The "Other" Deficit

It’s hard to find a newspaper or newscast that doesn’t include some reference to the deficit. And we all recognize the term to specifically refer to our present financial situation. There is another deficit running through our country and I’d say the failure to address it holds far more dire consequences.

The “other” deficit is one of faith in the various systems and organizations created to provide an orderly resolution to the problems we face everyday. The latest example of this faith deficit was last week’s air raid on an IRS building in Austin, TX. The seemingly mild-mannered pilot flew his small aircraft into a particular building for a particular reason. He is being painted as a lone crazy. While I agree that he was acting alone, I believe his “craziness” would be better described as an utter loss of faith in a system supposed to hear grievances and settle disputes fairly. I believe this guy lost all hope and, in its place, became desperate with nothing to lose and nothing of promise in his future.

We’’ll return to this particular event in a moment, but let’s first take a look at some specific social deficits:

1. The corporate morality deficit: With ever burgeoning executive pay and a wider gap between those that have and have not, American businesses have lost their moral compass (conscience, if you prefer). No one expects the demise of the profit motive but too few are gaining on the backs of the too many.
2. The respect deficit: From the workplace to the family room, respect is so scarce that, if it were an animal, it would be an endangered species. Figures that once enjoyed respect due to their position are ridiculed and ignored. Parents find an abyss of disdain as they attempt to instill a sense of responsibility and accountability in their children.
3. The recognition deficit: It seems that the ability to recognize other perspectives and individuals as possessing any type of validity is rapidly disappearing. We ignore the homeless and we disregard opinions that run counter to our set of beliefs. “I” and “we” have usurped “you” to the point where compromise in society, business, or politics borders on the impossible.

As this societal, corporate, and political deficit worsens, folks lose hope. They lose faith in the future and the ability to believe that the “system” will work for them. They are isolated and frustrated with nowhere to turn. So they become desperate and the illogical quickly becomes reasonable: if I’m going down, I’m going to take someone with me who’s responsible for my plight.

Such is the case with the Texan pilot and the IRS, I’d say. Or the teacher denied tenure or the worker bee passed over for promotion. Without faith in the system and hope for a better result, violence should not be a surprising end game. What is to be done?

An excellent question, but to answer it we must first acknowledge the problem. And therein lies the rub: no one within the maze of political or social departments can afford to admit that these acts of violence are something more than random, lone-wolf events. To do so would also acknowledge the inability to carry out their mandates of fairness, progress, and the reasonable settlement of disputes. Don’t expect anyone to stand up anywhere and say that they’re dong a lousy job. Keep in mind that even the lowest peon on any organizational chart is trying to keep that paycheck coming in. No, there’ll be no mea culpa from our powers-that-be and that only ensures similar examples of this “other” deficit will continue.

We are all beset with an endless list of demands and bad news. To throw our hands up in surrender solves nothing. Let us try to find that one ray of sun peeking out amongst the storm clouds. It may be just a thread, but it offers us something to grasp as we try to find that elusive better day. I may well be preaching to the choir, but it falls upon us choristers to try and keep our brethren from falling prey to this “other”, more dangerous deficiency.