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Author	Topic: "Are the French really that lazy?"	Topic is locked Back to Topics

101Speedster Champion Author Ventura Posts:30,401 Points:2,714,620 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: Feb 24, 2013 10:09:08 PM Ignore 101Speedster Report Abuse Are the French really that lazy? >>A U.S. manufacturing executive ignited a firestorm after calling the French economy uncompetitive due to its unproductive labor force. He has a point. FORTUNE -- The explosive reaction in France to a letter penned by a little-known U.S. tire executive, which questioned the productivity of French workers, has quickly gone from comical to troubling. Instead of opening a discussion in the country as to the possible merits of the executive's views, blind nationalism overtook rational thought, creating an international incident. While the words used by Titan (TWI) chief executive Maurice "the Grizz" Taylor in his letter to a French official were clearly inflammatory, they contained an uncomfortable and inconvenient truth that France's manufacturing base, indeed, its economy as a whole, has become dangerously uncompetitive. The country needs to quickly make some tough labor reforms if it ever intends on getting back on solid economic ground . . .<< Is this Obama's vision of the future of the United States?

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Ventura

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Message Posted: Feb 24, 2013 10:09:08 PM

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Are the French really that lazy?

>>A U.S. manufacturing executive ignited a firestorm after calling the French economy uncompetitive due to its unproductive labor force. He has a point.

FORTUNE -- The explosive reaction in France to a letter penned by a little-known U.S. tire executive, which questioned the productivity of French workers, has quickly gone from comical to troubling. Instead of opening a discussion in the country as to the possible merits of the executive's views, blind nationalism overtook rational thought, creating an international incident.

While the words used by Titan (TWI) chief executive Maurice "the Grizz" Taylor in his letter to a French official were clearly inflammatory, they contained an uncomfortable and inconvenient truth that France's manufacturing base, indeed, its economy as a whole, has become dangerously uncompetitive. The country needs to quickly make some tough labor reforms if it ever intends on getting back on solid economic ground . . .<<

Is this Obama's vision of the future of the United States?

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MarkJames Champion Author Albany Posts:1,286 Points:23,860 Joined:Feb 2008	Message Posted: Apr 4, 2013 12:01:32 PM Ignore MarkJames Report Abuse We have many non immediate relatives that work zero hours, or very few hours. Many are unemployed, unemployable, or work as part-timers and many of their hours vary week to week. Some weeks they receive zero scheduled hours and other weeks they receive scheduled hours, or on-call hours during times they can't or won't work.
Panama19 Champion Author Louisville Posts:25,241 Points:2,540,385 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Apr 4, 2013 12:27:18 AM Ignore Panama19 Report Abuse 101Speedster, "Millions of people in the United States work 0 hours" That doesn't work here either.
101Speedster Champion Author Ventura Posts:30,401 Points:2,714,620 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: Apr 4, 2013 12:25:21 AM Ignore 101Speedster Report Abuse >>"...the French still have the 35-hour week. That can't work when in Switzerland people work 42 hours, in Germany 40 hours."<< Millions of people in the United States work 0 hours.
LTVibe Champion Author Orlando Posts:6,696 Points:523,220 Joined:Mar 2010	Message Posted: Feb 26, 2013 8:26:16 AM Ignore LTVibe Report Abuse >>SS: "France is much older than the USA; and further along on the developmental curve as a nation. France is more mature nation than the USA. If the French have figured out how to run their nation and have more free time for themselves individually; this suggests to me that they are actually more advanced than the USA."<< But France is no 'older', or 'more mature', or 'more advanced' than Germany and Switzerland: "...the French still have the 35-hour week. That can't work when in Switzerland people work 42 hours, in Germany 40 hours." [Edited by: LTVibe at 2/26/2013 8:29:33 AM EST]
101Speedster Champion Author Ventura Posts:30,401 Points:2,714,620 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: Feb 25, 2013 3:27:52 PM Ignore 101Speedster Report Abuse >>They are proud socialists who expect, who DEMAND, big government to take care of them from cradle to grave.<< Isn't that the goal of the Obama administration?
Guitar_Man Champion Author Colorado Springs Posts:8,526 Points:126,430 Joined:Nov 2006	Message Posted: Feb 25, 2013 1:04:53 PM Ignore Guitar_Man Report Abuse They are proud socialists who expect, who DEMAND, big government to take care of them from cradle to grave. I've been there...if they work 3 hours a day in their job then they feel that's enough. Even though the list of PAID government holidays is HUGE the unions will often claim a day off is deserved and nobody will show up for work on a certain day. (And word gets around quick...you wouldn't want to get caught working on a paid day off!) Italy isn't much better, these days. If you're in any store or restaurant at 1 pm be ready to get kicked out because they close from 1-3 pm so everybody can run home and take a nap. It's a totally different mindset over there...most people are dirt poor and live in filthy places with horrible roads but are so very proud that their government cares so much about them. America has much to learn on WHY socialism is NOT what we want....no way.
SemiSteve Champion Author Tampa Posts:14,458 Points:253,830 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Feb 25, 2013 10:21:13 AM Ignore SemiSteve Report Abuse Lazy or smart? It only follows to reason that as human advancement progresses, and new time-saving devices are being constantly invented, that humans would be able to spend less of their time doing labor and more time enjoying life. Unless that whole point of being on this planet is to make some executive richer than the privileged life he was born into. France is much older than the USA; and further along on the developmental curve as a nation. France is more mature nation than the USA. If the French have figured out how to run their nation and have more free time for themselves individually; this suggests to me that they are actually more advanced than the USA. [Edited by: SemiSteve at 2/25/2013 10:21:44 AM EST]
gocatgo Champion Author South Carolina Posts:15,626 Points:2,526,615 Joined:Apr 2006	Message Posted: Feb 25, 2013 9:58:27 AM Ignore gocatgo Report Abuse Going after the french is passe at best. It would appear that the usual greasy freedom fry suspects are still around whining like always. Kiddies it's time to move on.
101Speedster Champion Author Ventura Posts:30,401 Points:2,714,620 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: Feb 25, 2013 9:56:38 AM Ignore 101Speedster Report Abuse >>In fact, the average French employee worked just 1,476 hours in 2011, according to the latest data available from the OECD and the French labor department. In contrast, workers in the U.S. rocked 1,704 hours per year, 21% more than their counterparts in France."<< That is many hours less than what the owner of a private business works. Even if you only worked 40 hours a week, that would be 2,080 hours a year. Those evil "rich" people make too much money. <s>
MarkJames Champion Author Albany Posts:1,286 Points:23,860 Joined:Feb 2008	Message Posted: Feb 25, 2013 9:17:18 AM Ignore MarkJames Report Abuse "But the difficulty in hiring and firing workers is just one defect of the French labor system. Small businesses are particularly hurt by the 35-hour law, which forces employers to pay their hourly workers overtime if they work more than 35 hours a week. As a result, the French work fewer hours than just about anybody in the OECD. In fact, the average French employee worked just 1,476 hours in 2011, according to the latest data available from the OECD and the French labor department. In contrast, workers in the U.S. rocked 1,704 hours per year, 21% more than their counterparts in France."-------I don't know if they're lazy, however their average number of hours worked per year is really low. [Edited by: MarkJames at 2/25/2013 9:17:59 AM EST]
neofinoy Sophomore Author Long Island Posts:182 Points:55,260 Joined:Dec 2012	Message Posted: Feb 24, 2013 11:57:46 PM Ignore neofinoy Report Abuse no idea
Panama19 Champion Author Louisville Posts:25,241 Points:2,540,385 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Feb 24, 2013 11:06:23 PM Ignore Panama19 Report Abuse Yes, they are.
rumbleseat Champion Author Winnipeg Posts:22,905 Points:3,527,565 Joined:Oct 2002	Message Posted: Feb 24, 2013 10:39:02 PM Ignore rumbleseat Report Abuse Remember, this is the guy that plans on having the junkmasters in China make tires for him to sell in the land of Michelin. Guess he likes the idea of paying next to nothing to the Chinese workers who already make the most recalled tires in the world.
101Speedster Champion Author Ventura Posts:30,401 Points:2,714,620 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: Feb 24, 2013 10:23:53 PM Ignore 101Speedster Report Abuse Obama seems to be using France as a model for his dream of our future.
teacher_tim Champion Author Maryland Posts:15,691 Points:744,385 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: Feb 24, 2013 10:13:11 PM Ignore teacher_tim Report Abuse Small wonder that France is joining the PIIGS.