What can we learn from Germany? - and more letters to the editors

What can we learn from Germany?

Will somebody tell me how Germany, with slightly more than one-third our population, a highly unionized workforce and taxes almost double ours, can be ahead of us and second only to China in exports?

Are Germans better educated?

Almost half of Americans have at least some college, and 26 percent hold degrees. Only 12 percent of Germans are college graduates.

But Germany has superior vocational education, university admission there is on a merit basis, and tuition is virtually free for students who qualify.

Rather interestingly, Germany has few private schools. Maybe Germans work harder? Wrong again.

The U.S. leads the industrialized world in hours worked per worker. Germans have more vacation time, shorter work weeks and liberal maternity leave policies.

Contrary to our adversarial labor-management philosophy, by law German corporate supervisory boards must include a substantial percentage of workers. This promotes a climate of empathetic unity between labor and management, more "we" than "they." Most workplace conflicts are resolved before they result in work stoppages.

I'm not so naïve to think another country's economic/social systems can be transplanted here intact and be expected to work, but we can certainly learn something from them.

GEORGE B. REED JR., Rossville


City partner vote more complex

To say that God is gay proves that David Cook and a lot of other people do not understand what Christianity is all about.

They think that if Christians are against gays, they do not care about them. God loves everyone, including gays. In his column's words - "You are precious in my eyes and honored and I love you."

However, God hates sin, and the gay lifestyle is a sin. To say you are a gay Christian is impossible, according to the Bible [Leviticus 20:13; Romans 1:26-27.]

The world is changing, but the Bible and its teachings never change. Did you ever think that a lot of the votes against the benefits ordinance were because it also covered heterosexual couples living together?

Evidently a large majority of Chattanoogans who voted were against the ordinance. But the gay issue may not have been the only point of contention.

I get upset when I see a column like yours that wants us to accept the gay lifestyle.

However, God loves all people and hopes everyone would turn to him for the promise of eternal life in heaven.

JIMMY HYMA, Ooltewah

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