I read an excerpt from a speech by Kevin Lynch, the Clerk of the Privy Council (apparently roughly the equivalent of the White House Chief of Staff) in which he said Canada ranked 7th in the world in worker productivity per hour. The list given was:
1. France
2. Ireland
3. Italy
4. United States
5. Germany
6. Sweden
7. Canada
I find it astonishing that France is first. Apparently when they aren't at lunch, on vacation, or on strike, they really are at work. The Irish on the job sober? The impulsive disorganized Italians getting more done than the Swedes? The US working harder than Japan? France and Italy both more industrious than Germany?
One needs stereotypes in order to think at all. The old ones are clearly crap. We need new stereotypes.
Business-like Italians? Shiftless Japanese? Gemutlichkeit Germans? World-beater French? Didn't-come-to-work-today Dutch? This is not going to be easy.
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