Despite the outward appearances of glamour, attending the Forum has become a supreme and unending torment of logistical hassles, astonishing costs, and physical deprivation—exhaustion, dehydration, hunger, and angst. But this is also central to the experience, a feeling of overwhelming befuddlement tinged with elation that you are somewhere that is supposed to signify your own importance in the momentous sweep of history—a ridiculous yet highly effective means of motivating people to keep showing up.
