Self licking ice cream cone
The term "self-licking ice cream cone" is a metaphor used to describe a self-perpetuating system that exists primarily to justify its own existence, rather than serving a useful or productive purpose. It often refers to bureaucratic or organizational processes that generate work or results that only benefit the system itself, rather than the broader goals or needs they were initially created to address. In other words, it's a process or entity that maintains itself for its own sake, rather than for an external, meaningful reason.
Some have scaled so large, so embedded, we mistake them for necessary infrastructure. But look closely ! :)