Steve Rose
One of the most well known uses of allegory is by the Greek philosopher Plato, who meant it to illustrate the limited understanding we have of life’s events given our narrow perspective. He gave the example of people chained to the walls of a cave their entire lives. Since there is a fire at the entrance of the cave, it blocks their view to the outside. All they can see are the shadows cast on the back wall of their cave by objects passing in front of the fire. They don’t see the reality, but only the shadows.
When it comes to understanding state and local politics, most people here in Kansas City are like those prisoners in a cave. They have a wide range of sources of information and commentary on national and international events and issues. On television, you can watch CNN, MSNBC, or Fox or any of the Big Four broadcast networks. In print media, you have a variety of magazines and newspapers, with ones to meet every point of view. Now, of course, you also have the Internet; with an almost infinite choice of websites, blogs, or online columns. Finally, there is Amazon and Barnes & Noble, as well as independent bookstores like Fairway’s Rainy Day Books or Kansas City’s Prospero’s, which offer an endless bounty of new books on economics, politics, history, and sociology.
However, when it comes to state and local matters, most of the time you’re pretty much stuck with the Kansas City Star as your only source of information and opinion. (The former Sun newspapers were simply an echo of the Establishment platitudes of the Grand Avenue Oligarchy, otherwise known as the KC Star. This is confirmed by the ease with which former Sun publisher, Steve Rose, slid over into writing a column for the Star after the Sun ceased publication. Citizen Rose, of course, was crying all the way to the bank, having sold the money-losing Sun papers to the unsuspecting new owners for a king’s ransom, based on the alluring demographics of JoCo, despite precious few actual paying subscribers.) Continue reading →
Sheesh!
Sporting Kansas City traveled to the Mile High City Saturday for an afternoon game against the Colorado Rapids.
