Why our people earn less and less

Der Spiegel ^ | 16.10.2006 | Gabor Steingart

[Rummenigge]

Asia is fast developing into an economic powerhouse, with China and India gradually transforming themselves into the new masters of the universe. Meanwhile, the West faces the prospect of losing the globalization game, as European labor is devalued -- by the millions.

[TADSLOS]

Because Germans (and western Europeans in general) work less and less...yet demand the same level of work benefits, social programs and social welfare that they have become accustomed to from decades of socialism.

[Thrownatbirth]

The French found a nifty way to eliminate pensioners from the dole but got grilled in the press, so to speak.

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

I agree.

[Rummenigge]

I understood:

Time is the fire we are burning in. We are suffering a strong case of holistic bureacratic foot dragging.

Printing dollars and euros is not creating anything of value really.

Innovation needs the acceptance of technology not EPA the greens and Al Gores anti technology campaigns.

Europeans are still under the influence of the blooming and flowering 80s - still stuck in distributing the wealth that is long gone. So are organizations in the US like the UAW.

Since we now agree on all of that - what do we do now ?

[Rummenigge]

David Kaspar hates Germany.

[Rummenigge]

Your optimism is tempting. I can't share it. If china needs to sell lot's of dollars shit will hit the fan - not only in china.

[Tenacious 1]

You asked for it.

This article may be more appropriate for Germany than the US. However, I submit to you that the article misses the most important part and provides a sort of "out of our control" excuse for the decrease in a standard of living.

Here in about 10 minutes, America will officially be 300 million strong. And there are folks that are convinced that there are too many of us using up the worlds resources, yadda yadda yadda. The population of a nation has little to do with its economic wealth. The most important factor is productivity per citizen. On this planet, no nation even comes close to the output of American citizen (person for person that is). Before you argue about it, remember, children in a factory in some third world country are making X amount of shoes per day, while 50 line workers here in a factory can pump out a 100 of automobiles. The comparison is tough to measure apples to apples.

Here is the point. Americans are motivated to work harder and sometimes longer because they are adequately rewarded for their effort. They are also more innovative because they want to be more productive because they are adequately rewarded for their effort. In Europe, where the freedoms they once enjoyed are now stifled by oppressive socialization, high taxes, mandated equal pay, constant leisure and a lack of motivation, citizens do not produce (on average, person for person) like Americans.

What about those wacky Asians you say? Well, the stereo type we have of hard working Japanese we have comes from none other than, our media. Yes, in their largest cities, there are die hard workaholics just as there are here. The Chinese seem to produce a lot, but ironically, they don't produce enough, person for person, to provide for their own citizens. Most of their population produce only enough to survive.

Europeans are comfortable with their status quo. They do not work to hard, they don't expect much in return, and the government takes care of what's left. American's are greedy and able. We'll work harder for things we want (sometimes to the point of diminishing our family values).

The major difference and that which the article failed to mention? American is still a very free country. Our economy is driven by the entrepreneurial spirit of our people. We believe we can get ahead of the Jone's by out working them. So we do. We use the worlds most resources to churn out the worlds most products and drive the worlds economy.

All that said, I believe we are headed in the wrong direction (towards a European model) and need to get back to our roots. We need to considerably downsize our government and continue to leave our economy in the hands or our working citizens.

[Tenacious 1]

[Another issue we face is US state education system turning out youth that are ill prepared for the workplace. I expect the US to have a shortage of suitable professionals to supply our industries.]

We already have a shortage in my industry. But it is not for lack of education. It is for an abundance of work. This is a good problem to have (until your company is short staffed and working everybody like dogs). Then again, it makes the bonus pool phat.

[DH]

Very good response. I'm impressed.

[Rummenigge]

If your workers (i don't meen engineers) are willing to compete with millions and millions of 3$ chineese that's all fun and games.

In the end maybe their salaries will meet in the middle. Wich would be (due to the large number of asian workers) 3.10 $.

If they worked with the spirits you summoned maybe it's going to be even 3.12 $.

[Theophilus]

• The most valuable commodity in Germany are Germans
• The most valuable commodity in China are Chinese
• The most valuable commodity in America are Americans

The sooner governments and even more importantly, the people, realize this, the better theirs economies will be in the long run.

America 300 million strong - and growing!!!

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

Your pink flamingo comment really hit the nail on the head. China has a bumpy road ahead. Not only will its population decline, but with its shortage of women, one wonders what that might cause. More homosexuality? More men going to other countries for wives? More men going to other countries? More domestic violence (fighting over women)?

[Tenacious 1]

On the world stage, it is not about how much money each individual makes. The currency issue is does not translate into wealth. You can only measure an economy by the standard of living. In Zimbabawe, factory workers are making millions of dollars (whatever their currency is) a week. Of course a house costs hundreds of millions. In fact, I think bread now costs almost a million $. There are not very many wealthy folks (by the standard of living) left in that country.

[Beagle8U]

"The most valuable commodity in America are Americans "

How valuable are all those auto workers in the jobs bank that get $30 hr to set on their a$$ doing nothing?

What is the value of all the welfare leeches that never will work?

How much are the communists in the teachers union worth if the public schools in inner cities turn out students that are too stupid to work in a factory?

[Rummenigge]

I know that... it's not the average the people earn it's the median.

And the healthcare and the schools available for reasonable money and and and... in the moment I guess scandinavia is the place to live.

[Rummenigge]

This is true. Heads count. I only hope we will manage to integrate what is immmigrating. We can only do so by having more european unity rather then this bannana authorities and UKIP BS.

If the EU doesn't love itself , how could immigrants want to becomme european.

[Theophilus]

Spare the tares for the sake of the wheat.

Matthew 13:28-30

28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

[Tenacious 1]

[How valuable are all those auto workers in the jobs bank that get $30 hr to set on their a$$ doing nothing?

What is the value of all the welfare leeches that never will work?

How much are the communists in the teachers union worth if the public schools in inner cities turn out students that are too stupid to work in a factory?]

I hate to say it, but you are nitpicking. Before you get excited about that remark, let me explain. Take a step back and look at the big picture. Under 4% of the US population is without work. Some would argue that those are the folks that work to avoid working. When you measure this up against our economic competition in the world, we are way ahead. So it holds that the most valuable commodity in America are Americans. Person for person, we produce more, earn more and live better. American's are not going to other countries to get better jobs. And there is apparently enough work here to keep all of us employed (big picture - 4% still equals 12,000,000 of 300,000,000).

[Gritty]

The taxes in Germany are high, and everything is expensive. A gallon of gas costs $6.50.

Socialism costs money, and lots of it!

[Beagle8U]

Fine, but the tares(rats) trample the wheat before it can grow. Then at harvest they demand an equal share of what is left.