--- In [email protected], "authfriend" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "Richard J. Williams" > <willytex@> wrote: > > > > > > Judy also claimed that the U.S. Congress doesn't take > > > > a vacation in the middle of a war. > > > > > > jstein@> wrote: > > > I never made such a claim, as you know. > > > > > So, both the U.S. Congress and the Iraqi Congress do take > > a month's vacation in the middle of a civil war. > > > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/message/145054 > > > > "The Iraqi Parliament was originally scheduled for a > > two month recess. They shortened it to one month, > > the same amount of time our Congress takes off each > > summer to "listen" to their constituents at home." > > The U.S. isn't in the middle of a civil war with a > largely nonfunctional/dysfunctional government. > And U.S. troops don't get to take a month off; they > have to continue to fight and die in the blistering > heat on their extended and repeated deployments, > whether the parliament for which they're trying to > provide breathing room so it can get something done > is around to actually get things done or has taken > off for a month of rest and relaxation out of the > heat.
Lawmakers aren't the government; they're legislators. Is the Iraqi government taking time off? I don't think so, Judy. There's something to be said for the "watercooler" effect; that is, people relaxing and taking a break around the water cooler. It used to be thought that taking breaks was bad for productivity. Now it is accepted that relaxing around the watercooler informally is GOOD for productivity because that is where ideas are informally bounced off your colleagues and co-workers can interchange in a relaxed atmosphere, something necessary for productivity. To think that legislators' jobs are JUST to sit in a stifling and dull parliament is near-sighted and silly.
