When the wasp larva hatches it begins to feed on the still-living spider. After consuming the edible parts of the spider, the larva spins a silk cocoon and pupates – usually emerging as an adult the next summer. Some ceropalines lay the egg on a still-active spider, where it feeds externally on hemolymph. In time, that spider will die, and the mature wasp larva will then pupate.
--Image and text courtesy Wikipedia
So how is Mitt Romney like a spider wasp?
As I understand it, and I'm not sure I understand it, Bain Capital functioned by buying up companies, often struggling companies, then borrowing massively using those companies as collateral, not risking their own money, but making the company the borrower. The partners at Bain would pocket large "consulting fees," as board members of the company--now they were attached to the company, not attacking it as a hostile takeover or an outright kill-- like the spider wasp attached to the body of its host, eating away at the still living creature, and, ultimately, the company would collapse, with all souls lost, but Bain walked away richer.
So, on the face of it at least, Mr. Romney and Bain Capital took it's cue from the spider wasp--very similar strategy, similar life cycle.
And this, we are told by the Republicons, is what qualifies Mr. Romney to run the U.S. government.
I guess, he has that plan in place--first you plant the egg: Cut taxes! Then once you've got it growing, you start gobbling up and digesting all those programs like Medicare and Social Security and then when those collapse, you leave those empty shells behind and you go back to private life on Wall Street.
--Image and text courtesy Wikipedia
So how is Mitt Romney like a spider wasp?
As I understand it, and I'm not sure I understand it, Bain Capital functioned by buying up companies, often struggling companies, then borrowing massively using those companies as collateral, not risking their own money, but making the company the borrower. The partners at Bain would pocket large "consulting fees," as board members of the company--now they were attached to the company, not attacking it as a hostile takeover or an outright kill-- like the spider wasp attached to the body of its host, eating away at the still living creature, and, ultimately, the company would collapse, with all souls lost, but Bain walked away richer.
So, on the face of it at least, Mr. Romney and Bain Capital took it's cue from the spider wasp--very similar strategy, similar life cycle.
And this, we are told by the Republicons, is what qualifies Mr. Romney to run the U.S. government.
I guess, he has that plan in place--first you plant the egg: Cut taxes! Then once you've got it growing, you start gobbling up and digesting all those programs like Medicare and Social Security and then when those collapse, you leave those empty shells behind and you go back to private life on Wall Street.
How clever of Mad Dog to spot the uncanny similarity between Mitt and a parasitic insect, that's great! Also thanks for the tip on the New Yorker article "Schmooze or Lose"-I read it the other night-what a heartwarming bedtime story. The amount of money and power up for grabs is so staggering it would seem any meaningful campaign finance reform ,operative word being meaningful , is a long way off. So the question is-in this case do the ends justify the means? Should Obama continue taking the high road as the fundraising situation becomes so lopsided he'll eventually be taking a knife to a gun fight? Or, should he hop off the high road fast and get busy slapping some backs? Although standing by your convictions and not being a suck up is very admirable, I suspect our admiration will be of limited consolation to him or the country if in January 2013 he's back in Chicago designing his Presidential library.
ReplyDeleteThe things Mr. Obama has to do, which he has not been good about doing, is massaging the egos of rich people, posing for grip and grin photo's, stopping by their table at banquets, things Clinton loved doing but Obama finds repugnant. It's sad to think the big money people cannot see the fate of the Republic is more important than their own sense of importance, but I guess a lot of big money people did not get that way without blinding egos.
ReplyDelete--Mad Dog
Agreed.
ReplyDelete