Dung Beetles over Politicians

Dung beetles are ubiquitous. In part, because man has intentionally spread their species in order to take advantage of the benefits of their presence – although the arguments pro and con continue in New Zealand. Most dung beetles gather dung, roll it into balls, and remove it from the point of origin to some more desirable place. In doing so, they have effect upon the ecosystem – usually beneficial, sometimes consequential. Dung beetles have been classified as rollers, tunnelers, and dwellers. That is, they create round balls of dung from which to feed and within which to breed, or they bury dung where they find it, or they simply burrow into the dung and live there.

Politicians are ubiquitous. In part, because man has imagined benefit from collective action and therefore has created a need for collective governance – although anarchists might argue. Politicians gather dung, ball it up, and sometimes move it from place of origin to new frontier. In doing so, they have significant effect upon society – with unpredictable results fraught with unintended consequences. Politicians can be classified as rollers, tunnelers, and dwellers. That is, they create a ball of dung upon which they feed and within which they breed, or they bury their dung where they find it and return frequently to that site for sustenance, or they simply burrow into their dung where they find it and live there without further reference to the outside world.

They seem to differ in their collectivism. Dung beetles are selfish – my life, my dung, my benefit, get your own. Politicians are selfless – I share my dung to enhance your life, for your benefit, let’s work together my way. But both have been known to steal the dung of a rival motivated by these incongruous selfish and selfless ideals.

Dung beetles are described as having created something out of nothing. Politicians are more likely to create nothing out of something.

Dung beetles navigate by reference to the Milky Way – the only known insects to do so. Politicians dwell within communities that have never seen natural light and so must create their own – they call it vision.

Dung beetles provide great benefit to the natural environment. Politicians are more likely to exploit the natural environment.

Dung beetles are important contributors to the survival of mankind. Politicians are not.

Pardon my cynicism.

The National Park Reserve Memorandum that was signed this week brought me to this point where I would rather befriend a dung beetle than a politician.

Suffrage is a burden, but I am still looking.

Stuart Syme