Enlarging the hole

[motico]

What is the meaning of the expression in bold? Thanks!

"Thus, the management is not just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, it's enlarging the hole below the water line."

[Raymott]

What is the meaning of the expression in bold? Thanks!

"Thus, the management is not just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, it's enlarging the hole below the water line."

Really?
It means that they are making it even more likely that the Titanic will sink, and sooner, because a hole below the water line will let in sea water; and a larger hole will make it sink quicker.
That's the concrete explanation, from which I hope you can derive the metaphorical meaning.

[Barb_D]

This is the second time I"ve seen the expression about rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic in two days. How odd.

Did you understand that part? What happened to the Titanic? How meaningful would it be to rearrange chairs? Can you understand that metaphor?

[motico]

This is the second time I"ve seen the expression about rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic in two days. How odd.

Did you understand that part? What happened to the Titanic? How meaningful would it be to rearrange chairs? Can you understand that metaphor?

Maybe rearranging the chairs on the deck is intended to delude the passengers that everything is alright, while, in fact, the ship is sinking with the crew accelerating it by enlarging the hole below the water line.

[bhaisahab]

Maybe rearranging the chairs on the deck is intended to delude the passengers that everything is alright, while, in fact, the ship is sinking with the crew accelerating it by enlarging the hole below the water line.

No, it's not to do with deluding the passengers, moving the deckchairs on a sinking ship is a pointless activity. The part about enlarging the hole doesn't really work with the part about rearranging the deckchairs.

[SoothingDave]

What is the meaning of the expression in bold? Thanks!

"Thus, the management is not just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, it's enlarging the hole below the water line."

If you want to bring about the point that the management is actively bringing the organization down, I would say that they were pumping water more in.

It's an odd phrase, for sure, but I think pumping more water in is a more natural thing than enlarging the hole.

[Barb_D]

Another way to say the deck chairs expression is that you're stomping on the fireants while the elephants are stampeding.

Both mean you're doing something pointless when there is a real problem that you're ignoring.