On Tue 29 Jul 2003 08:25:27a, Angkor  <void@what.nop> wrote in
news:a8c7e73a1264f75d39a3b1f5d3d46c3b@free.teranews.com: 

> On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 13:59:38 +0200 (CEST), "Omphalos" <omphalos@wp.pl>
> wrote:
> 
>> On Tue 29 Jul 2003 08:13:45a, Angkor  <void@what.nop> wrote in
>> news:1d2bdbf367b8fda01d9c142af644e843@free.teranews.com: 
>>
>>> On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 12:07:10 GMT, Omphalos <omphalos@wp.pl> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> On Tue 29 Jul 2003 04:20:33a, "zolota" <zolota3@REMOVEshaw.ca> wrote
>>>> in news:l7qVa.579581$Vi5.14415479@news1.calgary.shaw.ca: 
>>>>
>>>>> "Kevin Gowen" <kgowenNOSPAM@myfastmail.com> wrote in message
>>>>> news:bfv0la$j85nb$1@ID-105084.news.uni-berlin.de...
>>>>>
>>>>>> Ray Fischer wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Kevin Gowen <kgowenNOSPAM@myfastmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Ray Fischer wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> RonG <rgesell@mb.sympatico.ca> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> On Sat, 26 Jul 2003 05:01:16 +0000, Omphalos wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> For years I always read about how much harder Japanese worked
>>>>>>>>>>> than other countries. Apparently the tide has turned,
>>>>>>>>>>> according to an International Labor Organization report,
>>>>>>>>>>> Americans work more hours now than any country in the world.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Hours worked per year:
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> US   1,979
>>>>>>>>>>> Japan  1,842
>>>>>>>>>>> UK  1,719
>>>>>>>>>>> Germany 1,480
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Productivity per worker (in US $):
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> US  $54,870
>>>>>>>>>>> Belgium $53,370
>>>>>>>>>>> Canada $44,870
>>>>>>>>>>> Japan $40,870
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> If you calculate productivity per hour Belgium and France come
>>>>>>>>>>> out on top.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I think the longer # of hours worked in the US is due to
>>>>>>>>>>> opportunity; there has been a lot of work available in the
>>>>>>>>>>> past decade and people take advantage of it. I would expect
>>>>>>>>>>> lower productivity per worker in Japan since there has always
>>>>>>>>>>> been a lot of overemployment, keeping workers on that you
>>>>>>>>>>> don't really need. This raises business costs but lowers
>>>>>>>>>>> social costs associated with unemployment.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> All things considered, I think I'd rather live in France and
>>>>>>>>>>> have 6 weeks vacation a year.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Don't forget that in USA about 60% of the population is
>>>>>>>>>> employed. In Europe its between 45 and 52%. Not only are are
>>>>>>>>>> Americans earning more,
>>>>>>>>>> but there are more of them earning more.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> But in the US the greater productivity is going to make the
>>>>>>>>> already rich even richer.  Less of that earning actually goes
>>>>>>>>> into the pockets of the earners.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> How so? The already rich are earners.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> They "earn" the wealth generated by others.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Why the scare quotes? It seems to me that they earn wealth by
>>>>>> forming corporation and providing jobs. You nice little scare
>>>>>> quotes suggest that there is something wrong or illegitimate about
>>>>>> this. You can't honestly be objecting to anyone ever having an
>>>>>> employee, right? 
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The US has a high and rapidly growing disparity between rich and
>>>>>>> poor. 
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Cites, if you please? Of course, the disparity does not matter. All
>>>>>> that matters is if the poor are not as poor as they once were. They
>>>>>> aren't. There is no reason to gripe about the disparity except for
>>>>>> jealousy. 
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The increases is worker productivity have resulted not in an
>>>>>>> increase in the incopme of the typical worker,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Let's see some numbers about the typical worker. Of course, I see
>>>>>> little reason why an increase in worker productivity should lead to
>>>>>> just an increase in worker pay. Increase their pay to give them
>>>>>> incentives to work harder, but remember that increased productivity
>>>>>> means a more efficient workforce. That means it is time to fire
>>>>>> some workers. Surely you have noticed that the economy has grown
>>>>>> while unemployment has gone up? 
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> but an enmourmous increase in
>>>>>>> the income of the wealthy corporate executives.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Good for them. The purpose of a corporation is to make a profit for
>>>>>> shareholders, not to pay workers high wages or provide health
>>>>>> insurance. 
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The rich are rich because they keep doing what makes them rich. The
>>>>>> poor are poor because they keep doing what makes them poor.
>>>>> 
>>>>> The american may have the highest income, or the best choice of
>>>>> foods, but does he have the best life? More of his people are in
>>>>> prisons than in any country on earth
>>>>
>>>> That's because we actually punish those who break the law.
>>> 
>>> That's because you have so many more who break the law than any other
>>> country on God's earth.
>>
>> Wrong.
> 
> You have the highest per capita of your population in prison.  You are
> the most criminal society on the planet - deal with it.

So what?

At least we won't end up like Western Europe, where in 50 years the
population will be half of what it is today while the US will continue
growing. Face it, America is still where everyone want to be.