Poirot has found my little dorothy dixer just for her.

579,

China's productivity is only half the rate of the U.S.?

Methinks you ought to go and check your facts on that one. China is a production juggernaut and its cheap products are actually assisting the American economy to stay afloat. American industry is in the doldrums and has been for yonks.

I'm forever indebted to you, Houellie : )

The debt is all mine Poirot.

I'm sure I didn't really have to explain my facetiousness or the way I contrasted my own 'worker' productivity against my hard working child rearing partner to some, but it gives me some satisfaction when some posters 'get' what I'm on about.

But back to 'productivity'. I despise the word. It's like when you read a job advertisment and they use terms like 'high paced' and 'self starter', and 'can do attitude'. It really turns me off the job. Although self starter at least gives the impression they'll leave you the fock alone to do your work. Sometimes it sounds like they want some sort of circus clown really. I imagine their offices must be like some sort of roller disco.

Anyway, back to 'productivity'. I think it's a case of the question is wrong. The question is not how 'productive' we are, it's 'what is productive' and 'is that what we want to be'. These kind of figures and reports beg the question IMHO LOL LMAO.

Slow food, and a pretentious imitation of an imagined rural 19th century European existance full of nice wines and wonderfaully cooked fresh produce consumed at lively get-togethers full of philosophical discussion and jovality in Tuscan settings with a wonderful village atmosphere may well actually be what everyone is really after.

Patrick Bateman types may even allude to having holidays like that even for a long weekender. But just to impress their colleagues.

If you watch films like Betty Blue or Antonia's Line (Anti would love that one), the romantacism of the simple life and good friends and good (local) wine and conversation is a more fulfilling life. It's even 'sustainable'! I can sustain that image.

Then again your average shop keeper in Montepulciano probably dreams of a big screen TV and replacing the rustic charm of his tuscan house with the latest range from Ikea.

But back to productivity. I produce widgets, sometimes quite literally. I have no idea how that really translates to a 'productive economy' more than someone whose blocked toilet helps the local plumber.

In the spirit of Paul kellys Careless (How many cabs in New York City...)

How productive is a Business Lunch
How productive is a Hug from a mum
How productive is a shared gram of coke
How productive is a malignant melanoma
Will Bryce Lawrence put his whistle away
just for once
reset that scrum!

I know....
he's just...
happy...
for a tryless quater final.

How productive is Schalk Burger
How productive is David Pocock
How tough is the South African scrum
Will Quade Cooper have a cry to his mum
It's not like the backs will get the ball
more than likely they'll catch a cold!

I know...
this is...
not pro-...
ductive

But I couldn't care less!

But back to productivity...

Diver Dan, yes, the statistics are prone to changes in methods, but the bureau lists where there have been changes to methodolgy, so it isn't a problem.

On the topic of rents, they've remained static as a proportion of income, but income has gone up a great deal. It seems not unreasonable to make it possible for people to have somewhere to live.

Crime was defined as violent and property crime. I'm not sure about other classes.

579:"Any one who wants a job is entitled to have one"

Well, there are a few problems with that, although it sounds nice in theory. What sort of job are they entitled to? What should it pay? How many hours is the minimum entitlement? What duties? If there are jobs for everyone, what of those who DON'T want a job?

Would you be happy to be employed picking rubbish up in the streets for your minimum "entitlement"?

579:"Public servants are good insurance, when there is a downturn you sack half of them, and make the other half work."

Well, that's where this sort of all falls down, because the public servants' spending is what keeps a lot of the wheels of the Australian economy turning, not to mention that sacking one half of a couple who have both been earning a good wage will mean they will likely face problems in servicing their mortgage and other commitments, leading to still more downstream problems. Better not to restructure your economy to require both partners to work in the first place. It's too late to stop it now, but it's not going to end well.