The first was a report that Italian auto maker Fiat plans to up its stake in Chrysler to 46%. (Link here.) Analysts generally believe that the move would be good for both companies: it would give Fiat greater access to American markets -- and let's be honest, Americans drive a lot of cars -- and it would give Chrysler access to existing technology for smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. (Which is a move I would support since it cost me $75 to fill up my mom-mobile this week.) And yet, the report concludes:
But this going to be a bit of a psychological blow for the U.S. -- one of the big 3 car makers falling under the control of a foreign company.Well, okay.
On to the next story --
The news has been full of stories about air traffic controllers falling asleep on the job. See, e.g., this, this and this. I agree with the general theory that when an air traffic controller is meant to be guiding a 737 onto a runway at National, taking a catnap and being completely unresponsive to the poor pilot trying to land isn't really a good way to keep airports operational. (I mean, how many people were afraid to fly BEFORE this stuff hit the news? Good luck keeping those airlines out of bankruptcy.)
BUT -- According to NPR, sleep studies have shown that people who work night-shift jobs can never fully adjust to that schedule. First, your body just wasn't designed for that; our internal, biological clocks are programmed to cycle wake/sleep with light/dark. Second, those people generally try to live normal lives on their days off, which means switching back to sleeping at night and waking during the day. So what do experts recommend for night-shift workers?
NAPS! Apparently, a 20-minute nap can do wonders to combat fatigue in the later hours of a night shift, and can dramatically increase concentration. See, e.g., this report. So what does our esteemed head of the FAA say about this?
On my watch, controllers will not be paid to take naps.
Good job, Ray. Let's throw out the science and get all BMOC about the situation.
So here's my question: What is wrong with America? Why does our stupid psychology need to interfere with the smart decision? Really -- we're going to openly criticize a deal with Fiat because one of our big 3 automakers is no longer completely home-grown? Maybe if we had our s*** together in the first place we wouldn't have needed Fiat. But we didn't -- so now we do. And there's honestly nothing wrong with admitting that other people MIGHT have some good ideas. Is our national psyche so insecure that we can't admit that sometimes other people do good work too? And this whole brash, "I don't need no stinkin' naps" thing -- really? We're going to try and tackle our biology (and sacrifice safety) just to build up our egos?
Also, I think I am going to wear this in honor of the Royal Wedding.
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-wait..that's not what we're talking about?
ReplyDeleteI'd say that there is no less "wrong" with the American psyche than, say, the French psyche. Both are patriotic, resistent to change, and suspicious of outsiders. The key to managing both of these is to have enough flexibility and humility to avoid sliding towards facism.
And I imagine that the Fiat deal can't be more damaging to our psyche than the InBev deal with Busch a couple of years ago.
Okay.... I'm just throwing this out there. I haven't thought about the ramifications of my question, so be kind when you respond ;)
ReplyDeleteBut honestly, what is the point of patriotism? Is it just some kind of throw-back to the Middle Ages when you had to suck up to the Governor/whatever other bureaucrat in order to not be killed by his personal army?
Also, I'm not expected to be particularly "patriotic" to my state (which is, according to the Founders and the Republican Party, more involved in my daily life than the Feds should be), so why am I supposed to be obsessed with my country? I just don't get it.
(It is for this reason that one of my charming cousins (from the Midwest, which is another story unto itself) told me that I should move to France and good riddance!)
P.S. You did not comment on the gloriousness that is my fascinator.
ReplyDeleteI would say that patriotism definitely has a point. It is the basis (or result--depending on how you look at it) of a common understanding and pride. I'm not going to say the US is the best at everything ever, but I know that I am darn lucky to have been born here instead of some war-torn country, or a place that greatly restricts women's rights.
ReplyDeleteA less threatening example of a identifying with a larger group is cheering for one's college or local sports teams (go Caps!).
I would say that a healthy skepticism of government and questioning our leaders IS patriotic. And Thomas Jefferson would agree with me. What worries me is the element in society that has a blind patriotism and shuns questioning authority.
Woah. Totally missed that line.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE IT! And your hat model has much more appropriate makeup than mine did.
Okay, fair point. I do wake up every day thankful that I was not born in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, ... the list goes on. There are some truly fantastic perks to being an American.
ReplyDeleteI think what bothers me is the idea that nothing good can come from anywhere else. It could be because I freely move between a few countries -- and have lived in a few -- that I'm not as tied to the US as your average American. I'm not saying Germany is the end-all-be-all, but they do some things right that the US doesn't. So I just don't understand why we can't all operate from a place of mutual respect and freely steal ideas that work from other societies. That's what it is -- I feel like part of the American Psyche is to NOT respect anyone else. Which I think is not only rude, but doing ourselves a disservice.