The Command Post - Global Recon - <b>Why no looting during the Blackout of 2003?</b>

August 17, 2003

Why no looting during the Blackout of 2003?

Comparisons between the blackout this past week and the ones in 1965 and 1977 are inevitable, especially in the New York City area which was an anarchic mess in 1977. This article in Slate by David Greenberg tackles the question of why there was relative calm this time around:

Even if news reports prove to have been overly rosy�this morning Mayor Michael Bloomberg reported just one blackout-related death in New York City overnight�neither Gotham nor Detroit nor Cleveland suffered anything remotely like the anarchy of 1977. "New Yorkers showed that the city that burned in the 1970s when facing similar circumstances," Bloomberg said, "is now a very different place."
...It seems probable, though, that even if this latest blackout had happened before the 2001 attacks, we still wouldn't have seen a replay of 1977. A post-9/11 civic responsibility may have augmented the exemplary behavior, but it didn't create it. The real difference between 1977 and 2003 is the change in the condition of New York and America's Northeastern cities, including in their poorer enclaves.

Greenberg speculates that the differences lie in both the context of the recent blackout and the city and population changes as a whole. The context differences include the timing of this week's outage - late afternoon, so more people had time to get home, and the city had more daylight hours to prepare for nightfall - and the availability of police, who in 1977 were involved in a dispute with the city and did not turn out in force as they did this time. On a larger scale, Greenberg says, the city and its people are generally more prosperous now, and the racial tensions and class differences are not as sharp edged now as then. It's an interesting speculation, and the topic is one that will get a lot of attention in the next while.

For a look at the type of analysis that will be done, take a look at this excellent piece by scholar Kathleen Tierney, about the reaction of NYC city, both officially and unofficially, to the 9/11 attack. For a history of the blackouts in 1965 and 1977, check out this comprehensive website, which is also asking for stories from individuals caught in this past week's blackout as a part of a living history collection.

[Tierney link via Instapundit. Blackout history link via Josh Marshall's Talking Points.]

Cross posted on Cut on the Bias

Posted by susannac at August 17, 2003 09:16 AM | TrackBack

Comments

It's good to see that we're more civil at times. Even though at most we're not.

Posted by: Douglas at August 17, 2003 09:32 AM

New Yorkers were trying to set a good example for Baghdad.

Posted by: adam at August 17, 2003 12:08 PM

because it is 2003 not 1965. Tv isnt black and white anymore and niether are the bathrooms.

Posted by: gijoe at August 17, 2003 03:28 PM

gijoe - Nice analogy/metaphor. The economics have change substantially. There has been a huge movement of poor minorities into the middle class. Good illustration of how important economics is determining human behavior.

Posted by: Anthony at August 17, 2003 04:34 PM

9/11 had something to do with it, too. In some cases it altered the mindsets of many, in others it reminded people that no matter what we do to or with others in the pursuit of our daily bread, when it comes to something beyond our control, like a disaster, for example, we're all in it together.

Posted by: Seth at August 17, 2003 10:52 PM

Lucky thing there wasn't an NBA championship game won on the same day. Then how would you sort out the looting and burning of police cars?

I am proud that these large cities showed some self discipline, and the people overall behaved themselves. There is hope yet, that when push comes to shove, there are more good guys than bad. Any reports on looting of UN silverware during this power thingy? Those guys can't be trusted with anything.

Posted by: Elvis at August 18, 2003 11:29 PM

Elvis - Not to worry. The major utensils (forks and knives) are now chained to the tables, like the pens at the checkout stands. The silverware stays, now...

Posted by: Cap'n SPIN at August 21, 2003 04:43 PM

Back in the 1980s in N.Y., my next door neighbor was an executive at the UN, in some sort of financial capacity. He invited me there for a personal tour, including some behind the scenes stuff, and lunch in the cafeteria. Talk about a nice perk!
I had a major roast beef affair with major dessert, a glass of wine, etc and I think it all came out to about $1.35.
It's great to know that our taxes subsidize the consumption of such great meals by the same folks who, on sovereign U.S. soil, aid and abet the worst enemies of the U.S. and our form of government while propping up murderous dictators all over the world.
Those cheap and excellent meals help them carry on to fight the bad fight.

Posted by: Seth at August 22, 2003 04:04 PM

Don't believe this 'No Looting Malarky.' The reason there was no looting during the blackout 2003 was because no one decided to report it!

Well except WWJ Newstalk Radio 950 AM in the Detroit Area that reported that 13 schools had expensive equipment including computers stolen, while Kwamie Kilpatrick just said nothing happened.

Posted by: Jeff MacMillan at August 23, 2003 02:17 AM

Unusual ideas can make enemies.

Posted by: Scarbrough Elizabeth at December 9, 2003 11:28 PM

Government is too big and too important to be left to the politicians.

Posted by: DiGiusto Alessandra at December 20, 2003 05:18 PM