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Why we're so productive
By simplelogic in another interesting day
February 23, 2008

Today I learned something interesting. I've worked in Iraq for about 2 1/2 years now, and it has been unusual.

I was talking to a young man from India who prepares our food. Now, I know how much these guys earn, and it is very little. They are highly exploited by our standards. They pay an agency about 1,000 dollars to get them a good job working in a dining facility or cleaning around the camp and doing laundry. They make about 500 dollars per month, and are here on a 2 year contract. They can not leave for 2 years. The young man was telling me how he sends the majority of his money to his parents. They do not work. They are 41 years old and rely on him and his 21 year old brother for their income. He explained that it is customery with 75% of Indians for the parents, at 40 years old, to stop working. I've met several Indians in the last couple of years, but have never heard of this. Then it struck me.......could this be a contributing factor for America's status as still being the most productive nation? How about some European countrys' policy of a shorter work week. In my particular field, as with many others, we work, at times, long hours. In most countries, these long hours, due to scheduling demands, are inconceivable. In India,  70% of the population live in poverty. But, poverty is everywhere, even in America. I feel sympathy for the truly less fortunate. But, sometimes able-bodied people are solely responsible for their own predicament.