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HughBeaumont

(24,461 posts)
33. Some observations . . .
Thu Dec 29, 2011, 01:51 PM
Dec 2011

Our workplace is an earth-toned or prison-grey fabric-covered box.

We spend half to 2/3rds of our day doing something related to work.

Most American families are one major illness or one unforseen accident/quadruple-digit home repair from losing everything they worked so hard for.

Unless you’re a doctor or a lawyer or a multi-millionaire, most of us go to work with a 600 pound anvil on our backs that says "You could be NEXT, Peon!"

The American savings rate is now negative thanks to wages not being able to keep up with the rising cost of living.

You're told to perpetually retrain and go to college while people WITH Bachelors degrees and MBAs are getting fired from corporations and small businesses monthly.

You're told to perpetually retrain and go to college when your pocket can't even afford a yoga class.

Sex happens once a week (or once a month . . . . Or once every two months, for some of us) thanks to overwork.

Most of the food we eat is processed.

Most of us are more likely to see a UFO than a comfortable retirement (if any retirement at all).

Anti-depressant use being on the rise . . . Gee THAT one's a puzzler . . .

We're supposed to "compete" instead of "cooperate".

Funny how nobody ever tells the wealthy "You need to know what it's like to FAIL; otherwise, you'll be complacent and never get anywhere in life".

Corporate taxes are low. Taxes on the wealthy are low. Corporations are sitting on tons of cash. Stock markets are doing great for the 1%. Is that whole . . . "trickle down" thing going to happen "any day now" or do I have to wait a leeeetle bit longer?

Why do we work harder than Germans? [View all] Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 OP
"Shut up and go back to your cubical" FreakinDJ Dec 2011 #1
Dumber? More indoctrinated? More broke? nt bemildred Dec 2011 #2
All of the above? OR a nefarious capitalistic system that is a slave driver? I think the latter Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #11
Last year, I had a horrible cold. Javaman Dec 2011 #3
Worker drones is what workers are in the U.S. - perfect name. Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #7
"American dream" ideology keeps Americans at work longer Bragi Dec 2011 #4
We are disposable and are disposed of every day. Javaman Dec 2011 #6
The American Dream was a nice piece of propaganda. It sounds great on paper and in movies. Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #15
Agreed, the truth lies in statistics, not anecdotes Bragi Dec 2011 #27
People need to make that clear to others, so finally the myth of the American Dream will die. Part Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #29
Yep Bragi Dec 2011 #32
And that's a huge part of the message of OCCUPY. Thank goodness for OCCUPY and ANONYMOUS nt Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #43
there are still a lot of people who believe in the "dream" Nostalgic Dec 2011 #66
As has already been pointed out by greater minds than mine: JDPriestly Dec 2011 #52
The American Dream continues to be a dream and not a reality. nt Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #55
I tend to refer to it as the American Nightmare - TBF Dec 2011 #61
LOL! I loved and love George Carlin nt Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #64
omg I never thought of it that way. Nostalgic Dec 2011 #65
Americans waste their time AT work izquierdista Dec 2011 #5
I'm sure that can happen. After all, they expect you to not waste 1 second. nt Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #9
I guess that depends on the type of job dana_b Dec 2011 #46
We are conditioned. Turbineguy Dec 2011 #8
Yup, the American workplace is an experiment with hamster-people. nt Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #10
see my post at #6. nt Javaman Dec 2011 #12
Because our safety net is weak cthulu2016 Dec 2011 #13
Exactly. And the fact that American corporations took jobs out of here and took them elsewhere Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #18
Good old American-style Calvinism hifiguy Dec 2011 #14
EXACTLY! The employer here is a king. The workers are the serfs. You know what's funny? Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #17
Calvin was so obnoxious that hifiguy Dec 2011 #23
LOL! Serves him right. I didn't know that, by the way. Now I think I want to read his bio. Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #28
one reason SixthSense Dec 2011 #16
Que? gater Dec 2011 #25
sadly SixthSense Dec 2011 #26
What the relevant and precise amount of work-hours going into our NATO commitments LanternWaste Dec 2011 #34
not sure where I'd get the numbers to calculate that SixthSense Dec 2011 #36
You made the assertion that Americans work harder to fulfill our commitment to NATO LanternWaste Dec 2011 #38
A lot of spending is fungible SixthSense Dec 2011 #41
Are the theaters really that separate? JDPriestly Dec 2011 #53
Post removed Post removed Dec 2011 #19
That's partly it. Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #20
Also, when we are working there is a whole "LOOK BUSY" mentality. Odin2005 Dec 2011 #21
YES! That 'look busy' mentality is sick, and typically only found in third world nations. nt Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #22
Jesus is coming. hifiguy Dec 2011 #24
Well they went through terrible events in the 20th century Drale Dec 2011 #30
Because Germans were witness to a dictatorial regime that took them into an unnecessary Lint Head Dec 2011 #31
Kaiser Wilhelm? nt Snake Alchemist Dec 2011 #35
Maybe so. However, the French workers have it even better. nt Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #40
Some observations . . . HughBeaumont Dec 2011 #33
This is the best description of the American worker's life I have ever seen. Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #39
That is a brilliant and accurate description of the hifiguy Dec 2011 #59
Incredibly strict immigration laws? Snake Alchemist Dec 2011 #37
I'm not a good one to ask about immigration. I think Mexicans clearly are not occupying... Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #42
Not sure what this has to do with my response. Snake Alchemist Dec 2011 #44
Brown nosing and yes men are as American as apple pie. Tierra_y_Libertad Dec 2011 #45
Which brings up a question: how are Americans raised to be this way? Is it the very concept of the Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #48
America has made "working hard" into a moral issue and an indication of "worthiness". Tierra_y_Libertad Dec 2011 #49
"Why do we work harder than Germans?" MilesColtrane Dec 2011 #47
+1 obnoxiousdrunk Dec 2011 #50
There are several people in my office today, hacking and sneezing. lapislzi Dec 2011 #51
It's the American way! Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #54
Do they really get paid more? hfojvt Dec 2011 #56
Well, when I lived abroad years ago, I went as a school teacher. I had taught here... Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #57
The huge difference is made up of the welfare safety net and health care, I think KitSileya Dec 2011 #58
Thank you so much for posting this. I think sometimes we Americans are ignorant of how others live Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #63
right now I have 36 days of sick leave hfojvt Dec 2011 #68
Because the PTB like it that way. Rex Dec 2011 #60
workers are part of decision teams RainDog Dec 2011 #62
They don't seem to have greater productivity. dems_rightnow Dec 2011 #67
The Puritan-Ethic is pervasive and long-lasting SoCalDem Dec 2011 #69
Definitely. Problem is, other former Protestant ethic countries got healed.... Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #73
kr Great thread. I experienced this in retail. Norrin Radd Dec 2011 #70
Thanks! The 'look busy' bs, you mean? nt Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #71
We're Americans Proud Liberal Dem Dec 2011 #72
Many reasons, but I believe it's because of our lack of universal health care Politicub Dec 2011 #74
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