I'm sure we can come up with all sorts of analogies. This is especially true with regard to things that benefits our clique at the expense of others. Stuff like this is called retrospective justification.
Let me provide a business example that is cogent rather than an analogy that is fallacious.
Facebook is also a blogging site. It also has costs that relate to every new blogger. These also must be paid for. Initially they were paid for by the investors in the platform. Bloggers can choose to invest in the platform however 99.99999% don't. This initial investment wasn't magicked up out of nowhere and handed out to a privileged few. They figured out ways to monetize they platform which didn't involve asking the bloggers to pay.
Or in this analogy's terms some people were given free gasoline, some had it heavily subsidised, some paid full price and with HF20 some were expected to buy gasoline not only for themselves but for the people who had snaffled up all the goodies. If you want this to survive get your thinking heads together and figure out a way to monetise the platform. Don't expend new accounts to buy in and prop you up like a giant pyramidal autarky. They will cash in and move to somewhere that offers them the same terms that you were offered. I hear you saying "They will be back when the price goes up. This has happened before". That might have been true but there was no competition then. In investment terms "Past performance is not an indicator of the future".
Bitcoin has lost track that it is meant to be a currency not an investment brand. It seems that Steemit has lost track that it meant to be a blogging platform not a cozy club of oligarchs who demand privilege.
I'm fully aware that some of you will take a pop at me and be rather indignant in your self-perceived righteousness but be aware that I have sweet FA RC and will not be wasting it on people with their fingers in their ears saying "lalalalala".