucas, The Daily Signal

12. Trump Vows Expiration Date For ‘Semi-Communist’ Government Programs—Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, The Daily Signal

13. Federal Task Force Targets Memphis As Crime Surges, Police Struggle—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights.

14. Hamas Carries Out Executions In Gaza—Virginia Allen, The Daily Signal

15. Nonprofit That Advised Trump On Transgenderism Will Invest Millions To Defeat Dems—Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, The Daily Signal

16. Tech Titans Unite In $40 Billion Aligned Data Centers Takeover—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights.

17. The Hidden Lesson From Katie Porter’s Media Meltdown—Bradley Devlin, The Daily Signal.

18. Jack Smith Called To Testify Before House Judiciary Committee—Katelynn Richardson, The Daily Signal

19. NBC News Lays Off 150 Employees, Eyes Digital Expansion—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights.

20. The New Editor-In-Chief Of CBS News Is Not Like The Others—Debra Saunders, The Daily Signal

21. Anarchist Group Calls For BLM-Style ‘Revolt’ At Anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ Rallies—Hudson Crozier, Daily Caller News Foundation

22. Hegseth’s Plane Declares Emergency, Lands Safely In U.K.—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights.

23. LA County Declares Emergency Over ICE Raids—Virginia Allen, The Daily Signal

24. Fighting Inflation? Spanberger Wants To ‘Bleed’ Your Pocketbook ‘Dry,’ Republican Opponent Says—Tyler O'Neil, The Daily Signal

25. FBI Director To Reveal Results Of Months-Long Crime Reduction Effort—Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, The Daily Signal

26. John Reid On How Virginia’s Earle-Sears Pressed In Debate, Gained In Polls—Joe Thomas, The Daily Signal

🧭 Market Mood — October 16, 2025

🟢 AI Boom Powers TSMC to Record Profit
Chipmaking giant TSMC posted its highest ever third-quarter income, fueled by relentless demand for AI infrastructure from clients like Nvidia and Apple. Revenue surged 30% to more than $32 billion, and management projected up to 24% growth next quarter as the AI buildout accelerates, even as new U.S. tariffs and currency risks loom.

🟡 Oracle Set to Update AI Strategy at Analyst Day
Investors are watching closely as Oracle wraps up its Las Vegas AI conference with an analyst meeting expected to focus on margins and cash flow. The company’s aggressive push, including massive data center investments and support for new MI450 chips, shows its ambition to become a major player in enterprise AI infrastructure.

🔵 Gold Hits New Record as Rate-Cut Bets Rise
Gold extended its rally to a fourth consecutive record high, topping $4,240 per ounce as expectations for Fed rate cuts and escalating U.S.-China trade tensions boosted safe-haven demand. Futures now price in a near-certain 25 basis point cut in October, followed by another in December.

🗓️ Key Events — October 16, 2025

• 08:30 ET – Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index – A closely watched gauge of Mid-Atlantic factory activity and economic momentum.
• 12:00 ET – Crude Oil Inventories – Weekly data offering insight into energy demand trends and supply dynamics.