perfidy

We like Lileks. We like him so much, we stole the name of our blog from him. Here is another reason why, from today's bleat:

Just went to nyc.gov - the website leads with a picture of that hapless nanny Mayor. He's about as inspirational and reassuring as a stale blintz. I watched some of the press conference. He's warning people not to eat food from the fridge if it's gone bad. I'm picturing this in 1940s film noir terms - the mayor would have been some tough pol, maybe Broderick Crawford; he'd grip the podium, stare at the press corps with a gaze undeterred by the detonations of the Speed Graphics, and he'd say "Stay home. Smoke 'em if you got 'em. Looters will be shot on sight. And don't worry - if all else fails, the sun will come up on schedule."

In the rest of the bleat, he talks about the remarkable calm in Manhattan. No looting. Businessmen sleeping in parks. Patient waiting for power and normalcy to return. There was more violence in Ottawa, where serious looting was reported. Those Canadians are so well behaved.

Compared to the chaos of the next biggest blackout in history, or the one in the seventies that led to chaos in NYC, it seems that everyone basically avoided freaking out. That is a good thing, and makes me feel better about all the people I am forced to share the planet with. But I watched a good bit of Bloomberg's performance, and while the information would certainly have been of some use to the brain dead, the tone was solid, low key patronizing.

"Fellow New Yorkers, in this time of crisis, please remember to keep breathing, no matter what happens. Simply suck in some air, hold it for a second so the oxygen gets in your bloodstream, and then let it out again. Just repeat this as often as necessary. Lack of oxygen is a leading cause of death or injury, so be alert. And if anyone needs help, be there for them, help them breathe, see if they're alright. Together, we can get through this."

I wanted to spew. This milqetoast is much the opposite of Guliani, who could be reassuring without reminding you of the dangers of walking with your shoes untied. 

[Update] Pythagosaurus has seen fit to get rid of his Bloomberg post. But I thought I would rescue this bit, which I liked:

Remember what happened in 1977 when the power went off in New York? You could see the fires in the Bronx for miles. Thousands of people took to the streets to loot and rampage. Crowds rioted. It was chaos. It was Detroit. So what happens in 2003 when the power goes off? Millions of tired, confused and possibly terrified New Yorkers take to the streets in 90 degree heat and. . . deal with it. The news last night showed hordes of people. . . walking home. Thousands of stranded commuters with no way to get home. . . found a piece of sidewalk. Three guys looted in Brooklyn-- they're with the police now. All in all, a remarkable testament to the ability of humans to show some adaptability. Douglas MacArthur Shaftoe would be proud.

Crowds rioted. It was chaos. It was Detroit.

That's fun.