(Mark Steyn) The End Of Social Norms, From The Titanic To The Concordia

IBD Editorials ^ | January 20, 2012 | MARK STEYN

[The_Reader_David]

Actually, neither the passage of time nor changes in mores explains the contrast between the Titanic and the Costa Concordia.

Once asked why he had booked passage on an Italian ship, rather than a British one, Winston Churchill replied:

‘There are three things I like about Italian ships. First, their cuisine, which is unsurpassed. Second, their service, which is quite superb. And then - in time of emergency - there is none of this nonsense about women and children first.’

La plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

[Ron C.]

I believe we have far too many men now in this nation that do not know the meaning of being chivalrous - or would give up a seat in a lifeboat to a woman.

[JLS]

Mark Steyn ping.

Freepmail me, if you want on or off the Mark Steyn ping list.

[fr_freak]

I believe we have far too many men now in this nation that do not know the meaning of being chivalrous - or would give up a seat in a lifeboat to a woman.

Perhaps, but I also believe we have very few women left who know the meaning of being a lady. In fact, I would say that the lack of chivalry can be directly traced to the efforts of feminists to emasculate men, starting when they are little boys.

[stanne]

Sigh. He’s such a good writer. Alliteration, poetry and metaphor all timed so well. I swoon.

point taken. Chaos looms in fat, comfortable laziness, where we would throw money or some other commodity at a problem. when left with nothing but virtue, which has been unpracticed, what have we got?

My ninth grade student lads are hard-wired for chivalry. By the end of the year, they are jumping to erase the board, holding the door open, scrambling to retrieve my dropped pen.

The Concordia event has much to tell.

[stanne]

Grrr. I need to use that editing step.

[bravo whiskey]

second officer lightower, who was on TITANIC, was also in his boat rescuing soldiers at dunkirk.

[wintertime]

James Cameron could have easily made a first rate movie by simply telling the true story. He did worse than just botch an opportunity. He slandered the reputations of true heroes.

“Titanic” is absolutely one of the worst movies I have every seen. What a complete waste of my life taking the time to see it.

[Reddy]

Great article, and Mark Steyn makes a great analogy between the behavior of the people on the Concordia and the people in the coming collapse. It won’t be pretty.

[dr_lew]

As a whole, the evacuation was very orderly. Did you see the ABC 20/20 show tonight which featured a photo of the passengers assembled in a queue, standing on the side of the hull, waiting to rappel down the upturned bottom? It’s amazing that the losses were as low as they were.

I would like to know who it was in actuality that maneuvered the ship onto the shoal where it now rests. In the news they attribute this action reflexively to “the captain”, but other reporting suggests that he was not in control. Anyway, if this ship had sunk in deep water it would have been a lot faster than the Titanic went down, and the casualties would have been upward of a thousand.

[Amberdawn]

True! But before we all get misty eyed about the Titanic remember that on SOME of the last lifeboats, the saved did commit murder by beating those trying to get into already overloaded boats with the oars.

[glock rocks]

Rebellion is brewing!!

We should rebuild the grassroots conservative movement. From the Reagan Revolution of 1980 through the Contract with America in 1994, it was this movement from outside Washington that carried us to the first center-right majority governing coalition in more than 60 years.

The problem has not been with conservatism or with our voters.

The problem has been with Republican leaders who forgot who elected them and what values their supporters expected to see implemented in Washington.

— Newt Gingrich, 11-13-2006

Please visit the Fundraiser thread.
It's on the Breaking News Sidebar

[patriot08]

This was a good movie. Anyone see this?

A tidal wave hits the Poseidon, flipping her over so that all the internal rooms are upside down. A priest takes a mixed band of survivors on a journey through the bowels of the ship in an attempt to survive

Contains five Academy Award winning actors - Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Shelley Winters, Jack Albertson and Red Buttons.

[kelly4c]

You are correct. I read a lengthy article on this incident and there were so many men who could not understand the concept and whined about “well you women wanted equal rights” Those kind of men really sicken me. I know I’m old fashioned but I do think the men of yester-year were so much more noble! I liked the times when men were men and women were ladies.... And 2 parent families were the norm...and people were more polite...I could go on.

[patriot08]

Try A Night to Remember (1958)- The Brits depict The Titanic in straightforward fashion without the addition of fictional subplots.

or

Titanic (1953) with Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck.
Far superior to the James Cameron version.

[Jack Hydrazine]

The wind and current pushed it to its current position.

[irv]

For soft cultures in good times, dispensing with social norms is easy. In hard times, you may have need of them.

No truer words ... from Jeremiah Steyn

[dr_lew]

You did say “already overloaded” didn’t you? Even if you were that one desperately trying to climb on to the already overloaded lifeboat, could you condemn them for saving their own lives?

[dr_lew]

The wind and current pushed it to its current position.

How do you figure this? What wind and what current turned this behemoth by 180 degrees? Weren't the conditions calm? I don't say it's impossible, but it seems as though it must have been steered there.