[Scapeghost]

It's appalling, but not surprising, how little of the world cares about taking even ONE day off every week, let alone two, and laughable to suggest mandating three days off.

In the UAE, for example, most people work 12+ hours every day, and barely get just Fridays off. Almost every one I know was working on Christmas, and they'll be working on New Year's. Vacations etc are unthinkable.

They don't feel it's odd or that it's "over"working or that having more free time would be rewarding; this is dominant mentality in the the Middle East and most of Asia and Africa (and I bet in other "poor" regions like parts of South America and Eastern Europe too).

Being idle in these societies is seen as a sin at best and the difference between survival and starvation in practice. Besides, even if people were forced to take 2 days off every week, they wouldn't know what to do with their time anyway (which manifests as the generally low output of creative arts from these parts), or have the disposable income to indulge in anything beyond a stroll at the mall or a meal at McDonald's (though KFC is more common round here I suppose).

Holidays are a first world luxury.

If everyone took them more often in every country, your Samsungs etc would be a lot more expensive.

[kome]

at the same time, in UAE, the weekend is 7 days long for some people. inequality is the key to understand those societies.

[Scapeghost]

Ah yes, the mythical "Locals"

But even among them I'm sure there's plenty bread-and-butter 9-to-5ers, just in slightly posher professions.

[webinvest]

In the USA, “every man is created equal” but outside... beliefs differ

[Scapeghost]

Do you honestly think that most people in the USA believe that?

[webinvest]

I think up through middle or high school while you still live in that bubble, yes. Afterwards, the playing field is likely tilted towards higher earners and higher savers. I haven’t done a survey but afterwards some people just had bad outcomes but were given the same opportunities when they were younger. They would say, do well in school and you’ll get a merit scholarship no matter your race, parents, background, or anything; Just your GPA. In some family households, grades and learning just aren’t important and in others, they are.