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1. Americans live to work. That reputation is not for nothing.
2. The phrase 'Quality of Life' means very little to Americans.
3. Americans believe they are (and have) the best of everything.
Some people love to work...the ones that do have the Quality of Life. Unfortunately, those that don't love to work still expect to have the best of everything, though.
Every nation no matter where it stands economically is continuously rising up from somewhere. And yes, Europe was still rising from the ashes of WW2, even in the 1960's, just as the US was continuing it's rise from the Great Depression.
So we're still rising up from the Black Death then?
Just because Americans don't decide to be drifters that hitch hike or backpack across Europe doesn't mean anything. Who the hell cares about that. I see the youngens really care about dumb things like that. Like that is soooo important in life. It is fun to do I'm sure, but not a life must.
I would love to travel like that across thw world for 4 or 6 months, there is a itch in me that always wanted that. However given that the average allowance of a vacation is 2 weeks in America and a lot of companies won't let you take more than a week at once plus the fact that the average American makes 40k to 70k traveling to europe or the other side is not feasable.
In 2007 after I sold my house I took time off from having a job for 6 months and travelled a lot of America. It was a healing and mind widening experience. I have been responsible my whole life holding a job and paying bills but after a while it gets to you (me), is that all life is, punching a clock and mailing off bills? So yeah I say do it, travel and back pack while you are still young and grow from it. You have your whole life to work and pay bills after. Unless you want to travel when you are old and tired and not be able to live vibrantly.
Yeah, that is essentially one week where american college students go party in warmer climates - usually Florida...but sometimes Mexico, Jamaica, etc. They party with generally other American college students for a week, then go back to taking college classes again immediately right afterwards.
But, the OP is thinking of something different. As a previous backpacker backpacker...i.e. myself as a young person who traveled for six months to a year at a time going from hostel to hostel to hostel and country to country to country. The regular theme of that is you meet tons and tons of Europeans, Australians, Israelis, Asians, even Latinos....but you almost never ever meet Americans doing that. Almost unheard of.
It might have been that way, but that has changed. I've had two experiences abroad with hostels, both in Barcelona, right when the euro was at its peak value. Plenty of young Americans at both hostels.
Some people love to work...the ones that do have the Quality of Life. Unfortunately, those that don't love to work still expect to have the best of everything, though.
What are you talking about?
I can't believe the quality of life that I have and I don't work myself to the bone and not enjoy it.
I provide my employer with a fair day's work, and the rest of the time is mine.
Geez, generalize much?
This is almost the most ridiculous post in this thread.
____________
BTW, I'm spending my weekend in Prague.
It's one of the fastest moving cities in Europe; those of you who live in the US and don't travel or know anything about the world crack me up.
You're usually the most vocal about how terrible and pathetic other countries are.
How absurd; Europe is exciting and vibrant (try a bit of time in Vienna, Florence, Prague, London, Brussels, Rothenberg, etc). The quality of life I find here is wonderful.
Work is not the be all and end all of life; family and community is.
It's not so much about things, it's about life, contentment and happiness.
Then again, I've lived in and traveled in the US and Asia as well.
I'll most likely retire to SE Asia.
The United States is an empty shell with nice scenery filled with discontent people.
It's an angry and violent country with little draw for me.
I can, and do, do better outside of its borders.
So keep dismissing places you've never been and a life you've never led.
I expect no less from most Americans; and that's truly sad.
Last edited by chielgirl; 10-28-2010 at 01:31 PM..
The article was written by a committed socialist. He takes the time to rant about a lack of government controlled health care system and other socialist talking points like sfree or subsidized education.
Sure, I wish I had more vacation days, most peopel do. Probably those people in France and Finland want mroe too. It's natural. I used to have four and a half weeks at my old job. I have a new job now and I only have 12 days. Over time that number will go up. I question the writers data that 12 is the average number of vacation days. I've just started a job and I'm already at that number. Also, that doesn't count holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving.
What are you talking about?
I can't believe the quality of life that I have and I don't work myself to the bone and not enjoy it.
I provide my employer with a fair day's work, and the rest of the time is mine.
Geez, generalize much?
This is almost the most ridiculous post in this thread.
____________
BTW, I'm spending my weekend in Prague.
It's one of the fastest moving cities in Europe; those of you who live in the US and don't travel or know anything about the world crack me up.
You're usually the most vocal about how terrible and pathetic other countries are.
How absurd; Europe is exciting and vibrant (try a bit of time in Vienna, Florence, Prague, London, Brussels, Rothenberg, etc). The quality of life I find here is wonderful.
Work is not the be all and end all of life; family and community is.
It's not so much about things, it's about life, contentment and happiness.
Then again, I've lived in and traveled in the US and Asia as well.
I'll most likely retire to SE Asia.
The United States is an empty shell with nice scenery filled with discontent people.
It's an angry and violent country with little draw for me.
I can, and do, do better outside of its borders.
So keep dismissing places you've never been and a life you've never led.
I expect no less from most Americans; and that's truly sad.
You're so deliriously happy living abroad, yet feel the need to frequent an American politics board to spread misery and hate.
If America is so vile, perhaps you should renounce your citizenship, and become a true ex-pat. Seems the honorable thing to do.
Some truths to the article, but much of it is inexcusable hyperbole and pretentious snobbery.
For the parts that I agree with: Americans work more than MANY other industrial nations. We actually work too much for too little, considering how wages have not kept up with productivity. Some of it borders on exploitation of workers at the lower rungs of the ladder. A lot of it has to do with competition driving down wages. Americans definitely need more vacations, as it would help strengthen families, etc. We're like the Japanese in that respect, though even they get about a week more vacation on average. Maybe it's that hard to shake puritan work ethic thing. Oh, and we really need to figure out healthcare in such a way that it's guaranteed to all while maintaining the free market innovations that private healthcare provides.
Income wise, Americans have the most disposable income overall, so it's not exactly a valid point that Americans don't have the money to do what they want. Maybe they SPEND it differently, and have different priorities:
"Quality of Life" is subjective, and often depends on which study du jour is making the ranking. For example:
The U.S. ranks first among the G8 nations in quality of life according to another recent study by JPC-SED. This Quality of Life indicator takes into account the average life span, healthcare system, productivity numbers, higher education levels and gross domestic product in each country.
Of the 30 nations listed in the study (most of them non-G8 members), the U.S. was seventh overall while Japan, France and Germany were 14th, 15th, and 16th respectively. The top Quality of Life countries were Luxembourg (#1), Norway (#2), Switzerland (#3), Denmark (#4), Sweden (#5) and Iceland (#6)."
As much as I'd like to think it's fair to compare a complex nation of 310 million to a nation of 300,000 though (Iceland) or even just a few million (most Scandanavian countries), I just cannot. It'd be like comparing New York to Wyoming. Is that REALLY a fair comparison?
I think the problem is that Americans tend to enjoy material possessions over travelling. I am guilty of it myself. I enjoy having the car that I have. I could probably have a car for 1/2 the price and take an extra holiday, but I really like my car, so am I a bad person?
And really, geography DOES have a LOT to do with this, in terms of whether someone is "travelled." If I lived in Norway, I'd have to escape to Spain to enjoy some nice sunny beaches. It would cost about as much and take about as much time as the average New Yorker who hops a 2.5 hour Jet Blue flight to Florida for $70. Similarly, if I, a Floridan, want to go skiing, I have to go to Colorado or Vermont. A Californian can stay in state and have everything from desert to ocean to mountain skiing. I wouldn't begrudge them for going to their own backyard rather than flying to Mount Blanc. That "accident of geography" affects how we live and how travelled we are to "different locations."
Again, I live at the southern half of very large state. It takes me a long time to drive to any other state. However, visiting friends in Delaware this past weekend, I was in three states within an hour, from the big city to the mountains. Being in South Florida, however, I have better options for travel to the Caribbean and South America for cheap. I can go the Bahamas for $99 on a weekend cruise.
I get and understand that Americans don't HAVE to travel elsewhere to experience different climes and geography, however. I love to travel internationally and experience other cultures, but I do not begrudge others that I know that prefer to spend quiet vacations in the blue ridge mountains rather than in the Pyrennes.
I am all about letting people live the way they want to live. As long as people are happy, then I don't care if they want to live provincial existences. It would be helpful if those who are not very travelled would stop talking with first hand knowledge about "how things are compared to the US" if they've never experienced anything but the US and/or Canada, but overall, if "happiness" is taken into account, the US is doing ok, even compared to some of the other paradises cited by the OP's article:
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Over time that number will go up. I question the writers data that 12 is the average number of vacation days. I've just started a job and I'm already at that number. Also, that doesn't count holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving.
