azcivic, I'll take your word on the productivity factoid; but consider that it is meaningless.

Try comparing like to like -- say a factory that makes the same item. Also, if I am not mistaken, US based companies that operate factories outside of the US will on paper appear more productive due to the lower wages the foreign workers are paid. Outsourcing has similar considerations. Lastly, a 'service' economy for instance financial services always appear to be very productive, but the economic basis is wobbly at best. Just watch what happens to these statistics when asia stops pouring money into the US, or the housing boom slows down or corrects.

R2-E2, 2G Prius.
Highway/City/Husband/Wife MPG: 56.5, as of 12/2005, 26K miles

Jac Nasser, Ford President: "We are planning to launch a hybrid version of
this car [P2000] within this year [1998]. We will also make FCEV available in
2004."

Granted, that's not true most of the time in the workplace, but I see it on the net and on the highways. The kind of laziness is of the mental type - things such as racing up to a red light in light traffic, for instance.

61.5mpg lifetime - 82mpg in recent months

Best Run >
www.cleanmpg.com

"fanatic" is what the lazy call the dedicated

"Fat Lazy Americans" is a euphamistic way to describe our attitudes toward change. I live in the midwest, and if you ask most people how they feel about abandoning their tried and true gas guzzler, they'll look at you like you've sprouted 3 heads.

As to productivity, I too am a worker, but I wonder how long we'll sustain the "American" way of life when you consider that 80 - 90% of what Wal-Mart sells comes from Mainland China. Things are changing and I'm sure we've "peaked" as the world's almighty consumer of everything.

Yes, we produce food like there's no tomorrow, but look at steel, oil, other resources, we are seeing our dominant position give way to the "world economy".

Do you know why gas has been so cheap in the country for so long? Gasoline is nothing but a byproduct of oil. All the other fractions, and polymers that are processed have been sold to manufacturers, and this has "subsidized" the price of Gas. As we see more and more production head East, China is becoming the manufacturing giant that we are in debt up to our eyeballs. The sale of oil's fractions and polymers and other by products are not being sold in this country. Oil companies are having to adjust the price of Gas because of this. Don't be surprised if oil keeps going up and up.

So, rather than look for ways to conserve, we "Fat Lazy Americans" will continue to consume oil until every last drop is GONE! ( At least most of us will).

Think about it. Which country actually started producing these wonderful hybrid vehicles we love to drive? America? American car manufactuers are tripping over themselves to "catch up" with the trend.

Kansas, not as flat as you think...

That's either impatience, natural competition, or both. I'm sure there's plenty of it both here and abroad, but certainly the US breeds quite a bit of competition and probably quite a lot of impatience as well. We're quite a demanding lot!