Imagine you live in a small town in the hinterland.
Imagine the authorities in power ask you to contribute some money towards building a big amusement park in the capital city.
Now imagine, year after year, you hear impressive things about the amusement park—how new rides are being added, and how more and more people visit every year.
Pretty soon, you learn that entrance tickets are now difficult to get and getting more expensive. There’s a waiting list and entry criteria. But the amusement park continues to attract even more visitors each year.
Then one day, you say to yourself: “I need to go and see what the fuss is all about.” You work out the entry criteria and fill in the proper forms. You pay the steep entry fees. Then you patiently wait for your turn, all the while thinking about the fun you and your family will have.
One day, your turn comes. As you enter the amusement park, clutching your ticket, you look around and find people attempting to enjoy the rides.
What you also realise is that the park is really crowded. Certain popular rides have long queues. The food is expensive. The hotel is expensive. There is even a queue at the toilets. Then you wonder—why would people wait and struggle to come in the first place?
Then you see new visitors arriving through the gates. A little bit of hate starts to develop in your heart as you realise that the wait and the queues will only increase. You want the park authorities to stop the entry of people for a while. Then, to your horror, you spy people attempting to climb over the walls. You feel cheated given the effort you made to enter the park through the proper channels.
There is now a general lack of warmth, as people inside the park are increasingly losing their patience and empathy. An accidental bump turns into a heated argument.
You look at your children to see if they are still having fun. They seem to be—but you can see what their future will be like. The struggle they will have.
You’ve had enough. You make your way towards the exit. Only to discover that not only is there a long queue to exit, but there is also an exit fee. You check your wallet to see if you have enough money to leave.
What happens next…?
Fish Eye View 