Saturday 15 March 2014

Doublespeak

Recently, due to budgetary constraints, the organization that I work for had a re-structuring in management. They were supposed to be eliminating some of the top (and apparently unnecessary) positions. But, not to worry: eliminating these positions was not going to cost anything in severance packages, because the individuals involved would be re-deployed elsewhere in the organization. What? Their positions are unnecessary and being eliminated as a cost-saving measure, but they're going to be given different positions within the organization. How is that saving any money? Did I miss something here? Or am I just thinking too hard and I'm not meant to recognize the inconsistency in this re-structuring? 
That's not the only example of this inconsistency, but probably one of the most glaring ones. I'm beginning to feel like I walked into a George Orwell book. "All employees are equal, but some are more equal than others." (adapted from Animal Farm). And, of course, it's not just my place of employment that's guilty of this "doublespeak." Many corporations do it, governments do it. Even churches do it. It's not outright lying. It's just twisting the truth in such a way as to make it say something other than what it really means. 
And if you try to dispute a decision that's made in the upper echelons, it's impossible because no one takes responsibility for making that decision. Nevertheless, you must implement it because the "powers that be" said so, even if you believe it to be one of the stupidest decisions ever. There's no accountability, no transparency, and for the "average joe," no recourse if you believe things should be done differently. And the management wonders why they don't have an "engaged" workforce...
Who do you trust? I, personally, do not have a whole lot of faith in people at the top, no matter what organization. As John Dalberg-Acton said, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." It's my observation that, as a general rule, the more power someone has, the more he/she tends to think of him/herself as infallible, above question. But I do question. God gave me a brain and I intend to use it. I see things that don't add up and don't make sense and I question why. But vocalizing my questions and concerns doesn't usually change anything. Instead, the "powers that be" get angry and defensive and accusatory when they are questioned. Because what the "powers that be" fail to understand or accept is that they are not infallible, their judgments are not beyond question. They are not God.   
And only God is absolutely infallible. And only God is absolutely trustworthy. Because only God is absolute Love. And God is never threatened in any way if we question Him. There's no doublespeak with Him, because He is also absolute Truth. 
I place my faith in Him because He has proven Himself to me over and over. I don't always understand His dealings in my life, or in the world, but I can question Him without fear of recrimination. And because He has proven His love for me, I know I can trust Him even when I don't understand. 

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