Mark Steyn: New York blacks out and grows up

The Sunday Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | 08/17/03 | Mark Steyn

[Pokey78]

Let me make one point very clear right at the beginning. I have no reason to believe terrorism is responsible for the failure of this column.

Sorry about that, it's catching. These days, whenever anything goes wrong, that's the first thing your elected official says and somehow its rote incantation is supposed to excuse anything that follows. On Thursday, 50 million Americans and Canadians, one-sixth of the continent's population, found themselves trapped in the all-time biggest power blowout spread out over 10,000 square miles from Detroit to Montreal to New York. But almost immediately a massive surge of powerful politicians rushed in to overload the circuits.

New York's Mayor Bloomberg assured the citizenry that what happened was a "natural occurrence". According to the Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, it was a lightning strike on a generating plant in upstate New York. According to New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, it was a failure across the border in Ontario.

According to the Ontario Premier Ernie Eves, it started in Ohio. The New York Governor, George Pataki, booted the blame back to Ontario. Canadian Defence Minister John McCallum said it began at a nuclear plant in Pennsylvania. Invited to weigh these competing claims, the Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman lashed out: "Have you ever seen the United States take the blame for anything?"
This guy runs a city whose hotels are empty this summer due to an increasingly common Canadian ailment called Big Lack Of Americans. If I were running Toronto's Emergency Response Team, their first duty would be to duct-tape His Honour and lock him in the basement. And, if it transpires that massive economic damage can be inflicted upon America by zapping the right point on the grid in Ontario, the entire Canadian government might as well lock themselves in there, too.

A crisis is never a good time to remind electors how third-rate you are. Mayor Bloomberg is a weirdly tone-deaf, old woman of a mayor at odds with the spirit of the city, and he would have been a demoralising presence on September 11. So on Thursday New Yorkers just got on without him.

Expecting the Great Blackout of 1965 all over again, a disappointed CNN ran with: "Outage fails to generate crime spree." There's nothing worse than a failure at the crime spree generator, is there? Cleveland, Detroit and other traditionally explosive municipalities remained calm, but looting was reported in Ottawa. One more boost for the Canadian tourist industry.

A friend in Lower Manhattan was in the lift when the power died, and he thought initially this is it, it's happening again. Then he called his wife, found out what was going on, and started plotting his escape. At least in this part of town, Americans have internally absorbed September 11.

They are not waiting to be led sheep-like through lame photo-ops by Mayor Bloomberg. The bad news is that as of Saturday morning the Department of Homeland Security website, which is supposed to be the one-stop shop for all your national emergency updates, still had nothing at all on the blackout. The good news is nobody cared.

Unlike their electors, alas, few politicians have adjusted to the new reality. What happened shouldn't have. But it did because a 21st century energy demand is being fed through a 1950s delivery system. Democrats continue to be reflexively opposed to any increase in energy capacity or transmission of any kind, unserious even about inadequate rubbish like the wind farms they've talked up for years.

By comparison, Dick Cheney's speeches from three and four years ago are remarkably prescient. If Democrats can't find something new to say, they're going to be experiencing a massive power outage of their own.

[Pokey78]

[tet68]

. If Democrats can't find something new to say, they're going to be experiencing a massive power outage of their own.

And it couldn't happen to more deserving folks too.

Steyn bump!

[Ex-Dem]

Interesting...even the brits seem to enjoy mocking the Canadians. As for Bloomberg, I don't think he did so badly. Sure his monotone, condescending speech delivery could use a lot of work, but he did his job: making sure NYCers stayed calm.

[Welsh Rabbit]

According to New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, it was a failure across the border in Ontario.

What was Bush doing in Canada? I thought he was at his ranch.... /S

[Wild Irish Rogue]

On a steamy,summer night when 50 million people were without power,the most outrageous behavior was that of the Grande Dame of Looters,Hillary Clinton.

[jocon307]

"At least in this part of town, Americans have internally absorbed September 11."

Yeah, we have. And it's a permenant thing. So for at least one generation the terrorists need to know we "stand on guard". And all the political bs about the saudis, etc. ain't fooling nobody.

[Gritty]

The bad news is that as of Saturday morning the Department of Homeland Security website, which is supposed to be the one-stop shop for all your national emergency updates, still had nothing at all on the blackout. The good news is nobody cared.

He's right. Nobody cares what is posted on their site. Whatever they post will have been long before posted on Free Republic!

[Malesherbes]

I loved it when I heard that New Yorkers were actually smoking on the streets of the city in defiance of the mayor's fiat. Others were seen loitering and sitting on subway steps. How's that for a break-down of law and order.

[Rummyfan]

Bump! Thanks Pokey!

[Russell Scott]

There's nothing worse than a failure at the crime spree generator, is there?

Another Steyn classic line.

[xp38]

I was without power just short of 24 hours here in Toronto. I missed checking on FR the most.

[Wilhelm Tell]

Could it be that Americans have finally outgrown the childishness of the 1960's? In previous major blackouts, some people saw it as a chance to take advantage of the situation and and loot or riot for the heck of it. It seems like most people were well-behaved through this event. Most people, that is, except for the politicians. I know there is an increased police presence that kept things under control, but I hope that is not all of it. I am thinking that people have a sense of seriousness and responsibility that was out of fashion during what I call the "Me Decades."

[SeaDragon]

Whatever they post will have been long before posted on Free Republic!

And, let us pause for a moment......

Would you ,in all good thought processes, actually log on to the Homeland Security Website????????

Repeat after me......

Cookies----I know you now...........

I Know that this sounds a bit paranoid but I am sure you get my drift.....

[thulldud]

Beautiful. But I think he was referring to the blackout of 1977 -- now that one WAS a crime spree. Jimmah Carter had some lame excuse that amounted to saying that "people just naturally steal in the dark", and lo, it happened. 1965 was very tame by comparison.

[facedown]

But it did because a 21st century energy demand is being fed through a 1950s delivery system.

Bingo.

[knighthawk]

Ping

[JulieRNR21]

On a steamy,summer night when 50 million people were without power,the most outrageous behavior was that of the Grande Dame of Looters, Hillary Clinton.

MEGA DITTO.......BUMP

[lainde]

bttt

[prairiebreeze]

So many good Steyn-isms in this article it's hard to pick the best. Oh well, here's a good one:

increasingly common Canadian ailment called Big Lack Of Americans.

Bwahahahaha!

Prairie