so glad im not american or in the united states.
Discussion
unrepentant said:
A friend of mine in the UK had a small antique furniture business (50 or so employees). He had a sales manager who got pregnant and announced that she wanted to take a year off and then return with reduced hours to resume her role. He couldn't afford to not have a sales manager for a year so he was forced to hire a replacement and then, when the first lady returned to work, employ them both. That's ridiculous and one of the reasons that employers in Europe are forced to think twice before hiring anyone.
The US system is too far the other way but somewhere in the middle is a sensible system.
Your friend can't have been forced to employ them both on the return of the lady on maternity leave. Either he or you is misinformed.The US system is too far the other way but somewhere in the middle is a sensible system.
iphonedyou said:
unrepentant said:
A friend of mine in the UK had a small antique furniture business (50 or so employees). He had a sales manager who got pregnant and announced that she wanted to take a year off and then return with reduced hours to resume her role. He couldn't afford to not have a sales manager for a year so he was forced to hire a replacement and then, when the first lady returned to work, employ them both. That's ridiculous and one of the reasons that employers in Europe are forced to think twice before hiring anyone.
The US system is too far the other way but somewhere in the middle is a sensible system.
Your friend can't have been forced to employ them both on the return of the lady on maternity leave. Either he or you is misinformed.The US system is too far the other way but somewhere in the middle is a sensible system.
I have never heard of anything like the OP is saying.
Smollet said:
It's an ism and I suspect they get it confused with communism
You joke, but in all seriousness, you have no idea how right you are. Witness how many Dems couldn't handle Sanders's "socialism" (which, ofc, was really just a set of policies rooted in New Deal-style reform).
The average American couldn't define socialism if their life depended on it.
Edited by scherzkeks on Wednesday 3rd August 12:27
scherzkeks said:
You joke, but in all seriousness, you have no idea how right you are.
Witness how many Dems couldn't handle Sanders's "socialism" (which, ofc, was really just a set of policies rooted in New Deal-style reform).
The average American couldn't define socialism if their life depended on it.
I think the problem with the lack of a common language comes in there. They can define socialism, but it isn't the same as ours. Witness how many Dems couldn't handle Sanders's "socialism" (which, ofc, was really just a set of policies rooted in New Deal-style reform).
The average American couldn't define socialism if their life depended on it.
Edited by scherzkeks on Wednesday 3rd August 12:27
Despite liking my American friends, and finding them generous and good company, I tell my kids not to mention politics at any time. And as for racialist comments, often said out loud in company . . .
One of them has a son in the USAF, an officer. His life seems more relaxed than those in industry and he has more time off. He was on the astronaut program(me) and his accommodation was quality from the photographs. It was better, my friend said rather proudly, than that of the scientists.
There was a problem with education of his kids but I don't know what the specifics were.
mikal83 said:
scherzkeks said:
mikal83 said:
And don't get me started on vacation time............or lack of it!
The problem with vacation time is two-fold. One, there is far too little of it, and second, one typically cannot even use the time one is given. In nearly every professional job I held before moving, it was not out of the ordinary for colleagues to have up to 100 days of unused vacation saved up -- vacation accumulated over years that they couldn't use.
Sylvaforever said:
rohrl said:
Cringeworthy.
Oh, and have this on me, you might find it useful.
So you don't think H Clinton has ever lied in office?Oh, and have this on me, you might find it useful.
Her ineptitude [and that is being generous] as Sec of State should have led to her impeachment and trial for the loss of life not nomination.
"As Secretary of State in the Obama administration from 2009 to 2013, Clinton responded to the Arab Spring, during which she advocated the U.S. military intervention in Libya and accepted responsibility for security lapses in the 2012 Benghazi attack. Leaving office after Obama's first term, she wrote her fifth book and undertook speaking engagements before announcing her second presidential run in the 2016 election."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillary_Clinton
Explain to me what nation acted correctly during the arab spring and what was the best thing to be done, even now in hindsight ?
How could she have protected the embassy in Benghazi again ?
5ohmustang said:
What liberalism means and how it is executed are two totally different issues.
Americans understand just fine. They see the depths that Europe has gone too. Standing on the edge of a total collapse
Nope. Liberal is used to mean "anything to the left of me" by conservatives. The Democrats aren't a liberal party and Obama has passed precious few liberal policies. Of all the presidential candidates, Gary Johnson is actually by far the most liberal. Americans understand just fine. They see the depths that Europe has gone too. Standing on the edge of a total collapse
You spoke about liberalism ruining America but I don't see many liberal policies being passed at all. Can you help me out and let me know what you think liberal means and what the US Government has done in the name of liberalism that's had a negative impact on the country?
unrepentant said:
Paid vacation is not mandatory in any state AFAIK. I've been in my job 10 months, had a week off in March to go to Tennessee, in a month I shall be leaving for 2 weeks in Europe and will be going to Jamaica after Christmas for a week. All paid. Like everything else it comes down to the employer. Good employers want good employees and they will negotiate with them.
Paid vacation (and holidays) is not federally mandated in the USA. Just as with worldwide taxation, we are the notable exception in the developed (civilized) world.Most employers in white-collar industries offer 2 weeks on average (in blue collar industries, 0 is not unheard of), and it is not normal to be able to use it all within a year.
5ohmustang said:
What liberalism means and how it is executed are two totally different issues.
Americans understand just fine. They see the depths that Europe has gone too. Standing on the edge of a total collapse
The idea of Americans knowing what any part of the rest of the word is like is a leap of faith. Most couldn't find Europe on a map of Europe. I've spoken with Americans who've flown into Gatwick and had to point out that their afternoon drive to Scotland is not really on. Didn't they even look at a map of the UK before flying off? The claim that 'I'm Irish', because some distant relative once bought a pint of Guinness for someone else, is normally met with confusion when you say that they can't drive to it from England. I chatted to a lot of Americans, I like them in the main, but I don't think I'd use one of them instead of a SatNav. Americans understand just fine. They see the depths that Europe has gone too. Standing on the edge of a total collapse
You could suggest that there's many a English person who could not name, let along place, the counties of England, but then no one is suggesting that they see the depths of American debt and think they are standing on the edge or ruin.
BJG1 said:
5ohmustang said:
What liberalism means and how it is executed are two totally different issues.
Americans understand just fine. They see the depths that Europe has gone too. Standing on the edge of a total collapse
Nope. Liberal is used to mean "anything to the left of me" by conservatives. The Democrats aren't a liberal party and Obama has passed precious few liberal policies. Of all the presidential candidates, Gary Johnson is actually by far the most liberal. Americans understand just fine. They see the depths that Europe has gone too. Standing on the edge of a total collapse
You spoke about liberalism ruining America but I don't see many liberal policies being passed at all. Can you help me out and let me know what you think liberal means and what the US Government has done in the name of liberalism that's had a negative impact on the country?
Using the word 'liberal' to be a catch-all and used as an insult is around the same sophistication level as putting 'bumper stickers' on one's car.
Unless you are living in a country and well used to the idioms you can't get a fix on the underlying mores and true ideals. Apart from anecdotal reports everything comes at you through a veil of unfamiliarity. From where I sit America seems superficial, hysterical, ready to believe anything that is shouted or cheered at them, and parochial. No offence intended, I am responding to their current affairs output and if that is way off the mark they ought to take notice and do something about it in their own interests. If there was something I could do to improve my admittedly narrow view, I would be glad to. Most things seem hopelessly mad and violent with little compassion for their fellow man. I hope I am wrong. By the way, I don't mean trashy US TV.
mikal83 said:
Paddy_N_Murphy said:
An oldy BUT still scary.
5ohmustang said:
BJG1 said:
What is it with Americans and their inability to understand what 'liberalism' means?
What liberalism means and how it is executed are two totally different issues.Americans understand just fine. They see the depths that Europe has gone too. Standing on the edge of a total collapse
Oh, hang on a second, I got them mixed up. Also no terrorism from those crazy muslims here either, despite letting lots in.
I don't have anything against a lot of Americans, but there are some people who are just downright crazy in their views.
Paddy_N_Murphy said:
To be fair, there are some areas of Brighton where they'd give similar answers.I was once with some PCs and we arrested two little scroats near the Tower of London for possession of a camera they didn't know how to work. (So read the instruction or you'll get nicked.) While we were in the nick taking statements a group of Americans came in to report their coach being broken into and lots of property being stolen, the camera being part of the take. We took loser statements but when we asked the people to read the statement to see if there's anything they add, alter or delete, etc, over half the males and about a quarter of the females couldn't read. Yet some of these people were very rich; the cameras were all top of the range and the jackets were all leather. The holiday cost a fortune in those days. What did they do for a living?
I asked the first couple - it turned out that there was no couple where both couldn't read so we kept them in pairs - how they had enjoyed the Tower of London and they hadn't been there. They said they had just visited 'some castle'.
They were lovely people, not vindictive against the thieves and very thankful for us finding their property.
Personally I am glad to be American and living in the USA. The standard of living is great. Despite certain areas having a crime problem most areas are very safe. There is a much greater level of democracy at a local level so we get to decide whether to raise taxes or not to pay for things we think have value, such as the local zoo or expanding libraries. There is a great deal more transparency in general.
I realize that a lot of people outside of the USA might look at the presidential candidates and be horrified but I have concluded that it doesn't really make a huge amount of difference in the end because there are so many checks and balances in the system. In four years there will be another election and somebody else less contentious may get in - whoever wins this year.
I realize that a lot of people outside of the USA might look at the presidential candidates and be horrified but I have concluded that it doesn't really make a huge amount of difference in the end because there are so many checks and balances in the system. In four years there will be another election and somebody else less contentious may get in - whoever wins this year.
GavinPearson said:
Personally I am glad to be American and living in the USA. The standard of living is great. Despite certain areas having a crime problem most areas are very safe. There is a much greater level of democracy at a local level so we get to decide whether to raise taxes or not to pay for things we think have value, such as the local zoo or expanding libraries. There is a great deal more transparency in general.
I realize that a lot of people outside of the USA might look at the presidential candidates and be horrified but I have concluded that it doesn't really make a huge amount of difference in the end because there are so many checks and balances in the system. In four years there will be another election and somebody else less contentious may get in - whoever wins this year.
For some reason I always thought you were an ex pat Brit Gavin.I realize that a lot of people outside of the USA might look at the presidential candidates and be horrified but I have concluded that it doesn't really make a huge amount of difference in the end because there are so many checks and balances in the system. In four years there will be another election and somebody else less contentious may get in - whoever wins this year.
I agree, being able to vote on spending and election of local officials is democratic. But it also has its drawbacks in that they may make political decisions for election purposes rather than ones that are in the long term interests of the electorate. I also wish they'd ban them from advertising but that goes for presidential candidates too.
unrepentant said:
I live in the 12th most populous city in the USA and I never feel concerned or intimidated walking around the downtown at night. Brighton, not so much.
However the facts are that the murder rate per 100,000 population is 3.9 in the USA and 0.9 in the UK. So, no matter how safe you do or don't feel, you are more than four times more likely to be murdered in the USA than you are in the UK. GavinPearson said:
Personally I am glad to be American and living in the USA. The standard of living is great. Despite certain areas having a crime problem most areas are very safe. There is a much greater level of democracy at a local level so we get to decide whether to raise taxes or not to pay for things we think have value, such as the local zoo or expanding libraries. There is a great deal more transparency in general.
I realize that a lot of people outside of the USA might look at the presidential candidates and be horrified but I have concluded that it doesn't really make a huge amount of difference in the end because there are so many checks and balances in the system. In four years there will be another election and somebody else less contentious may get in - whoever wins this year.
True - the president is fairly impotent in terms of absolute power.I realize that a lot of people outside of the USA might look at the presidential candidates and be horrified but I have concluded that it doesn't really make a huge amount of difference in the end because there are so many checks and balances in the system. In four years there will be another election and somebody else less contentious may get in - whoever wins this year.
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