Ok, like a fool I am going to chime in on this one because I also believe it is
a "lost across the pond" issue here, which I notice seems to affect BOTH sides
in this one. I am guessing, Trumpy, that because of your geographic proximity
to Australia you are familiar with the expression "to give a bloke a fair
shake". (U.S readers- google it. This is trumpy's 1/2 of the post) I had
Aussie neighbors for 8 years who are still good friends, who explained this
subtle, nuanced (to the american mindset at least) expression to me as part of a
larger discussion we were having one night over a few beers, about working
culture in the USA vs Australia. This concept doesn't exist here. The hardass
coarseness you see reflected in attitudes is -true enough- part hyperbole, but also a
genuine insight into the american charachter. Remeber we are the country that gave
the world the "western" enshrining on film a fragment of the american mindset:
if you disagree with a man step out into the street and shoot it out to see whose right, if an
indian is on your land (formerly *his* land) shoot him dead... Unlike NZ,
acquired and settled by purchase, treaty and consensus, the US enforced the
monroe doctrine and our manifest destiny through acts of war and conquest and
(at times) treachery worthy of any Frank or Visigoth. While these examples
point to history long past, they have left their stain on the american
charachter, psyche and work culture. There is a strain of "obedience or death" which
employers expect (in the name of efficiency or "the bottom line") that would be at
home in a bad 70's kung fu movie. On top of
our violent culture and inane national myths worthy of a comic book we have an
educational system that churns out 18 year olds without marketable skills by
stuffing a diploma in their hand not worth the paper it's written on. Add the
cheap labor provided by a ready steady supply of uncontrolled illegal immigrants
streaming into the country (remeber I live in a border city..) labor becomes a
cheap easily replaceable commodity, with an ensuing contempt and lack of respect
for the contribution an individual worker makes to the job/project/society as a
whole by anyone more skilled or higher up the economic tree.
For people on the US side of the pond- unlike the US there are other cultures
who for reasons of low population or just sound and sane national policy, value
train and cultivate skilled workers in their societies as a consiouss part of gov't
economic policy. Perhaps at the expense of upward social mobility.. its unlikely NZ would ever produce a Donald Trump or Bill Gates. Alien to us here in the US, I know (unless you are talking
about soldiers...that is one thing the taxpayer spends billions to recruit and train
its one of the few subsidised career training programs that exist) For someone
coming from such a society, reading the posts in this thread with their
accompanying attitude of contempt and disrespect for a novice would seem shocking and
out of place because in his country even a novice is a person with social status
in the economic system and worthy of a comensurate amount of respect, even if lowly.
But then he is looking in on a culture where trained workers are rare commodity (soon english
literate ones as well!) and the majority are easily replaceable low cost
disposible units of production *BY DESIGN!* That's american short sighted
efficiency for you..
Sorry if this post is all over the place, it's just necessary when trying to
make concrete subtle and almost ineffable differences between cultures to smooth
over misunderstandings across ponds... And for the record, I am not blaming or
knocking the JM, the Apprentice, Trumpy, anyone here... we are all just moving
about in the culture in which we live in the best and most efficent manner we
can according to the prevailing rules.. Just wanted to point out some possible
differences in mentality..
