Thomas the Tank Engine and the perils of off-shoring

The New York Times has a parable for today:

There’s another Thomas story, called “Cranky Bugs,” that comes to mind here. In it, a big crane named Cranky is mean to Thomas and his friend Percy, another little train car on the Island of Sodor. Eventually, though, Thomas and Percy manage to knock over Cranky. After that, he stops being such a bully — because, as the story concludes, “he knows they may bite back.”