Consequences

Eliminating a deficit does just that - it eliminates A deficit. What it does not do is eliminate ALL deficits. Nothing is free or without consequence. A government can cut their spending deficit but in doing so they must create another deficit. Cut healthcare spending, and there are consequences that effect wait times and outcomes. Cut education and you will see an increase of crime and a need to increase policing and incarcerations. There is no such thing as deficit reduction, only deficit reallocation.

Where and how deficit reallocation is applied is a reflection of values and priorities. For politicians, their priorities are bought and paid for by their campaign donors. Political decisions used to be driven by the electoral base but the electoral base no longer has an independent voice. Propaganda in social media and biased press dictate a large percentage of public sentiment. Those with the money have the power to force any public policy they choose.

For martial artists, our approach to deficits is no different. We cannot eliminate all deficits, we can only reallocate them. The one constant we all have in our training is finite time. There are only so many hours in a day to perfect our craft while our bodies continue to age - forcing us to constantly reevaluate where we are and what our priorities should be.

Nothing is for free. Spending time practicing a particular form or technique always comes at the expense of another form or technique that you are forced to neglect. The irony of training in kung fu is that while you are embracing mastery in one aspect of the art, mediocrity is gaining a foothold in another.

The difference between a politician and a martial artist? A martial artist is honest and up front about the of nature of deficits. Knowing where you are and what you are doing ensures deficit reallocation is a direct representation of values and priorities.

“Cutting the deficit by gutting our investments in innovation and education is like lightening an overloaded airplane by removing its engine. It may make you feel like you’re flying high at first, but it wont take long before you feel the impact.” - Barack Obama (b. 1961)