>For over three decades we heard that United States workers were not productive. Imagine all European workers were more productive than we were and they get much more time off! Now we hear that we are the most productive workers on the face of the Earth! How did we do it? Well, some work 24/7 I guess. Perhaps it is a new metric as we have many during the last few years to make things seem really good.
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>Perhaps our increased productivity is due to U.S. owned companies outsourcing labor and raising profits. I would like to know how this increase in productivity came about. Does anyone know? Perhaps it is like the unemployment metrics that have changed three times since November of last year. Use a formula that paints the picture you want. Your reality may vary.

I've got an idea where the increase may have come from, Tom... thin air!

Being the MOST productive on the planet - even if only in word and not deed - offers all kinds of benefits to the powers that be:
1) Don't want to lose that status, so better work harder...
2) Don't want to let the country down, so better work harder...
3) On average the country is more productive, BUT we aren't, so better work harder...
4) Productivity is defined as production cost per unit of (sellable) work, so to improve our productivity to keep world leading status we're gonna have to cut your wage and your insurance and your vacation and...

All in all it's one beaut of a ploy because it get everyone working for a common PATRIOTIC GOAL and allows them to feel good when they work longer hours for less pay and get pay cuts and train their off-shore replacements. All for the good of the country!