Another crane collapses in New York

There was another construction crane collapse in Manhattan today.

Here’s my thought on why cranes keep collapsing in Manhattan: New York City my have the smartest white collar workers, but New York City also has the stupidest and most dishonest blue collar workers.

Of course, the results of the official investigation won't cite that as the reason for the crane collapse. It would be politically incorrect.

* * *

For some reason, some commenters thought this was an anti-immigrant post. Actually, it was an anti-Guido post.

Comments

[Peter]

New York City also has the stupidest and most dishonest blue collar workers

Also, the laziest, and among the most overpaid.

"It would be politically incorrect."

Why, are they black, hispanic or some other sacrosanct minority? I had the impression most contractors in NYC are either wops or micks. Nobody ever has a problem bashing white ethnics.

[Steve Johnson]

On NY1 news there was an interview with a worker from the site; he had some sort of Caribbean accent (I'd guess Jamaican but at about 65% confidence) and sounded completely brain dead.

Increasing numbers of accidents would be expected if you under the assumption that high middle (~115) IQ Italians and Irish have been moving into white collar work, leaving only lower IQ white ethnics and average / above average NAMs in construction in New York. Not to jump the gun but this is exactly the sort of thing predicted 14 years ago in the Bell Curve. Cognitive stratification of jobs leaves those jobs done by lower IQ people exclusively done badly.

On the other hand, the perception of increasing numbers of crane collapses in NYC could be false. Think summer of shark attacks type perception bias.

[Peter]

Increasing numbers of accidents would be expected if you under the assumption that high middle (~115) IQ Italians and Irish have been moving into white collar work, leaving only lower IQ white ethnics and average / above average NAMs in construction in New York. Not to jump the gun but this is exactly the sort of thing predicted 14 years ago in the Bell Curve.

Not necessarily. It's possible to make very good money in construction work, so it attracts some fairly bright people.

[Steve Johnson]

Peter,

I agree that construction attracts some fairly bright people; building large buildings isn't easy but I definitely think that there are fewer bright Irish / Italians guys in New York who end up doing the job. 30 years ago, people were more limited and even if you were bright, if your family was blue collar, you stayed blue collar. Nowadays, things are different.

I just had an amusing thought about this story.

You're a liberal. You believe IQ does not measure anything meaningful. You live in a 16th floor apartment. The lot across the street from your window is vacant but the developer who owns the property will start construction in a week.

Scenario 1: Every construction worker on the project including the guys who set up the rigging for the crane and the crane operators have an IQ of under 90.

Scenario 2: The foremen, skilled workers and crane operators all have IQs above 110.

Would you move in scenario 1?

[7.62x54]

You're a liberal. You believe IQ does not measure anything meaningful. You live in a 16th floor apartment. The lot across the street from your window is vacant but the developer who owns the property will start construction in a week.

Scenario 1: Every construction worker on the project including the guys who set up the rigging for the crane and the crane operators have an IQ of under 90.

Scenario 2: The foremen, skilled workers and crane operators all have IQs above 110.

Would you move in scenario 1?

Try this: You are a liberal. You believe intelligence doesn't measure anything meaningful. Not only are guys with IQs under 90 operating the crane used in the construction across the street, but the NYFD has yet again made their test to become a firefighter easier to pass due to the DOJ, profesional black and liberal pressure about racism and the like. The firehouse down the block gets all the people that passed the easier test and they all have IQs under 90 in order to showcase these new hires. Do you move?

[Tired of Smoke Rings]

"I agree that construction attracts some fairly bright people; building large buildings isn't easy but I definitely think that there are fewer bright Irish / Italians guys in New York who end up doing the job. 30 years ago...you stayed blue collar. Nowadays, things are different."

Staying blue collar in an age of mass immigration is a ticket to wage stagnation and ultimatly poverty. Obviously the more capable workers will observe older family members and co-ethnics suffering from declining returns from their efforts and choose to do something else. The market does work. The trouble is that as Steve J. so aptly illustrates, you get what you pay for.

[Peter]

Staying blue collar in an age of mass immigration is a ticket to wage stagnation and ultimatly poverty.

Not so much in the case of New York's construction industry, given its strong unions.

[Turambar]

Oh come on. It cant be the same discussion on every thread.

[Tired of Smoke Rings]

"Oh come on. It cant be the same discussion on every thread."

If you have somthing to add please do.

[7.62x54]

"Oh come on. It can't be the same discussion on every thread."

Don't make me bring Joe Moroco up here!

[slwerner]

Turamber - "Oh come on. It cant be the same discussion on every thread."

Just be happy that Peter didn't include some "pelt" comment in his post.

[Sick of it all]

Just be happy that Peter didn't include some "pelt" comment in his post.

That I can handle, at least there was nothing about the lack of opportunities for adults to be on some "team" in order to build "values" or something.

[John]

How about someone with an Iq of 120? 125? Should they waste their brains doing construction work?

[merijn]

long time reader, first time caller;

Oh come on!

This blog has defenitely jumped the shark. You just can't blame every bad thing that happens on liberals and 'low iq' immigrant workers.

Also last time i checked the liberal media wasn't all about defending contracters. And what intrest do 'dishonest blue collar workers' have in rigging the cranes they them self have to work on?

I like how you point out how the white collar workers in New York are intelligent, do you by any chance happen to be a white collar worker in New York?

[Peter]

Just be happy that Peter didn't include some "pelt" comment in his post.

Oh, believe me, if there were some way of working the Glorious Natural Pelt into the crane collapse story, I would have.

[Vim]

This blog has definitely jumped the shark.

Yes, jumped the shark is exactly the phrase that came to mind. People here doubt relativity for god's sake. Relativity? Really?

[New Anon]

"Yes, jumped the shark is exactly the phrase that came to mind. People here doubt relativity for god's sake. Relativity? Really?"

Then why don't you fucking leave us alone so that you can go study at your "top ten in the country" Ivy League science program?

You spend an awful lot of time wrecking and derailing good blogging conversations on this website for someone with such an immense Ivy League intellect as yours.

Btw, Vim, what is your science major again (please tell us so we can ask you detailed questions in your chosen field of science)?

;)

[Vim]

"You spend an awful lot of time wrecking and derailing ..."

Define wrecking and derailing ...

[Turambar]

Also last time i checked the liberal media wasn't all about defending contracters.

I saw some local NYC channel reports last night and some twerpy upper east sider they interviewed said he was holding the mayor personally responsible. I really dont understand the clip level for how crazy you can be before you dont get included in the man-on-the-street interviews. In fact, these interviews with neighbors and by-standards are usually so inane I dont understand why they are a mainstay of New York news.

On 20/20 there was an guy blaming the knuckle dragging city workers that are the crane inspectors. Appearently NYC is the only place that use run of the mill building inspectors rather than independent crane inspection companies.

http://blogs.wsj.com/developments/2008/05/30/crane-collapse-discussing-the-intricacies-of-construction-inspection/?mod=googlenews_wsj

[WillGates]

I got an idea, let them figure out if the cause was not following industry guidlines, or improper repairs from a previous accident or operator error or something else or a little of each before jumping in and blaming immigration, union members, democrats, jews, pinch hitters, republicans, lactose intolerant people, catholics, wine afficionados, lutherans, blacks, fast food franchisees, aboriginals, harvard grads or some other group that you really just don't like and want to blame for whatever happened in the news today.

[Kyle]

Re: Will Gates

Nonsense. My money is on pinch hitters. They sit around for six to eight innings doing nothing and then have to inspect crains cold, with no warmup? These people have no business doing what they're doing.