American Capitalism and Vacation

REPORT: AMERICA IS THE 'NO VACATION NATION' REUTERS - As Europe's workers take a few weeks of holiday this summer, their American colleagues will be lucky to get a few days off work, says a report published by the European Trade Union Institute. Finland, followed by France, offers working people the most statutory vacation, at more than six weeks per year, the report, an international snapshot of how much paid leave people get by law and in practice in 21 countries, says. The United States is the only country where employees have no statutory leave, and they get about half as much time off in reality as Europeans get, according to the report, compiled by the Washington-based Centre for Economic Policy Research. "The United States is in a class of its own," the report says. "It is the no-vacation nation."http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSL0522341220070705

Capitalism And War

PRIVATE CONTRACTORS OUTNUMBER U.S. TROOPS IN IRAQT. CHRISTIAN MILLER, LA TIMES - The number of U.S.-paid private contractors in Iraq now exceeds that of American combat troops, newly released figures show, raising fresh questions about the privatization of the war effort and the government's capacity to carry out military and rebuilding campaigns. More than 180,000 civilians -- including Americans, foreigners and Iraqis -- are working in Iraq under U.S. contracts, according to State and Defense department figures obtained by the Los Angeles Times. Including the recent troop buildup, 160,000 soldiers and a few thousand civilian government employees are stationed in Iraq.http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-private4jul04,1,6564316.story?ctrack=4&cset=true