Hi Fionn:
Not really the case. New York is the center of the progressive community in the United States. In the case of disasters there is always a remarkable responce, not only from the left, but eliments of the New york City fire department go around the world as experts in extracting people from dangerous wreakage. Fact is, in profoundly in the Irish humor, the safe that falls next to you is funny. As it turns out now, the tremmer was in our big fault, the 125th street fault, which may be a God send, in that it is good to let off a bit of pressure every once and awhile... in point of fact, thouse of us who spend the majority of their working lives, working for social justice, also have to let off a bit of pressure every once and awhile, and there is an appropriate phrase for them that can't take a joke. I may take this moment to remind some fellow travellers, that Nelson Mandella credits the New York City Council action to institute an ecconomic boycott - coming form a city ecconomy the equal of many nations, as the first world responce that shook aparthide in South Africa.
Smile every once and awhile, Spaw will tell you, your face wont crack.
Larry