Ranting to /dev/null

I'd like a fact check in aisle two

Thaddeus Russell, a professor of history and American Studies at Barnard has an essay in the Boston Globe suggesting that today's cartoon characters - including Bob the Builder and Spongebob Squarepants - are setting a bad example for our kids by... working too much?

Say what?

He then goes on to suggest that the fact that Americans work many more hours than our European counterparts while experiencing slower GDP growth per capita indicates that we're working harder for nothing.

Slight problem Dr. Russell. You see, if you just look at GDP growth, the US has grown significantly faster than Europe. The reason GDP per capita has been growing in Europe is that their population isn't growing. Certain European nations are actually losing people. Even a moderate GDP growth combined with flat population leads to a significant per capita increase.

What Dr. Russell also doesn't tell us is that Europe has been stuck with double-digit unemployment for the better part of 10 years. France is the worse culprit here, with youth (under 24) unemployment approaching 20-25%. French youth do indeed have things to do other than work or watch mind-numbing cartoons: riot!

That being said, I do agree that kids shows these days are for pansies. Sterile, over-protected, saccharin-laden tripe.

Posted by ryan at April 17, 2006 12:02 PM | TrackBack