The European Dream

I was listening to Jeremy Rifkin on the Marc Steiner Show. He repeated a dangerous notion that I've heard several times recently. He said that workers in many European countries are more efficient than Americans PER HOUR WORKED. That's like the last place marathon runner telling the winner or the race, 'I ran faster than you for the first 100 feet.'

If I worked for 20 hours a week, I'd get more done in those 20 hours than I would in the first 20 hours of a 50 hour week. But I wouldn't get done the same amount as I do in the 50 hours I work. In this case a normalized number is not the best comparison. No one goes to a store and buys product based on their normalized salary. They buy things on their net salary.

The "bottom line" is not normalized.