American workers vs "European" workers

[FUNKED1]

You guys beat me to it.  That fable applies perfectly to US government vs. European socialist governments.

[Krusher]

Originally posted by Ripsnort
My only requirement for hours is to put in 40 a week, doesn't matter what time or how.  I create my own schedule, whether it be at home or work.  Virtual office is a great thing.  All salary and most technical workers are offered this too.

same here rip. I go in at 6:30 am so I can be home early and beat the traffic. I have not worked a set 9 to 5 since the late 80's.

between vacation, holidays and paid time off I have over 3 weeks time off. I never take them all and I can roll over a portion of our unused. A funny thing about vacation today at a company meeting we were told to try and take our vacation time more often because we earned it.

[fd ski]

Originally posted by Udie
I haven't had more than a 4 day vacation in over 3 years. ( I don't count the month in rehab, that was more stressful than work!)  I play hard on the weekends though  I can't imagine taking a month off of work.   Seem like you'd get replaced like that, unless everybody was off for that month.  I get 2 weeks sick and 2 weeks vacation,  in 2 more years it goes up to 3 weeks each.  It's not an entitlement though,  it's what the job offered and part of the reason I took it.   Why should anybody be expected to pay anybody for not working?

With love and all Udie, one day you will lose your job, one way or the other. Downsizing or a boss that doesn't like you. Then you'll realize that life != work. While I don't wish you bad, i hope you'll understand that soon. Maybe the other issues would clear up as well.

Work defines who you are in States. It's sad but true. Everything is tied into it. Most people elsewhere treat work as something that suplements and allows you to enjoy life. You here are lead to believe that if you enjoy work - you enjoy life.

Stroll down to Florida sometimes, you'll see 80 year old frail ladies in Stop and Shop bagging groceries. They have more jewlery hanging off them then you can afford - but they take a 5$ /h job, because without it - they don't know who they are. It's a sad sad way to waste your life.

I'm not advocating treating your workplace with disresepect and being a lazy s..t - don't assume the other extreeme. But work and balance can be balanced to provide you with meaningful career and proper personal life.

[Krusher]

Originally posted by beet1e

But the wolf only called back, as he disappeared among the trees: "Good-bye, my poor, poor friend. Enjoy the fine food your master gives you, and the warmth of your home. As for me, I’d rather endure hunger than wear your chains!"

Application: Lean Freedom Is Better Than Fat Slavery.

you have never seen my dog, talk about a dogs life !

[beet1e]

Originally posted by Ripsnort
My only requirement for hours is to put in 40 a week

There you go. 40 hours. For me, that would equate to almost a 6-day week.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by beet1e
There you go. 40 hours. For me, that would equate to almost a 6-day week.

And, it also presses home the validity of the article. Thks for agreeing with it.  We're more productive, nanner nanner naaaaaanerrrrrr

[sonofagun]

Originally posted by Ripsnort
We (but *we* could include UK, since they're considered a "high income" country)  seem to have a better mortality rate though, kinda weird since 60% are indeed overweight.
http://www.worldbank.org/depweb/beyond/beyondco/beg_08.pdf

If my memory of history serves, the founders of our country traveled here looking for religious freedom.  This freedom was not from religion, but to practice the religion.....oh...you said "mortality", not "morality".

Nevermind;)

[ra]

Originally posted by Fishu
Hard to say which is better...  pay taxes and have a cheap health care or have "no" taxes and have things cheap, but pay heartily for education and health care. (unless the job offers health care insurance or whatever..)

American governments spend over 40% of our income, so we do pay taxes.

Public education is paid for out of taxes, so it is "free" by the European definition.  Colleges can be incredibly expensive, but if a student scores high enough  he can earn scholarships and grants to pay for all or most of his expenses.  If I understand the European system, only the brightest get "free" college, so in an indirect way it is similar.  But in America almost every county has a cheap community college where less serious students can take classes in basic things like accounting and computer programming.  And each state has a university which is usually pretty cheap for state residents, and some of those state universities aren't bad.

Most Americans are happy with their health care because they have very generous insurance plans, IMHO too generous.   The flaw is that poor or unemployed people usually have no coverage, and have to pay their own medical bills.  They can still get good medical care, but when they get the bill they may wish they hadn't.

ra

[capt. apathy]

Europeans who cite this study in an effort to bring Americans down a peg or two provide a perfect example of the addled thinking resulting from envy. Harvard students are not famously stretched to pay the rent (parents foot dorm bills) or meet family obligations or medical bills; even the neediest receive subsidies from the richest and most generous university in the world. So, to resort to the vernacular, their talk is cheap: until they earn their livings by the sweat of their own brows, they would do well not to tell pollsters that they prefer earning half as much so long as others earn less.

not suprisingly, those getting a harvard education understand economics a bit better than the author.  the face value of a given amount of money is just an arbitrary number.  the real value is what you can get for that dollar.  if everybody had had twice as much money, then money would be worth half as much.

so the author seems to be to dense to understand that the guy making $50k while others make $25k  is making 4 times the money of the guy who makes $100k, while everyone else is making $200k.

[_Schadenfreude_]

Originally posted by Ripsnort
And, it also presses home the validity of the article. Thks for agreeing with it.  We're more productive, nanner nanner naaaaaanerrrrrr

Just how old are you?

More productive? Who cares

More guns? Who cares

Fat slobs? Who cares

Stupid and ill informed? Who cares

Badly educated? Who cares

Work harder? Who cares

Greedy and repulsive? Who cares

Just stay on your side of the pond please.

[ra]

Somebody needs a vacation.

[Fishu]

Ra,

Living in Finland and comparing to US taxes, it seems as if they don't have taxes worth to mention in US

Over here college is free for all for most parts.. if I did the school comparison right.
lower school -> high school -> college

[Dowding]

Just how old are you?

Ripsnort is 13.3333 years old.

His favourite keyboard keys are ctrl, C and V.

His chief ambition in life is to form his own opinion... an ambition he has yet to fulfill.

hehe

[sonofagun]

Originally posted by Fishu
Ra,

Living in Finland and comparing to US taxes, it seems as if they don't have taxes worth to mention in US

Over here college is free for all for most parts.. if I did the school comparison right.
lower school -> high school -> college

Correct, specifically, elementary school, middle or jr. high school, high school and then college.

College is free for students in some states in their public school system.

Federal grants take care of students who's parents meet certain low income guidelines and for students who are independent and also meet certain low income guidelines.

That's why our taxes are so dang high!

[Udie]

Originally posted by fd ski

With love and all Udie, one day you will lose your job, one way or the other. Downsizing or a boss that doesn't like you. Then you'll realize that life != work. While I don't wish you bad, i hope you'll understand that soon. Maybe the other issues would clear up as well.


  Hmm I don't quite get your meaning here.  I've lost jobs before for both the reasons you listed, and more  I remember the recession of the 80's too.  When I turned 16 I went to go get a job bagging groceries at Randall's.  They turned me away because they had 40 year old dudes with college degrees bagging ans stocking.   I couldn't find a job (other than fast food) until I was 18 or 19 years old, and I got that from a friend who had started his own silk screening business.  

 I don't have too many other isues right now  Thankfully I got most of my mental BS cleared up when I went to rehab last December and got off all those damn phsycotropic meds the shrink had me on.

 Right now with my present financial state (ok there's a big isue ) my job and my ability to work is all I have going for me.  I get paid well for a draftsman, more than any other draftsman I have ever met.  The down side to that is I don't expect much more money out of this career.  So last week I bit the bullet.  I called an old boss and got some contract work from him.  So now I'll work my 40 hours at work plus (hopefully) another 10 or so at home.  The 10 or so at home will net me almost the same money my real job does minus Uncle Sam's extortion.  It's freaking absolutely awesome that I have the ability/right/will to do this.  I love it.   Because with this attitude I can make myself rich with my own 2 hands.  This I know because I watched my father do it over the past 15 years.  From zero (actually negative about $40k) to worth a million on paper and 1/2 that in liquid assets.   All by his own 2 hands.  Because he worked his butt off.    He took his first vacation in 30 years 2 weeks ago.  We went fishing for a weekend.



Work defines who you are in States. It's sad but true. Everything is tied into it. Most people elsewhere treat work as something that suplements and allows you to enjoy life. You here are lead to believe that if you enjoy work - you enjoy life.


 Hmm  I agree and disagree with you here.  Work definitely defines who you are here.  Lack of work does too (bums)  Work to me is something that has to be done.  The first 10 years of my career I hated this.  Now I've changed some.  I look at work as something I can do to make myself a better person.  To further myself materially and as something that I sometimes enjoy now.  I do know that the times that I enjoy my work I seem to be happier in life.  The times that I hate my job I'm usually depressed in life.  Now I don't know if the depression caused the hatred of the job or the otherway around.  But that's been my experience.



Stroll down to Florida sometimes, you'll see 80 year old frail ladies in Stop and Shop bagging groceries. They have more jewlery hanging off them then you can afford - but they take a 5$ /h job, because without it - they don't know who they are. It's a sad sad way to waste your life.



 Double edge sword there.  Was she working because she wanted to or because she has to?  If she wanted to do it, how can you say she's wasting her life if it's something she likes/wants to do?  If she HAS to work, then yes I agree that's a waste.  I look at my step-grandfather.  He's 85 years old.  he retired 20 years ago.  He works out in his field everyday.  I think it's what's kept him alive.  He has something to do.  He enjoys it.  He hates the winter because he has to sit idle.


I'm not advocating treating your workplace with disresepect and being a lazy s..t - don't assume the other extreeme. But work and balance can be balanced to provide you with meaningful career and proper personal life.


  Well my life/work ballance goal is to retire by the time I'm 50-55 60 at the latest.   Then I will murder and eat many many many thousands of fish