The Craig Bushon Show Media Team
Faith, Freedom, and the Fall of New York’s Common Sense and the Rise of a Unified America
Zohran Mamdani’s election as New York City’s next mayor isn’t just another blue-state headline. It’s a wake-up call. The nation’s largest city just handed power to a self-described democratic socialist whose promises of “free” public transportation, city-run grocery stores, rent freezes, and heavier corporate taxes sound compassionate on the surface — but beneath the slogans lies something far more dangerous: an agenda that undermines personal responsibility, economic freedom, and the moral foundation of the Republic itself.
For decades, New York symbolized American enterprise — a place where hard work, faith, and perseverance could lift anyone. Mamdani’s victory tells us something sobering about where our national mindset is drifting. When citizens start looking to government for salvation instead of God and community, we’ve crossed from freedom into fragile ground.
Mamdani’s platform mirrors what’s already crippled other major cities — policies that sound moral but deliver misery. His proposals include:
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“Fare-Free” Public Transit: Promising unlimited free MetroCards for all New Yorkers — a plan projected to cost over $2 billion annually — funded by new taxes on corporations and “wealthy property owners.” It’s redistribution dressed as compassion, turning success into the enemy of equity.
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City-Owned Grocery Stores: A government takeover of the food supply chain, sold as an “anti-poverty” measure but modeled after socialist economies where shelves went empty and private grocers vanished.
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Expanded Rent Freezes: Forcing landlords to absorb costs regardless of inflation or property taxes, crippling small housing providers and worsening an already desperate housing shortage.
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Corporate “Accountability” Taxes: A euphemism for punitive levies on businesses earning over $10 million a year, discouraging investment and accelerating the exodus of employers to states like Florida and Texas.
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Defunding Police “Through Community Redistribution”: Channeling funds from the NYPD into “social equity” programs — the same logic that fueled Chicago’s rising crime rate under similar policies.
These aren’t just bad ideas; they’re ideological weapons aimed at dismantling capitalism, family structure, and faith-based independence — the very elements that made New York the world’s capital of opportunity.
And it’s not just New York. Look at Chicago. Once a beacon of Midwestern industry and faith, the city now faces billion-dollar deficits, a crime surge, and a mayor openly aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America. Policies branded as “equity” and “compassion” have driven out thousands of businesses and families. Chicago’s 2026 budget shortfall exceeds a billion dollars, while church attendance and private-school enrollment continue to fall. The same formula of big promises, weak results, and moral confusion is showing up in city halls across America — from Los Angeles to Seattle.
This isn’t just about one election. It’s about what kind of people we are becoming.
For Christians and patriots alike, here’s what deserves attention now.
First, watch how faith-based nonprofits are treated. New York’s ministries and churches feed the hungry and shelter the broken with no taxpayer cost. When government grows, it often replaces partnership with bureaucracy, and suddenly the same churches that once kept communities alive are told to check their beliefs at the door.
John Adams warned us: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” When faith is pushed out, morality erodes, and freedom soon follows.
Second, expect cultural battles dressed up as “equity.” When inclusion becomes a code word for ideological conformity, Christian schools, businesses, and adoption agencies end up in court or on the defensive. Faith becomes something you can whisper about, not live out loud.
Third, prepare for economic and moral accountability. Every “free” program has a price. When the productive class leaves, the city bleeds jobs and opportunity. Christians understand that stewardship and accountability are moral duties.
We’ve already seen what happens when that truth is ignored. In Chicago, a wave of “redistribution-first” policies pushed under Mayor Brandon Johnson triggered tax hikes and debt expansion that forced even charitable organizations to tighten their belts. Bond agencies are warning that without fiscal restraint, the city’s credit could slide. That’s not stewardship — that’s surrendering the future for the illusion of fairness today.
George Washington understood this danger, writing in his Farewell Address that “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.”
Fourth, stay engaged. The right response to radical politics isn’t retreat; it’s revival. Vote. Speak. Stand. America’s founding motto, “In God We Trust,” isn’t decoration; it’s direction. Power comes from God, not government. Local elections shape zoning, schools, policing, and business — the daily bread of civic life. Benjamin Franklin put it plainly: “A Republic, if you can keep it.” Keeping it requires vigilance, not silence.
Christians don’t need to fear the new mayor of New York. They need to understand the mindset that could elect someone with his beliefs. Elections don’t just expose politicians; they expose the condition of the people who choose them. When moral clarity fades and dependency feels safer than duty, the problem isn’t leadership — it’s the loss of identity.
New York, Chicago, Los Angeles — different skylines, same pattern. When ideology replaces accountability, every city begins to look the same: more taxes, more bureaucracy, less hope. What we’re witnessing is a systemic crisis of belief — a spreading idea that government can replace God, that entitlement can replace effort, and that identity politics can replace unity.
History reminds us that every generation faces a moment when liberty feels fragile. The 1970s had stagflation and urban decay, the 1940s faced tyranny abroad, the 1860s nearly tore the Republic apart — but each time Americans rediscovered who they were under God. That rediscovery must happen again.
If America loses her great cities, she risks losing her great character. What starts as policy in city hall soon becomes culture in the classroom and policy in Washington. Thomas Jefferson warned, “The government you elect is the government you deserve.”
Freedom isn’t guaranteed by the Constitution alone. It’s sustained by citizens who live as if truth still matters. That’s why, beginning in 2026, a new civic movement is taking shape — Unified America and its citizen-driven campaign known as Amer-I-Can.
Founded by broadcaster and civic leader Craig Bushon, this 501(c)(3) nonprofit stands for Truth, Accountability, and the Power of the Vote. It’s not a party; it’s a pledge — a pledge to return to truth, to hold leaders accountable, and to restore the power of the vote as the moral compass of our Republic. It’s a reminder that patriotism isn’t politics; it’s personal responsibility lived out loud.
The Amer-I-Can Oath: Heart of the Pledge
This is the movement’s linchpin — a solemn vow coming 2026 to bind both citizens and leaders to a higher standard of truth and accountability. Modeled on the U.S. military oath, it carries moral consequence: if a leader breaks it, pledge-takers commit to demanding their removal through recall or impeachment.
Citizen Oath (for everyday Americans):
“I solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of a citizen of the United States of America. If the candidate I vote into office is found to have broken their oath, I will work to remove them from office by impeachment or recall. So help me God (solemn declaration).”
Politician Oath (for political leaders — encourage sharing with locals):
“I solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. If I am found to have broken this oath, I expect to be removed from office by my electorate. So help me God (solemn declaration).”
The Oath carries a guiding truth: “Without TRUTH, there is no JUSTICE. Without VOTING, there is no POWER. The Oath is our UNITED VOICE.” It invites Americans of every background to stand shoulder to shoulder against division and silence — reclaiming unity through accountability.
Coming soon in 2026, the Amer-I-Can Pledge will begin uniting citizens and leaders across this nation in one shared commitment: Truth, Accountability, and the Power of the Vote. It’s not about politics — it’s about purpose. It’s about reminding the nation that We the People are the guardians of liberty, not spectators in its decline.
Unified America is preparing a national rollout to reignite civic pride and moral courage — calling pastors, teachers, veterans, entrepreneurs, and everyday Americans to take the Oath and stand as one voice for the Republic.
To learn more about what’s coming in 2026, visit www.americaican.com. The movement to restore unity, integrity, and faith in public life is coming — and every American will have the chance to be part of it.
That spirit once made cities like New York and Chicago great — and it can renew them again. Unified America isn’t coming to divide; it’s coming to remind. We’re all Americans first. The strength of this Republic depends not on who sits in city hall, but on who stands for what’s right in their own heart.
Because if America remembers who she is — one nation under God — no city, no ideology, and no election can ever take that away.
The Craig Bushon Show — we don’t just follow the headlines; we read between the lines to get to the bottom line of what’s really going on.
Disclaimer:
This commentary represents the editorial opinion of The Craig Bushon Show Media Team in coordination with the civic mission of Unified America 501(c)(3). It is provided for educational and patriotic purposes and does not endorse or oppose any candidate by name. All citizens are encouraged to verify election results and policy proposals through official sources before drawing conclusions.
