From J-B's Gospel..

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Add three, divide by two, carry the

[j_b]

Just to clarify I neverr said that Dru's post "invalidates" your point. What I said was it reinforces mine. And guess what it does.

 

right, now you are only 99.8% wrong. some ways to go.

[Jim]

Ahh PP no whining now. Your general point, as always, is that we in the US are much better off than our counterparts in the EU, especially stinky-stinky France.

 

From a recent MIT econocics study

The first point I make in my paper is that you have to look behind the basic figures, and then you realise that two things have happened. One is that the productivity (i.e. production per hour) in Europe was roughly thirty per cent lower than in the US in 1970. If you look at today's situation, and particularly the EU-15, you can see that the productivity gap has nearly entirely been made up. There are even some EU countries where productivity is higher than in the US, like in France. The catch-up vis-a-vis the US has been tremendous, with a productivity growth nearly double that of the US.

 

Well, for some countries like France, increased leisure time accounts for most of the GDP gap. But in general, there has been a sharp decline in hours worked per full time worker in Europe. These figures predate policy measures such as the introduction of the 35 hour week in France.

 

So, if you want to caricature the situation, you could say that the Europeans have been much more productive than people in the US, but rather than getting the benefits in the form of higher income, they have chosen more free time.

 

Comparisons of average live span and infant mortality rates are meaningless? The WHO doesn't seem to think so and uses these as part of their overall health assessments. And you're cherry picking specific cancer rate averages as a better comparison? Really now.

 

Amd tossing in the abortion rate in Cuba non sequitir was a nice touch. You forgot the Commie thing.

 

Your point seems to be that money and employment rate is the best indicator of social health. My point is there are a number of other factors, particularly when looking at how weatlh is distributed in the US, that provide an indicator of social well being.

[Peter_Puget]

just a simplistic and extreme example of how national averages mean different realities:

 

country A: 10 people make 20k per year, one person makes 2millions per year. average: 200k

 

country B: 2 @ 20k, 2 @ 40k, 2@ 60k, 2 @ 80k, 2 @ 100k, and 1 @ 200k. average: ~73k

 

country A has ~3 times the average income of country B yet it is obvious which has most below the poverty line.

 

Good J_B! You're getting it and even thinking the idea was your own. But you seem to be suggesting that a comparison of say China and let's say Monaco is meaningful!

[Jim]

Hmm, what do you know. France does better in child mortality AND life expectancy. We're ranked with that economic powerhouse - Greece.

 

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004393.html

[Jim]

Infant Mortality Rate (per 1,000 live births):

 

United States 10.4

United Kingdom 9.4

Germany 8.5

Denmark 8.1

Canada 7.9

Norway 7.9

Netherlands 7.8

Switzerland 6.8

Finland 5.9

Sweden 5.9

Japan 5.0

 

Death rate of 1-to-4 year olds (per community of 200,000 per year):

 

United States 101.5

Japan 92.2

Norway 90.2

Denmark 85.1

France 84.9

United Kingdom 82.2

Canada 82.1

Netherlands 80.3

Germany 77.6

Switzerland 72.5

Sweden 64.7

Finland 53.3

 

Death rate of 15-to-24 year olds (per community of 200,000 per year):

 

United States 203

Switzerland 175

Canada 161

France 156

Finland 154

Norway 128

Germany 122

Denmark 120

United Kingdom 114

Sweden 109

Japan 96

Netherlands 90

Note: the murder rate for the above age group is 48.8 per 200,000. Even subtracting this entirely still puts the U.S. near the top of the list.

 

Premature Death (years of life lost before the age of 64 per 100 people):

 

United States 5.8 years

Denmark 4.9

Finland 4.8

Canada 4.5

Germany 4.5

United Kingdom 4.4

Norway 4.3

Switzerland 4.1

Netherlands 4.0

Sweden 3.8

Japan 3.3

 

Percent of people with normal body mass:

 

Men Women

Germany 53% 37

Finland 51 37

United Kingdom 46 38

Canada 52 29

Switzerland 49 30

France 44 30

Denmark 44 25

United States 47 22

Sweden 44 25

Percent of people who believe their health care system needs fundamental change (More):

 

United States 60%

Sweden 58

United Kingdom 52

Japan 47

Netherlands 46

France 42

Canada 38

 

 

[Jim]

A few more interesting stats:

 

WORK AND LEISURE TIME

Note the position of economic powerhouse Germany in the next two lists.

 

 

Average paid vacation per year:

 

Finland 35.0 days

Germany 30.0

France 25.5

Denmark 25.0

Sweden 25.0

United Kingdom 25.0

Netherlands 24.0

Switzerland 22.0

Norway 21.0

United States 12.0

 

Average hours spent watching TV per day:

 

Japan 9:12

United States 7:00

Canada 3:24

United Kingdom 3:10

Germany 2:13

Sweden 2:00

Finland 2:00

Denmark 1:54

Netherlands 1:42

Switzerland 1:34

[KaskadskyjKozak]

A few more interesting stats:

 

WORK AND LEISURE TIME

Note the position of economic powerhouse Germany in the next two lists.

 

 

Average paid vacation per year:

 

Finland 35.0 days

Germany 30.0

France 25.5

Denmark 25.0

Sweden 25.0

United Kingdom 25.0

Netherlands 24.0

Switzerland 22.0

Norway 21.0

United States 12.0

 

Average hours spent watching TV per day:

 

Japan 9:12

United States 7:00

Canada 3:24

United Kingdom 3:10

Germany 2:13

Sweden 2:00

Finland 2:00

Denmark 1:54

Netherlands 1:42

Switzerland 1:34

 

It sure sucks in the US. Guess only a total idiot would read that and want to stay. When are you moving, smart guy?

[Jim]

Not me. I like the place but I'm trying to make it better. How about you? Plus I love my job, work outside a lot and travel.

 

Now it's you're turn to chant USA, USA with you baseball cap on backwards.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Plus I love my job

 

So 12 days of vacation is good enough for you, or did you hit the jackpot and get 15?

[Jim]

Actually 6 weeks this year. I'll not be thinking about you while climbing in the Dolomites for 4 weeks this summer.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Actually 6 weeks this year.

 

This year, or every year? And I suppose you're just worried about the rest of your fellow Americans with their 12 days of vacation. How compassionate of you. I assume that includes all the red-staters with their paltry 10 days PTO?

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Hmm, what do you know. France does better in child mortality AND life expectancy. We're ranked with that economic powerhouse - Greece.

 

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004393.html

 

You should be for higher infant mortality and shorter life expectancies - less humans to destroy the environment. Damn those Europeans.

[Jim]

Actually 6 weeks this year.

 

This year, or every year? And I suppose you're just worried about the rest of your fellow Americans with their 12 days of vacation. How compassionate of you. I assume that includes all the red-staters with their paltry 10 days PTO?

 

Yep - even extends to you. Most folks would like a bit less stress and more time with their family. I cut back to 32 hrs a week when my kid was young, but now that we're have an empty nest I do the 40 hr thing and that comes with a good vacation chunk.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Actually 6 weeks this year.

 

This year, or every year? And I suppose you're just worried about the rest of your fellow Americans with their 12 days of vacation. How compassionate of you. I assume that includes all the red-staters with their paltry 10 days PTO?

 

Yep - even extends to you. Most folks would like a bit less stress and more time with their family. I cut back to 32 hrs a week when my kid was young, but now that we're have an empty nest I do the 40 hr thing and that comes with a good vacation chunk.

 

3 weeks Vacation + 2 weeks of holidays is good enough for me. But I don't work more than 45 hour weeks.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

 

Yep - even extends to you. Most folks would like a bit less stress and more time with their family. I cut back to 32 hrs a week when my kid was young, but now that we're have an empty nest I do the 40 hr thing and that comes with a good vacation chunk.

 

 

Awesome. More people need to be on this train so we can adjust the status quo to more living-centric and less working-centric tendencies!

[Fairweather]

Actually 6 weeks this year. I'll not be thinking about you while climbing in the Dolomites for 4 weeks this summer.

 

Let me guess... a government job? It's interesting that many of those in the public sector take 6 weeks vacation and work a straight 40 (or less) hour week... all-the-while touting their educational credentials as entitlement and claiming there's no place in their department to save taxpayer dollars. Then, hop aboard a fuel guzzling 747 to climb in Europe whilst they decry those other Americans who drive SUV's and 'live too well'! uking graemlin:

 

How much vacation time do you think those in the private sector average, Jim? You know...those poor saps who pay the taxes that go toward your salary and cushy lifestyle. Do you really believe that your place in this society entitles you to such hypocrisy?

 

Also; can I have please two weeks of your vacation time?

[JayB]

Infant Mortality Rate (per 1,000 live births):

 

United States 10.4

United Kingdom 9.4

Germany 8.5

Denmark 8.1

Canada 7.9

Norway 7.9

Netherlands 7.8

Switzerland 6.8

Finland 5.9

Sweden 5.9

Japan 5.0

 

It's worth noting that not all countries, even in the developed world, account for infant mortality in the same manner.

 

CBO Report - Factors Contributing to the Infant Mortality Ranking of the United States.

[rbw1966]

Actually 6 weeks this year. I'll not be thinking about you while climbing in the Dolomites for 4 weeks this summer.

 

Let me guess... a government job? It's interesting that many of those in the public sector take 6 weeks vacation and work a straight 40 (or less) hour week... all-the-while touting their educational credentials as entitlement and claiming there's no place in their department to save taxpayer dollars. Then, hop aboard a fuel guzzling 747 to climb in Europe whilst they decry those other Americans who drive SUV's and 'live too well'! uking graemlin:

 

How much vacation time do you think those in the private sector average, Jim? You know...those poor saps who pay the taxes that go toward your salary and cushy lifestyle. Do you really believe that your place in this society entitles you to such hypocrisy?

 

Also; can I have please two weeks of your vacation time?

 

Some of us negotiate our jobs in the private sector so we get more vacation time.

[Fairweather]

My employer is maximum 4 weeks/yr, no exceptions, all the way to the top. Oh yea, the 50-60 hour work weeks do get old. I don't mind the solid work ethic, but after almost 15 years it's getting kind of old.

 

Listen to me! I sound like one of you pussies!

[foraker]

how about all of our tax dollars going to support those cushy halliburton salaries? what about those?

[AlpineK]

Talking about cutting off funding to military contractors or talking about adding funding to any other government services are both unpatriotic. You should be ashamed

[rbw1966]

I get a sabbatical at my job after 5 years. Paid.

[Roger]

you just don't get it foraker. must be one of them elite smarty-pants lazy liberal hypocrites with educational credentials and a "cushy" lifestyle, like all those school teachers who are making $33k/year.

 

anyway, regarding your halliburton question, here's all you need to know:

corporations = good

government = bad (unless trying to impose certain religious beliefs, then good).

[foraker]

i'm often accused of being liberal because i don't believe throwing money at a war solves the problem...... ;-)