Wednesday, May 18, 2005

French Lose a Holiday, but Many, Angry, Take One Anyway


I saw this amusing article in the New York Times about a bunch of French protesting a loss of a holiday. It just goes to show how impotent labor is in this country. I just can't imagine this many people mobilizing over a labor issue. It's too bad labor has declined so much in this country.

I also think it has a lot to do with American values. We place so much emphasis on work that we lose sight of other values like leisure. Granted, the French sometimes take things to the opposite extreme, and perhaps why their economy is so stagnant. But I still think we place far too much emphasis on competition and work and not enough on other, less tangible values.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

We lose sight of leisure? Are you serious? In this country values like hard work and discipline are forgotten.

Secondly, work, not leisure, is the fundamental human activity. You should know that.

Thirdly, get a job you goddamn dirty hippie.

6:26 PM  
Blogger Sharon said...

Anonymous is just PLAIN WRONG....I think we in america work too hard....I work from six to six practically seven days a week....I was in the military and I worked just as hard....My doctor said back in 1999 that my blood pressure has been running high ever since 1996 and it showed a tendency to spike higher each time I had a spike and stay up longer...it is from working long hours and not getting enough rest and relaxation...I am just wondering how the change in Day Light savings time is gonna benefit ME?!! We have lost sight of leasure...I need to be running and exercising in addition to just popping a daily blood pressure but how do you make time for it when you work 12 hours a day?!!! When you get off you have things to do just to get ready for the next day....They only thing I really can do is too look for jobs that are not so demanding but that also entails looking for one with good benefits and good pay...The reason I have to work at least 60 hours a week is because I pay almost 6oo bucks in health/dental insurance and if I don't work at least 60 hours a week my check will be just over 500 bucks a pay check....For a while I was working 48/36 and I bought just over 500 bucks a a pay check so I can attest to this...It is the overtime that saves me....

1:31 PM  

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