Thread by @vivamjm

Once upon a time a group of citizens and merchants were happily trading in one of the the world's three biggest medieval walked cities ..
it had expanded to its present size owing to the unimpeded trade & freedoms inside ..

To make things easier and fairer for all they all agreed to one shared authority to determine the rules and set taxes for those outsiders who wanted to trade with those inside . Four of the smaller groups inside were happy with the rules of trade but wanted to set their own taxes

for others including those inside.. they had four seperate mini zones. They did however join most of those inside in not asking for ID for people to go about their daily business. One day this group of citizens were persuaded by some new would be leaders that they would be

better off outside the huge city as they would be able to offer the same levels of trade as those remaining inside but would also get them more business from the rest of the world out there ...because they were special and anyone supporting them was too. The people were persuaded

in the majority but particularly not in groups legally made to be part of the majority .and some had a very special intermixed relationship with some to be left inside the city. Complicated.
This "special" group are now sat outside the city where many of the leaders were

in favour of building no wall around them, expecting others out there can be persuaded to open their gates to their traders in return through this unilateral generosity to them. The other walled cities are rubbing their hands at the prospect & opportunities for *their* merchants.

They've no intention of being charitable to the "special" ones. Why should they be? They're not persuaded by any claim that they are "special"..but instead are now sitting vulnerable & desperate for trade into their cities .In the meantime the former walled city they were part of

has agreed to keeping their gates fully open until a new arrangement on trade can be met .. in further meantime a plague descended on the world impacting on their abilities to trade or make new arrangements . Never mind .. we could extend the open gates period to give more time.

The new leaders of the outside group however declined it. They wanted their gates closed by the end of the year even though they knew there would not be enough trained personnel to process and monitor the goods now coming from the big city ..no problem they said "we can offer to

let your goods in with limited controls and no testing for six months ..that would also include goods legaly *transiting* through your big city from other "cities" ..would you do same?"
The big city was not so inclined to become a smugglers utopia so they declined.

The group outside were a little perturbed at this but knew they now had no choice but to unilaterally keep their gates opened as they depended rather a lot on the produce from the big city especially food and medicines ..and until they had the facilities and manpower now needed

to control the business it was the only option .. taking control without the ability to actually do so seemed a little contradictory to some but they were readily dismissed as traitors .This new group of leaders were determined to show the big city who's boss and despite their

self inflicted time limit they're now a few weeks from having the big city gates closed without the ability to handle the situation ..even if they can get that gate opened just a little in a last minute "deal" to build on. Their merchants are becoming more frantic by the prospect

of (at the most) a gate only slightly open for their (especially perishable) merchandise to squeeze and be processed through ..bad!
But still remain cowed by the fanatics leading a mass of still expectant people into a better sunny uplands future.
There is not a happy ending