# Entities formed with the sole or primary purpose of bringing about their own demise/destruction **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 23, 2012, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entities-formed-with-the-sole-or-primary-purpose-of-bringing-about-their-own-demise-destruction/613676 "2012-02-23T00:29:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entities-formed-with-the-sole-or-primary-purpose-of-bringing-about-their-own-demise-destruction/613676/21 "2012-02-23T14:11:46Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > However, if a bomb destroys _ **only** _ itself, it’s probably not served its purpose. > > It’s a borderline case, at best. Yeah, but it does happen all the time with bombs. Just because a non-zero (actually a pretty high) failure rate exists doesn’t necessarily make it “borderline” ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entities-formed-with-the-sole-or-primary-purpose-of-bringing-about-their-own-demise-destruction/613676/22 "2012-02-23T14:44:35Z")
The menstrual cycle. When it’s on, it’s busy turning itself off. When it’s off, it’s busy turning itself on. ---
**Author:** ![pdunderhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4bbf92/32.png) [@pdunderhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pdunderhill)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entities-formed-with-the-sole-or-primary-purpose-of-bringing-about-their-own-demise-destruction/613676/23 "2012-02-23T14:48:24Z")
Here’s an idea, what about that part of the WHO, World Health Organisation, dedicated to eliminating Polio? Peter ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entities-formed-with-the-sole-or-primary-purpose-of-bringing-about-their-own-demise-destruction/613676/24 "2012-02-23T14:55:08Z")
The National Procrastinators Society. The next meeting time is TBA. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entities-formed-with-the-sole-or-primary-purpose-of-bringing-about-their-own-demise-destruction/613676/25 "2012-02-23T15:34:29Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Yeah, but it does happen all the time with bombs. Just because a non-zero (actually a pretty high) failure rate exists doesn’t necessarily make it “borderline” But when it does only destroy itself, it’s a failure, not a fulfilment of purpose - therefore the purpose is not primarily to destroy itself. That’s the dividing line, to my mind. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entities-formed-with-the-sole-or-primary-purpose-of-bringing-about-their-own-demise-destruction/613676/26 "2012-02-23T15:40:51Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > The National Procrastinators Society. > > The next meeting time is TBA. I once took a course on procrastination. I showed up for the first class and they flunked me. (ba-da-Bomp-(tissssssss)) ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entities-formed-with-the-sole-or-primary-purpose-of-bringing-about-their-own-demise-destruction/613676/27 "2012-02-23T15:45:20Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I once took a course on procrastination. > > I showed up for the first class and they flunked me. Not right away, I hope. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entities-formed-with-the-sole-or-primary-purpose-of-bringing-about-their-own-demise-destruction/613676/28 "2012-02-23T15:54:52Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > The menstrual cycle. When it’s on, it’s busy turning itself off. When it’s off, it’s busy turning itself on. To be fair, the same could be said for dozens, if not hundreds or thousands, of other biological cycles. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entities-formed-with-the-sole-or-primary-purpose-of-bringing-about-their-own-demise-destruction/613676/29 "2012-02-23T16:23:10Z")
Charlie Sheen? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entities-formed-with-the-sole-or-primary-purpose-of-bringing-about-their-own-demise-destruction/613676/30 "2012-02-23T16:30:51Z")
> [@Greg\_Charles](#): > > If we cure cancer, then no more American Cancer Society. Only if nobody is ever diagnosed with cancer again. Otherwise, even if many of the charity’s goals have been achieved, patients would still need different kinds of support after diagnosis. ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entities-formed-with-the-sole-or-primary-purpose-of-bringing-about-their-own-demise-destruction/613676/31 "2012-02-23T16:34:21Z")
The parts of a cell involving apoptosis. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entities-formed-with-the-sole-or-primary-purpose-of-bringing-about-their-own-demise-destruction/613676/32 "2012-02-23T16:41:26Z")
How about the [Voluntary Human Exinction Movement](http://www.vhemt.org/)? ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entities-formed-with-the-sole-or-primary-purpose-of-bringing-about-their-own-demise-destruction/613676/33 "2012-02-23T17:43:20Z")
[Motors Liquidation Company](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motors_Liquidation_Company) may be an example of what the OP is asking for. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entities-formed-with-the-sole-or-primary-purpose-of-bringing-about-their-own-demise-destruction/613676/34 "2012-02-23T22:01:34Z")
How about movie models and props? Crews spend hundreds of hours constructing detailed scale models of planes, trains, & death stars fully cognizent of the fact that their efforts will wind up scattered across a warehouse floor somewhere. Less so with improvements in CGI, but still. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entities-formed-with-the-sole-or-primary-purpose-of-bringing-about-their-own-demise-destruction/613676/35 "2012-02-24T04:14:35Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > The last Legislative Council of New Zealand (the then-upper house of the Parliament) was packed with a “suicide squad” appointed to abolish the house. The [del]first[/del], [del]only[/del], only democraticly elected _Volkskammer_ of East Germany had a mandate focused entirely on dissolving the state getting it’s territory annexed to West Germany. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entities-formed-with-the-sole-or-primary-purpose-of-bringing-about-their-own-demise-destruction/613676/36 "2012-02-24T05:31:43Z")
A lot of trusts are like this. People often think of trusts as either a 19th century form of corporate organization that lead to monopoly abuses or things rich people set up for their family. Both of those things are true but a trust is generically just a special type of legal relationship that can be put to many different uses. One type of trust is a natural resource trust. The “Great Northern Iron Ore Trust” is essentially a legal vehicle which owns rights to collect fees or royalties on a large swathe of land in the Mesabi Iron Range in Minnesota. It was created in 1906 by the people who ran the Great Northern Railroad Company and is still in effect today, but it is basically hard coded to eventually die. In just a few years now 20 years will have passed since the death of the last person explicitly named in the original trust document, and at that point no new person can buy into the trust (right now you can buy into it on the open market.) After that it will continue to exist to distribute earnings and such but will slowly die down. Some natural resource trusts are tied specifically to a certain supply of natural resources, and the ones tied to non-renewable resources are expected to dissolve at some point. (These create interesting investment vehicles by the way, with extremely high dividend yields of 10% and sometimes higher, but the share price in these trusts is essentially guaranteed to decrease over time as the trust’s legal lifetime comes to an end.) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entities-formed-with-the-sole-or-primary-purpose-of-bringing-about-their-own-demise-destruction/613676/37 "2012-02-24T05:38:47Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Some organizations just change their goals, though. The March of Dimes would be a classic example. Originally, they were meant to stamp out polio. With this done, they switched to premature birth. Excellent choice! They’ll never eliminate that. Even babies born 5 minutes early can keep them in the fundraising game. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entities-formed-with-the-sole-or-primary-purpose-of-bringing-about-their-own-demise-destruction/613676/38 "2012-02-24T12:57:35Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > [Motors Liquidation Company](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motors_Liquidation_Company) may be an example of what the OP is asking for. There’s a similar entity for Chrysler’s unwanted assets. I think it’s called “Old Carco.” ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entities-formed-with-the-sole-or-primary-purpose-of-bringing-about-their-own-demise-destruction/613676/39 "2012-02-24T13:06:09Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Excellent choice! They’ll never eliminate that. Even babies born 5 minutes early can keep them in the fundraising game. I feel that, in this case, your cynicism isn’t warranted. They didn’t eliminate birth defects, either, or even SIDS. They raised a ton of awareness, brought the rates of their various goal ailments WAY down, and then looked at the new normal and said, “Yep, this is about as far as we can reasonably go with this one without throwing money down a hole; let’s find a new goal.” When they look at their graphs and see the numbers of preemies leveling off at a new, lower number, they’ll find something else to work on. Seriously…there’s not another charitable organization I love more than The March of Dimes, and I’m usually a cynical bastard about nonprofits. They rock. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entities-formed-with-the-sole-or-primary-purpose-of-bringing-about-their-own-demise-destruction/613676/40 "2012-02-24T13:18:44Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Excellent choice! They’ll never eliminate that. Even babies born 5 minutes early can keep them in the fundraising game. As **WhyNot** points out, not really. And I support MoD for the same reasons she does. They’re a good group that does good work. Their main mission is to make sure that babies are born healthy, and to support the families of children who aren’t. They do this by funding research and raising awareness of birth defects, premature birth, and just about anything that will ensure healthy babies. Hell, some of the research they did on Group B strep made sure that the sprog was born healthy and, more importantly, lived long enough to see his one-month birthday. I make sure I send them a few bucks every year to celebrate that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entities-formed-with-the-sole-or-primary-purpose-of-bringing-about-their-own-demise-destruction/613676.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entities-formed-with-the-sole-or-primary-purpose-of-bringing-about-their-own-demise-destruction/613676.md?page=3)