Both Sides

Opinion — Zohran Mamdani and the Pyrrhic Victory of the Democratic Party: Why he is the leftist version of Donald Trump with all of the same problems

Mayor-elect of New York City Zohran Mamdani is a self-avowed “democratic socialist,” and his policy proposals include free public transit, free child care, city-run grocery stores, and free everything else, all funded by increasing taxes on corporations and wealthy city residents. Mamdani has based his suddenly rocketing popularity on telling people what they want to […]

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Opinion — PVD City Council Flies Palestinian Flag: Check your privilege while globalizing the intifada

The members of the PVD City Council who asked on May 14 to fly a Palestinian Arab flag in their chamber and in front of City Hall, and held a May 16 sidewalk ceremony attended by cheering supporters, engaged in an act of clueless privilege: They are not threatened by terrorists whose explicitly stated goal […]

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Everyone Is Not a Critic

My colleague Kevin Broccoli recently pronounced theater criticism dead: “You’re better off hiring 50 20-year-olds to talk about your show on social media than you are cozying up to a Motif contributor on opening night.” (“Let’s Talk About Critics,” Jan 10). He cites “an army of straight, white, male critics” whose perspective makes them less […]

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Keep Art a Communication of Love by Keeping Government Out of It

Human beings are driven to express themselves, and we are naturally uplifted by a sense of having done something, having accomplished something. Ultimately, communication is an act of love, and accomplishment is an act of affirming one’s existence. Combined, that is art — affirming one’s capacity for love — and people always have and always […]

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In Their Own Words: Cannabis

We received verbatim responses from two leading proponents and two leading opponents of cannabis taxation and regulation. We have not censored their responses or fact-checked their claims — we just want you to know what they’re thinking. The opinions here, obviously, do not reflect the opinions of Motif. Mike Cerullo Peter Kilmartin Scott Slater Andrew […]

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