"'The decision to hold the NATO summit here is part of Chicago becoming a global city. It's not possible to cover this story without understanding how Chicago fits into this new globalizing world. Our city has moved far beyond the ability of our reporters to cover it.'
But not only the city has been on the move. While Chicago advanced, journalism retreated."
... wonderful column about how myopic the local press has been concerning the NATO summit. I, for one, am tired of hearing the press and locals whine about a couple of days of traffic detours. Chicago regularly hosts literally hundreds of thousands of people downtown for summer festivals. These festivals close major streets for weeks at a time. Yes, there will be protesters, yes there is an atmosphere of national and global frustration. Forget '68. NATO itself is basically a relic of the Cold War. It is not the source of global inequality or our present fragile position (though, of course, it is connected). Chicago is up to the task of hosting an international event. The real discussion isn't what is going on in Chicago, its what's happening in the rest of the world.
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