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#76 2009-09-30 7:47 pm
Re: World Bank to US: Drop dead
Pariah wrote:
The Germans succeed because they have a plan, we have no plan and are actually opposed to having a plan.
That I can actually agree with - but that has nothing to do with how unionized or how short their work week is.
In her right hand Jenny held the Bible of her mother
Jenny had a pistol in the other
-- Steve Taylor
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#77 2009-09-30 7:51 pm
- bratboy
- laden with emotion
- Royal Wombat
- From: Austin, Texas
- Registered: 2003-01-19
- Posts: 34106
Re: World Bank to US: Drop dead
They're apparently not hurting too much.
"One thing we've learned is there's a difference between being disappointed and having madmen in authority."
--Paul Krugman
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#78 2009-09-30 7:59 pm
Re: World Bank to US: Drop dead
Don't they enjoy a lengthy (compared to U.S.) vacation benefit as well?
Brigid O'Shaughnessy: I haven't lived a good life. I've been bad, worse than you could know.
Sam Spade: You know, that's good, because if you actually were as innocent as you pretend to be, we'd never get anywhere.
http://sitruc.blip.tv/file/2661495/
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#79 2009-09-30 8:06 pm
Re: World Bank to US: Drop dead
Yes they do.
When times are good, benefits are good.
Same is true here in the US.
Germany's economy will have trouble in the future, and will recover after that, and will have trouble again, etc.
Don't make the mistake that is so commonly made of thinking that good times will last forever. They never do. It's cyclical and it always has been cyclical. It wasn't that long ago when Germany had extremely high unemployment. Remember the case where they wanted to place an unemployed woman in a brothel because they didn't have other work for her? That was just a few years ago if I recall.
Their unemployment rate is still somewhat high, I think 8% last time I looked. It would probably be higher if they worked 40 hour weeks.
They have it good right now, and I'm happy for them, but don't be a fool and think they found some magic formula that will keep it that way. Other countries will start producing many of the goods they currently produce, just like India started computer programming back in the 90s.
In her right hand Jenny held the Bible of her mother
Jenny had a pistol in the other
-- Steve Taylor
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#80 2009-09-30 8:08 pm
- DukeofNuke
- Free Radical
- From: Hazard
- Registered: 2003-05-02
- Posts: 2563
Re: World Bank to US: Drop dead
"If you want to kick a tiger in the ass, you better have a plan for dealing with his teeth."
- Tom Clancy
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#81 2009-09-30 8:10 pm
- Tallgeese
- Sternly Advising
- From: Pool Party
- Registered: 2000-10-17
- Posts: 34102
Re: World Bank to US: Drop dead
The point is that despite having vacation time, unions, good wages, and time off for frivolous things like "having children", they have good economic times. And despite crushing all of these things, we still have hard economic times.
I still believe in liberalism today as much as I ever did, but, oh, there was a happy time when I believed in liberals.
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#82 2009-09-30 8:10 pm
- Tallgeese
- Sternly Advising
- From: Pool Party
- Registered: 2000-10-17
- Posts: 34102
Re: World Bank to US: Drop dead
daemon wrote:
Don't they enjoy a lengthy (compared to U.S.) vacation benefit as well?
Any positive number is larger than zero.
I still believe in liberalism today as much as I ever did, but, oh, there was a happy time when I believed in liberals.
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#83 2009-09-30 8:12 pm
Re: World Bank to US: Drop dead
Tallgeese wrote:
The point is that despite having vacation time, unions, good wages, and time off for frivolous things like "having children", they have good economic times. And despite crushing all of these things, we still have hard economic times.
We haven't crushed all of those things.
In her right hand Jenny held the Bible of her mother
Jenny had a pistol in the other
-- Steve Taylor
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#84 2009-09-30 8:19 pm
- Tallgeese
- Sternly Advising
- From: Pool Party
- Registered: 2000-10-17
- Posts: 34102
Re: World Bank to US: Drop dead
Unions are at a low, wages have not grown compared to productivity, and only recently was unpaid maternity leave mandated.
I still believe in liberalism today as much as I ever did, but, oh, there was a happy time when I believed in liberals.
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#85 2009-09-30 9:34 pm
- JakeTheTall
- Cargo Cultist
- From: In Permanent Opposition
- Registered: 2003-03-13
- Posts: 9615
Re: World Bank to US: Drop dead
resedit wrote:
It wasn't that long ago when Germany had extremely high unemployment.
Yeah ! Just because they reunified with the economically barren East Germany, they should have been able to keep unemployment down !! Yeah !
Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet." They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew.
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#86 2009-10-01 8:39 am
- ShnickyShnack
- ::: title edited due to Satanic influences :::
- From: Rockin' out
- Registered: 2001-05-25
- Posts: 22237
Re: World Bank to US: Drop dead
resedit wrote:
Pariah wrote:
The Germans succeed because they have a plan, we have no plan and are actually opposed to having a plan.
That I can actually agree with - but that has nothing to do with how unionized or how short their work week is.
Those things (and more) improve the quality of life of ordinary people.
The point is, the people can share in the overall economic progress of the country without harming that progress.
Don't you think it would be better if ordinary Americans had higher wages? More holiday time? Guaranteed health care? More job security? Family-friendly policies like extended parental leave? Stuff like that? Wouldn't that be an improvement?
Note: please delete this post.
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#87 2009-10-01 8:41 am
- bratboy
- laden with emotion
- Royal Wombat
- From: Austin, Texas
- Registered: 2003-01-19
- Posts: 34106
Re: World Bank to US: Drop dead
the market is not pleased with your suggestion
"One thing we've learned is there's a difference between being disappointed and having madmen in authority."
--Paul Krugman
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#88 2009-10-01 8:46 am
- ShnickyShnack
- ::: title edited due to Satanic influences :::
- From: Rockin' out
- Registered: 2001-05-25
- Posts: 22237
Re: World Bank to US: Drop dead
The market can suck it.
Note: please delete this post.
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#89 2009-10-01 8:54 am
- DukeofNuke
- Free Radical
- From: Hazard
- Registered: 2003-05-02
- Posts: 2563
Re: World Bank to US: Drop dead
I invoke the Golden Rule
"If you want to kick a tiger in the ass, you better have a plan for dealing with his teeth."
- Tom Clancy
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#90 2009-10-01 7:31 pm
- Pariah
- James Carville Fan..
- From: Belly Of The Beast, Oklahoma!
- Registered: 2001-05-24
- Posts: 18425
Re: World Bank to US: Drop dead
ShnickyShnack wrote:
The market can suck it.
"and it's not surprising that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."
Barack Obama
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#91 2009-10-01 7:35 pm
Re: World Bank to US: Drop dead
x3
Brigid O'Shaughnessy: I haven't lived a good life. I've been bad, worse than you could know.
Sam Spade: You know, that's good, because if you actually were as innocent as you pretend to be, we'd never get anywhere.
http://sitruc.blip.tv/file/2661495/
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#92 2009-10-01 8:29 pm
- wellfleation
- High on Life
- From: Metheun, Mass.
- Registered: 2001-11-13
- Posts: 8684
Re: World Bank to US: Drop dead
And as I've said many times, oil should not even be involved in Wall Street. Take it out today! Just speculation on this one commodity effects the middle class tremendously. From filling your tank to buying, well, everything. This seems like a no brainer to me.
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#93 2009-10-03 2:07 pm
- MysticCow
- Junior Assistant Poobah (Probationary)
- From: Somewhere
- Registered: 2002-07-29
- Posts: 3953
Re: World Bank to US: Drop dead
ShnickyShnack wrote:
Don't you think it would be better if ordinary Americans had higher wages?
No because steering us away from a debt ridden society and into a resource based (rather than profit based) would be much better than higher wages any day.
More holiday time?
Can't argue there. I'd love more holiday time.
Guaranteed health care?
Treat health care like a resource instead of something for a profit and you would even see Canada's health care program go up in flames for this.
More job security?
If you're good at your job, that's your security. You shouldn't need to have job security legislated and if you need it, there's something significantly wrong in the system.
Family-friendly policies like extended parental leave?
Family friendly in the US excludes gays and lesbians, so I'd have to pass on that also.
Stuff like that? Wouldn't that be an improvement?
Only one of those things are definite improvements.
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#94 2009-10-03 4:14 pm
- Ribtorus
- Member
- Registered: 2002-07-11
- Posts: 13749
Re: World Bank to US: Drop dead
There's the problem.
How to get the participation rate in the economy up. 
when surrounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,
and the women come out to cut up what remains,
just roll to your rifle and blow out your brains,
and go to your god like a soldier...
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