In our casual study of the behavior of our local elected officials we have observed a rather disturbing thing: their treatment by the bureaucrats, local media, and even their own political consultants that is remarkably similar to the treatment received by the queen within the hives and nests of certain social insects.
Their psychological needs are carefully ministered to; their egos are carefully tended and stroked; their sustenance is provided in the form of ceremonial activities and dutiful obeisances pleasantly doled out by a superficially sycophantic crowd.
And there they are: voluntarily trapped in an official cocoon in which their votes are almost as perfunctory as the myriad pupae produced by a termite queen. And like the queen that grows ever larger and ever more constrained by her own girth, our pols become ever more dependent on their handlers.
Even the campaign consultants who are supposed to be working for the politician come to control the behavior of their candidate – stressing useless and harmless “issues” and actually avoiding anything that could possibly be construed as controversial – like actually trying to reform government stuff that just doesn’t work very well.
Just check out any of the websites of these poor creatures, trapped by their own fear and ambition. In the ones where there actually is any content (lots of “coming soon”s) it’s just blather: cliches, nonsense and double-talk, spit out to positively dodge saying anything substantive.
And there you have it friends: the Termite Queen Syndrome.