The Tragedy of Oldtown Square
An Allegory
In the heart of an ancient city, Oldtown Square had long been a haven of shared land and tradition. Its people were diverse but bound together by mutual respect and a commitment to preserving the delicate balance of the community. At the center of the square stood Witness, a humble guardian who had tended the land for generations. Witness’s role was not to rule but to remind everyone that the land was shared, that no single group could claim it as their own.
Faith and Tradition arrived in Oldtown Square after suffering the unimaginable loss of their only child. They were broken, seeking solace, and found it in the square’s quiet rhythms. Under Witness’s guidance, Faith began organizing festivals that celebrated the square’s diversity, while Tradition took on the task of preserving the old ways. Together, they began to heal, finding purpose in the community.
But deep inside, Tradition was haunted. The loss of his child had left him afraid, unsure of the future. He couldn’t shake the feeling that everything he had rebuilt could be taken away, just like before. His fear grew, fed by the uncertainty of the world beyond the square’s walls. While Faith found peace in the community, Tradition began to feel restless, insecure, and vulnerable.
Then, Vision arrived.
Vision was magnetic—charming, confident, and full of grand promises about the future. "The world outside is dangerous," Vision told Tradition. "You can’t rely on the old ways to protect you anymore. You need to secure what’s yours, or it will be taken from you. Build the walls before it’s too late. This is how we take back control of Oldtown Square. Look around—everyone else is already doing it. If you wait, you’ll be left vulnerable, just like the others who lost everything” (1).
At first, Tradition resisted. Witness had taught him the value of sharing the land, of working together. But Vision’s words spoke to the fear that had taken root in his heart. "Witness means well," Vision said softly, "but they’re blind to reality. The world has changed. If you don’t act now, you will lose everything. Strength is the only way forward. You’ve seen it before—loss comes to those who hesitate. This isn’t about peace, Tradition—it’s about survival. You have to live by the sword now” (2).
Faith sensed that something was wrong. Tradition had grown distant, less involved in the community. When she asked him about it, he brushed her off, saying, "I’m just trying to keep us safe." But Faith wasn’t convinced. She remembered the promises they had made to Witness, to protect the land together.
Meanwhile, Vision continued to whisper in Tradition’s ear. "Witness doesn’t understand the truth of the world anymore. You can’t survive by sharing the land. If you don’t build walls and take control, others will come and take it from you. The world is no longer about cooperation—it’s about dominance and security. Look at the others—they’ve already started securing what’s theirs” (3).
Tradition began to act. He quietly spread rumors about Witness, suggesting that they were out of touch, that they didn’t understand the threats the community faced. "Witness is keeping us weak," Tradition told others in the square. "They are stuck in the past. We need to think about the future—look at what happened beyond the walls when people trusted too easily. They were overrun."
Suspicion spread, and soon others began to question Witness’s role. "Perhaps Tradition is right," some said. "Maybe Witness doesn’t understand the world we live in now."
Encouraged by Vision, Tradition took even more drastic measures. He started building walls around the square, cutting off parts of the land that had once been shared by all. "This is necessary," Vision said. "If you don’t secure the land, someone else will. Expansion is the only way to protect yourself. Look at the world beyond these walls. They won’t stop until they’ve taken everything. The land belongs to those who have the strength to hold it" (4). Vision’s rhetoric drew from a twisted sense of destiny, convincing Tradition that securing and expanding the land was their right and responsibility.
Witness, watching in sorrow, tried to speak with Tradition. "The land belongs to all of us," they said. "You’re building walls that divide us, walls that will only lead to isolation and fear."
But Tradition was beyond listening. "You don’t understand," he snapped. "The world is different now. If we don’t protect ourselves, we’ll be destroyed. The only way to survive is through strength. Look around you! Those who didn’t protect themselves were taken over. If we don’t act now, others will come in, and we’ll lose everything we’ve built here. We need to protect ourselves, build walls, and make sure the land belongs to us. I’m doing this to keep us safe—no one else will" (5).
As the walls rose, Vision sensed another opportunity. "It’s not just the land you need to secure, Tradition. There are people among us who don’t share our values, who threaten the very stability of Oldtown Square. They don’t belong here. You’ve seen the signs—Witness’s followers, those who resist the walls, are keeping us weak. They could be working against us, sowing doubt and chaos from within. If you don’t act now, they’ll destroy everything we’ve built" (6). Vision’s rhetoric fed on growing paranoia, suggesting that unseen enemies from within were conspiring to destroy Oldtown Square.
Tradition, now fully consumed by fear, turned against Witness. "I’ve seen the signs," he said. "There are those among us who don’t truly belong—who undermine everything we’re trying to protect. They whisper doubts about the walls, about safety. If we don’t root them out now, they’ll destroy us from the inside. We need to act before it’s too late, before they poison the minds of the others" (7).
One night, fueled by Vision’s paranoia, Tradition sent men to confront Witness. "You don’t belong here anymore," they said. "You’ve held us back for too long."
Witness, though wounded, tried to reason with them. "This land is for all of us," they said. "We can live in peace if we share it."
But the men, consumed by fear, attacked Witness. They left them beaten and broken, their blood soaking into the earth they had cared for.
Faith, watching from afar, rushed to Witness’s side. "What have we done?" she cried. "We promised to care for this land together, but we’ve let fear tear us apart."
Witness, though barely able to speak, looked up at Faith. "It’s not too late," they whispered. "The land remembers our promises. If you and Tradition can find your way back to each other, you can heal this place."
Faith, heartbroken, sought out Tradition. She found him standing by the walls he had built. "This isn’t what we wanted," she said. "We came here to heal, but instead, we’ve destroyed everything that mattered."
Tradition, seeing the blood on Faith’s hands and realizing the violence he had caused, broke down. "I thought I could protect us," he whispered, "but I was wrong. I’ve hurt Witness. I’ve hurt you."
Faith reached out her hand. "We can still make things right," she said. "But we have to tear down these walls."
Together, Faith and Tradition returned to Witness. They began the difficult work of dismantling the walls, of healing the land and the relationships they had broken. As they rebuilt the square, Tradition realized that true security came not from walls or dominance, but from trust, cooperation, and the bonds they shared with each other.
Footnotes & Attribution
Paraphrased from Donald Trump’s rhetoric during his 2016 campaign: The insistence on building walls and taking control draws from the “Build the Wall” campaign, which justified isolationist policies through fear of external threats.
Paraphrased from Vladimir Jabotinsky’s “iron wall” argument: Vision’s claim that “strength is the only way forward” mirrors Jabotinsky’s advocacy for defensive strength to protect vulnerable communities, which justified territorial control and exclusion.
Paraphrased from Brexit’s “take back control” slogan: Vision’s urging of Tradition to "take control" reflects the rhetoric of Brexit, where fear of losing national autonomy was used to justify exclusionary policies and the breaking of shared ties.
Paraphrased from Manifest Destiny ideology: Vision’s language about "destiny" and "expansion" evokes the logic of Manifest Destiny, which justified territorial expansion and the displacement of indigenous peoples as a moral and inevitable right.
Paraphrased from Vinayak Savarkar’s emphasis on survival through strength: Tradition’s claim that survival requires strength parallels Savarkar’s nationalist ideology, which emphasized the necessity of asserting control to preserve cultural identity.
Paraphrased from the fear-mongering rhetoric of the Salem witch trials: Vision’s fear-driven accusations against Witness’s followers are reminiscent of the paranoia during the Salem witch trials, where suspicion of hidden enemies led to unjust purges.
Paraphrased from M.S. Golwalkar’s exclusionary rhetoric in Hindutva: Vision’s suggestion that Tradition must root out those who don’t belong mirrors the exclusionary policies advocated by Golwalkar, where minorities were seen as threats to national identity.