The True Face of Collectivist Terror and Modern Civilization——Reconsidering Common Sense
The True Face of Collectivist Terror and Modern Civilization——Reconsidering Common Sense
Carl J.Chan https://carljfreedom.com
The entire history of modern human civilization is a history of the struggle for individualism (individual freedom).
On January 1, 2026, newly inaugurated New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stood before a cheering crowd and declared: “We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.”
These words, delivered with evident conviction, should send a chill through anyone familiar with history. For collectivism—whether in its socialist, communist, or authoritarian variants—has never brought genuine warmth. Looking back at human history, “collectivism” has always been associated with massacres, famines, and terrorism: the gulags of Stalin, the Great Leap Forward under Mao, the killing fields of Pol Pot, and the endless purges of regimes that subordinated the individual to the abstract “collective good.”Yet here we are, in the heart of what was once the world’s beacon of freedom, hearing a mayor of America’s largest city extol collectivism as a virtuous replacement for individualism. This is not mere rhetoric; it is a profound reversal of the principles that built modern civilization.
The cultural roots of individualism lie deep in the Western tradition, particularly in the revolutionary shift brought about by the medieval troubadours. As mythologist Joseph Campbell explored in his interviews with Bill Moyers, compiled in The Power of Myth (1988), the troubadours of 12th-century Provence introduced a radical new concept of love—Amor—that celebrated personal, individual experience over impersonal submission to authority. Campbell noted that this “person-to-person” love, sparked by “the meeting of the eyes,” marked a departure from the Church’s rigid doctrines and arranged marriages. It exalted the individual’s inner experience, their “bliss,” against societal or ecclesiastical mandates. This affirmation of personal choice in love spilled over into broader life, fostering a culture that valued individual agency, creativity, and self-determination.
It was no coincidence that this troubadour tradition emerged in Europe and propelled its rise to global dominance. By prioritizing the individual’s pursuit of personal fulfillment and truth—rather than blind obedience to collective or hierarchical structures—Europe unleashed innovation, exploration, and enlightenment. This same spirit crossed the Atlantic and animated the founding of the United States, a nation built on the sacred rights of the individual: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
By contrast, cultures that emphasize submission to collective authority over individual rights often stagnate or descend into repression. In much of the Islamic world, for instance, cultural and religious norms have historically prioritized communal and familial obedience, frequently at the expense of individual human rights—particularly women’s rights. Widespread practices such as forced marriages, honor killings, and legal systems that treat women as second-class citizens reflect a deep-seated suppression of personal autonomy. While not uniform across all Muslim societies, this collectivist orientation has hindered democratic development and individual flourishing in many cases, contrasting sharply with the West’s individualistic trajectory.
In this light, perhaps Americans need to seriously consider Samuel P. Huntington’s The Clash of Civilizations (1996) more than ever. Huntington warned of profound cultural conflicts in the post-Cold War era, rooted in differing values—particularly the West’s commitment to individualism versus other civilizations’ emphasis on authority and collectivity. Mayor Mamdani’s embrace of collectivism, delivered on the world stage from New York City, underscores the urgency of this clash playing out within our own borders.
Why has collectivism become “warm” and attractive in the eyes of so many today? In a free society grounded in individual responsibility, people are left to forge their own meaning and belonging. When this proves challenging amid economic pressures, many succumb to a dangerous illusion: that collectivism and authoritarianism will provide the community and security they crave. But history teaches the opposite—this “warmth” is a mirage that masks coercion, loss of freedom, and eventual terror.
Mayor Mamdani’s words are a wake-up call. They remind us that the struggle for individualism is far from won. If we forget the hard-won lessons of our civilization’s rise, we risk sliding into the familiar abyss of collectivist tyranny. It is time to reconsider our common sense: true warmth comes not from surrendering to the collective, but from defending the fire of individual liberty.