World

Americans work harder and longer than French

by YankeeJim | June 16, 2010 at 03:34 am

255 views | 0 Recommendations | 4 comments

My Dad retired at age 60, and has been bored ever since, except for all of the girlfriends, I guess. He was a part of the “great generation” the WWII crowd, and he had the same employer all of his working life except when he returned to work as a double-dipper.

I have had to reinvent my career seven times, and I am still inventing. Can’t complain mind you because life is exhilarating all of the time this way. We are confronted with so many confounding problems and challenges in our crowded world that it makes sense to concentrate wisdom and experience to solve them.

The slacker Frenchmen are living the good life, draining the Euro value no doubt. Don’t expect us to bail you out. Drink up. Eat cheese. Have some more gravy.

“UPDATE 2-France lifts retirement age to balance pension books

By Crispian Balmer and Jean-Baptiste Vey

PARIS, June 16 (Reuters) - France's government announced on Wednesday it would raise the retirement age and increase taxes for top earners in a long-awaited reform aimed at balancing the heavily indebted pensions system by 2018.

Under the plan, which is likely to meet trade union resistance, the minimum retirement age will be lifted gradually to 62 in 2018 from 60, and levies on capital gains, stock options and other investment income will all shift higher.”

0 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

pleasereset (not verified)

at 04:11 on June 16th, 2010

Nobody asks for bailing out the French.And yet the French happens to have one of the best productivity worldwide.Americans work "harder" and longer than French, that's no surprise, and no need for such morality judgments. You want to work hard all your life, feel free to do so, even in France. Difference is many people are willing to take some time to live their life too.

YankeeJim

at 04:16 on June 16th, 2010

Vivre et laisser vivre

BelaynehKassaWubie

at 04:36 on June 16th, 2010

But I feel that Americans working harder for say 16-18hrs made them too mechanical than social. Besides, I feel that America's shareholder economic model is devoted only to the few shareholders against the French stakeholder model which considers the society's welbeing at large

YankeeJim

at 05:28 on June 16th, 2010

We got our best ideas from the French, and without them we would not have won our independence from the British. We acquired their taste for fine food and wine, fashion, and such. Yes, Americans need to increase their sense of social responsibility, and that is the best contribution that Barrack Obama brings to the table. There is hope.