By Don Monkerud, AlterNet. Posted September 3, 2007.

Compared to people in other developed countries, Americans don't ask for more vacation time, don't take all the vacation time their employers give them and continue to work while they are on vacation.

In 1882, New York clamored for an appearance by the champion of laissez-faire capitalism, Herbert Spencer, who provided Charles Darwin with the phrase, "Survival of the fittest."

Spencer agreed to meet the captains of American industry, but his appearance was a disaster. Spencer told the assembly they didn't understand his ideas, for he disapproved of American capitalism. Americans, he claimed, are pathologically obsessed with work.

Overwork risks their mental and physical health and they need a "revised ideal of life" that includes relaxation. "Life is not for learning, nor is life for working," said Spencer, "but learning and working are for life."

Almost 125 years later, Americans still haven't gotten the message. Compared to people in other developed countries, Americans don't ask for more vacation time, don't take all the vacation time their employers give them and continue to work while they are on vacation.

There are a number of theories about why Americans don't demand more vacation time: fear of leaving work that will pile up in their absence; fear that other employees will show more devotion to the job and get promoted above them; a distaste for relating to a mate and children outside of their tightly structured lives; and they've been convinced that economic success depends on subservience to employers who control their work lives. Consider that:

• Some 88 percent of Americans carry electronic devices while on vacation to communicate with work, and 40 percent log-on to check their work email.
• A third of all Americans don't take their allotted vacation and 37 percent never take more than a week at a time.

Many employees have no choice because they are at the bottom of the pay scale and are forced to work to make ends meet. A third of all women and a quarter of all men receive no paid vacation. We've been globalized, downsized and privatized until we are little more than production units.

The U.S. remains the only industrialized country in the world that has no legally mandated annual leave. France leads the world with 30 days off a year. Employees in Britain, German, Australia, Spain and Sweden have 20 or more days off a year, and Canada and Japan have 10 days off, about the same as some American corporations allow their workers. The Chinese get three weeks off a year, and this is only the legally mandated vacation time. Many employees in other countries take six or more weeks off a year (the French average 39 days and the English 24).

Meanwhile, those who profit from our labor amass wealth. For the fifth consecutive year in a row -- a Bush record -- the average American's income remained below what it was in 2000. Those making over $1 million a year (less than a quarter of one percent of all taxpayers) increased their incomes 26 percent, and 62 percent of that increase came from Bush tax cuts on investments: capital gains and dividends.

Our mythology claims the work ethic makes America great, but does it? We have the highest productivity in the world because we work more overtime -- 40 percent of Americans work 50 hours a week and some workweeks typically run 60 to 70 hours.

Workers in France, Ireland, Norway and Holland are more productive than American workers; Germany and Britain lag slightly behind, and all of them have more vacation time than we do.

It's not like we don't need vacations. One in three American workers are chronically overworked and report job stress. We are working longer hours, our jobs are more demanding, and we have more tasks to perform. 40 percent of parents with teenage children report high stress levels, and those making over $50,000 a year report the highest levels of stress.

We can't expect to wait until retirement to have more time off, either. For the first time in history -- another Bush record -- four generations of Americans are now working. After decades of decline, the number of workers 55 and over has increased. Today 6.4 percent of those 75 and older work. The number of those receiving pensions decreased by half since 1980 and the age to receive full Social Security benefits increased to 67. Over 60 percent of those between 55 and 64 in California are working, an increase of 7.4 percent since 1980.

Whether it's greed, an ingrained protestant work ethic, economic necessity or some other reason, there's no excuse for not having mandated vacation time.

No one is ever taken advantage of without their agreement, so perhaps Americans live to work. If not, it's time for Americans to take Herbert Spencer's advice, demand more vacation time, relax and enjoy their lives.

Don Monkerud is an California-based writer who follows cultural, social and political issues. He can be reached at monkerud@cruzio.com .

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The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. United State Constitution, Art. I Sec. 9 Par. 2

"Dissent is the Highest form of Patriotism" -- Howard Zinn

Amen to that brother. It now takes two incomes to do what one income would do 30 years ago (Middle class incomes). Thanks to Reagons trickle down theory etc. Can you imagine a politician brave enough to promote a trickle down theory, like the rich assholes would piss on your head. Hey I'm not saying all rich people are assholes, there must be a couple somewhere that aren't.~LOL~.

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

The total tax bite, counting local, county, state and federal, now stands at roughly 50% of what the American worker earns. End the handouts, both personal and corporate and Mom would be able to stay home to raise the kids again.

I wonder if it ever occures to the author of the article that the reason people are working well into their 70s and even into their 80s is because they WANT to. Americans are living longer than ever, are healther than ever, and still have plenty of energy to offer. Hey, some of us Seniors see no point in retiring and just turning into a vegatable. We still have plenty to offer society ... and don't mind earning a healthy living while we're at it.

So, quit yer bitchin' ...

Vi

PS: Is anyone reading this up to the challenge of looking up the unemployment rates in France and Germany and reporting the numbers back to this thread?

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Liberals are people that will believe anything twice.

i happen to know that france's unemployment is around 9%, people under 25 are the hardest hit because of so many union rules that force employers to retain older workers, give mandatory raises, etc. they can't afford to hire new people.

it's amazing that so many people complain about growing debt, growing taxes and deficits, having less money in the bank, but no one notices how this is all tied in with growing taxes. we're taxed in so many ways you can't even keep track. the most ridiculous thing is that some people actually think the government has a solution to the problem it created in the first place. lol






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"But even when you cease to be slaves, you are yet far removed from being placed on an equality with the white race."

- Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America, Hero to the servants of big government, Racist War Monger

I worked for a company for a short period of time...ok I'll say it, Boeing. I was amazed at the amount of 70+ years olds still working there. Then I realized that most of these clowns sit around all day and don't do much of anything. Shit, if I could make upwards of $100k-120k a year and not do anything I would work until I couldnt take a piss without assistance as well.....and it would not have suprised me if some of these guys were in that very same boat.

I blame modern invention over the fact we can't take a normal vacation. Everyone has a cell phone and a computer these days. Most americans, due to these inventions, have a now, now, now attitude.

"I blame modern invention over the fact we can't take a normal vacation. Everyone has a cell phone and a computer these days. Most americans, due to these inventions, have a now, now, now attitude."

I've been thinking about that myself lately. All these devises are supposed to be saving us time, but they seem to be taking up time instead. Like typing these words for example when I should be out prospecting for business!

See ya guys later ... ~lol~

Vi

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Liberals are people that will believe anything twice.

Speak for your self Vi, I know plenty of blue collar seniors who simply cant afford to retire, personally I would like to retire ASAP so I can get on with the rest of my life...

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any images or information presented by krime 13 are fictional, and should not be taken seriously, if the person reading them is employed by a law enforcing agency, they are not authorized to read or use them in any way.

Well, Chris, I give you some Kudos for recognizing the gist of the American work force. There are tha majority of us that had to work hard and our bodies were shot by the time we approached 62, and then there are those leeches that you described that sit around and suck up 100K plus for just sitting around, and never did a hard days work in their life. they are the ones saying lets raise the retirement age as their bodies have not been traumatized by hard work. Try running an 8 lb. sledgehammer all day for a few years and see what that does to your body, shovel concrete, run a 28 OZ framing hammer for a few years, stack 50LB bags of lime in a boxcar 12 high in 120 degree heat, 140 degrees inside the boxcar, 12 high, over your head, I did that for a few weeks and found out I wasn't tough enough to stick it out, but I stacked 5,000 bags a day for 3 fucking weeks, wow was that tough. And they tell me they are raising the retirement age, fuck those leech BASTARDS. I already retired while I could.

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

Even though I work a "white collar" job I know exactly what its like to bust my ass for a living. Its funny I don't get along with white collar people. They arent real, and they are all obsessed with possessions, which leaves me fucked because I live in a white collar city. I am just glad the company I work for has an owner that comes from almost the same background I do, small community where people work or they don't eat. He is one of the hardest working guys I have ever met and gives back to the members of the company with fat Christmas bonuses, free medical and dental, and nice vacation time every year. His philosophy is he would rather give to the people that deserve it than get the dogshit taxed out of him every year and give it back to the government.

Sounds like a one in a million Boss. If there were more like him, this would be a great country. It's too bad that 99% of them are greedy assholes that could care less about their employees. My wifes boss, she is a full charge bookeeper for 3 automotive shops, just brought his daughter to work for him and cut my wife to 3 days a week. That after she was a loyal hard working employee with his best interest at heart for 17 years. She saved him thousands in taxes and fees by her creative style of bookeeping, all legal, that an average bookeeper would never have done. And the reward she gets, a 20,000 a year cut in pay. If the shit ever goes down, you might guess who I'm gonna get first. I know where the dickhead lives and my 7MM mag would remove his brain from the brainpan, like the kennedy thing. whoooo, I'm gettin fired up now. I could take him out at 500 yards, I know because that rifle is accurate to 800 yards.

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.