As Assessment of Time to
Kill: Europe and the Politics of Leisure
SOC101 Week Three Position
Paper
March 8, 2000
Time to Kill��� 2
An Assessment of
Time to Kill: Europe and the Politics of Leisure
The subject I selected is Article
40 from Sociology Annual Editions: 99/00.
The author is Steven Muller, and the article is titled Time to Kill: Europe and the Politics of
Leisure�.. In his mind, Muller sees
troubled times ahead for Europe, and in particular, Western Europe. His
contention is based on a large number of observations and associated facts on
the matter, including statements such as, ��the elevation of work into a
privilege and the denigration of leisure into the burden of idleness.� He goes
on to state, �Now we face a future in which the need for human labor will
rapidly diminish to the point where there is no longer enough work to occupy
the majority � let alone the entirety � of the human talent and energy
available.� He brings up examples such as job sharing and demands for increased
holiday time and vacation time in Europe, and he speaks to the issue of high
unemployment in Europe. He believes that as technology and automation increase,
leisure time will correspondingly increase, too.
����������� I
am in total agreement with this assessment of the situation in Europe, and I
can attest to this firsthand. I would first like to establish my credentials on
the matter, so readers will understand that I truly know of what I speak. I have
been conducting extensive business throughout Western Europe for four years
now, and have traveled each country extensively. Further, I work for a German
company, and the person I report to is one of the leading industrialists in all
of Europe. Currently, I am negotiating with other companies in Germany and
Italy for new business in their countries as well as here in America, and have
started similar exercises in the Netherlands and England. With this
The article states several facts about Western
Europe, and due to the age of the facts (1994-1998, in general) I would like to
update several key issues.
�
When
a
personpeople beginsbegin
work for a German business, they
vacation from the beginning of their hire dates..
�
German
holidays far exceed in number, those we observe in America.
�
German
workers work under a five-year contract, and are protected against firing and
lay-off (Dr.Megerlin, 1998).
�
German
labor unions are not limited in their scope of authority.
�
When
German Germans retiresretire
at 60, they are guaranteed to
receive at least 80% of their highest annual incomes for the balance of their lifelives. All health
care is provided for free.
�
Unemployment
in Unified Germany is 13.7% as of the date of my report. In the former East
Germany, it stands to at 17.5%.
�
German
workers put in a standard 36-hour workweek, and the unions are pressing to have
that lowered to 32 hours, with the same pay as 36 hours.
�
In
Italy, the entire month of August is holiday. Regardless of the urgency or
business need, you must come back in September (Bruno, 1997).
�
The
Italian population is shrinking at an alarming rate, and the government answer
is to open the borders to all immigration. The country is swelling with
people from Kosovo, Bosnia,
and a number of former Communist Eastern- European nations. Crime and
prostitution has have exploded.
�
New
immigrants are guaranteed housing by the government, regardless if they are
employed, can afford it, or not.
�
Retirement
is mandatory at age 55 so more young people can secure jobs.
�
Upon
retirement, the government takes care of you the rest of your life.
�
In
Italy, any business with more that 15 people must be unionized. Wages are
stifling profitability, as they are in Germany.
�
In
both Germany and Italy, it is monetarily more beneficial to stay on welfare
than to accept a low paying job. A low paying job in Germany, in American
dollars, equals $15 an hour. Their welfare systems pay just above that rate!
�
The
average worker in Germany earns the American equivalent of around $22 an hour,
with full benefits above and beyond that.
�
Due
to high wages and benefits in Western Europe, combined with short workweeks, the
prices for goods produced are out of control. Companies are relocating
divisions to America at a rapid pace.
����������� I have a
great respect for my boss,boss; however, his attitude reflects the
optimism of most Europeans, and especially Germans, as Germany is truly the
engine behind business in Europe. In discussions with Karl Schaeff (the person
I report to, and the owner of numerous businesses worldwide) this morning, I
asked him his current attitude on the Euro (European common currency). . I
personally feel believe the
Euro is an excellent idea, however, timing of introduction was wrong.
Time to Kill��� 5
It opened last year at around
1.17 Euro to the American dollar, and has been in a skid since then. When I
asked Herr Schaeff today if he felt thought the Euro would bounce back, his
statement was. �Absolutely, this is for certain. The Euro is the answer to our
need for a common currency, and the Euro will easily climb to 1.40 to 1.50
against the dollar. England will join the Euro, and by next year this will be
behind us.�
����������� Respectfully,
I completely disagree with that assessment. Today, the Euro stands at 0.9623 �
below parity (Wall Street Journal). Italy has begun talks of perhaps backing
out of the common currency, and Denmark and England will stand back even
further from the issue. It is my opinion, that due to the extreme socialism of
Europe, that the entire continent is teetering on the
brink of economic collapse. Wages are out of control, and the unions demand
more for less. In response to that, automation is increasing at breakneck
speed, and more jobs are not being created, they are being eliminated.
Countries that flung open their borders, such as Italy and most others, have
inherited the unskilled nomads from homelands where they could not establish roots
and succeed, and they will not do so in their new countries, either.
The author of this article
is 100% on target with his assessment of leisure time, automation, new job
creation, and the pending fate of Western Europe. Welfare systems of
socialistic mindsets have strangled the potential gross domestic product
capabilities of these European nations, and continue to do so. Their people
continue to demand more free time, more benefits, and offer lower output in
return. If Western Europe falls into recession, the impact will be worldwide.
Americans have invested heavily in Europe, including significant brick and
mortar enterprises.
Lastly, I have witnessed the
growth of the hate groups, especially those associated with Nazi Germany, and the
trend is frightening. OurThe� �author notes that religion in
Europe has been on the wane for some years, and sadly, this is true. As values
slip, hate groups get a new strongholds. I especially
spot this trend in Austria, homeland of Hitler.
Can Europe come to grips
with these challenges? I believe so, however, the time for action is now.
Unless social programs are kept in check and reforms implemented, there are
serious storm clouds on the horizon. Unless job creation can keep pace with the
need for jobs, idle hands will only worsen the condition of these welfare
nations.
�
���� Bruno, L. (1997). Mariotti Corporation employee journal.Turin/Torino,
Italia. Milano
Press.
���� Currency exchanges. (2000, March 7). Wall
Street Journal, Money and investing, 1.
���� Megerlin, Dr. F. (1998). Handbook of
worker practices: Linde. Crailshire,
Germany.
Linde corporate publication.
�