On Friday, Sept. 20, at 3:30 p.m., we proudly became citizens of the USA! Though we could have pursued citizenship nearly a decade ago, our priority then was ensuring our two children graduated college debt-free. At the time, the citizenship fees — nearly $3,000 — seemed non-essential. Now that our children have grown, flown the nest, and become self-sufficient, we eagerly chose to join this great experiment known as the “United States of America.”  Since the focus of this article is work-related, I wanted to share what I love about America through the lens of commerce.  America is classless. I mean this as a great compliment! Although grateful to have been born in England, I found that as I started to climb the organizational ladder, those further up the rung had all gone to the “right” schools and came from the “right” families. I sensed there was a closed club I could never be part of, especially when they had family members often referred to as “Lords, Ladies, and the Landed Gentry.” It wasn’t so much a “glass ceiling” above me but one of solid oak that I couldn’t even scratch, given my predominantly Irish ragamuffin heritage.  Conversely, from day one upon moving here, I found that my colleagues — and later our clients — were more interested in my character and competence than in my class. They just wanted to know and see that I could get the job done.  America is highly productive. Regardless of how negatively the national media tries to drag us down, this country is highly productive. This country works because it works hard. Did you know, for example, that U.S. workers are, on average, 6.8 times more productive than Chinese workers? This ratio varies across sectors: U.S. workers are 16.0 times more productive in agriculture, 5.1 times more in utilities, and 4.4 times more efficient in public service. Yes, I did say “public service” and “efficient” in the same sentence.   And while most Americans are down on California, it’s actually the fourth most productive state according to the latest information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which analyzes which states added the most value to the economy for every hour worked. New York, Washington and Delaware took gold, silver, and bronze, respectively.  America is incredibly innovative. This is a country that has seen rapid population growth. In just the last 150 years, the United States has grown from 31 million to 331 million people — 10 times growth! In comparison, England, France, Italy, and Germany only increased by a factor of two to three times over the same period. While population growth in the USA was driven by boots on the ground, ready and willing to put their shoulder to the plow, growth in those four European countries was driven by increased survivability rates due to advances in health care. People weren’t flocking here for government welfare programs — they were coming (and still come) for opportunity.  When you have this many people hungry for opportunity, who all need products and services, it’s perhaps unsurprising that the United States has been the world’s largest economy since the late 19th century. This dominance has been bolstered by factors such as industrialization, technological innovation, abundant natural resources, and a large, productive workforce.  America is great because it is good. The workers of America are among the three most generous populations in the world, according to the World Giving Index, which ranks countries based on factors such as donating money and volunteering time. Indonesia and Myanmar top the USA, but I’d suggest their giving is driven by the practice of zakat in Islam (Indonesia) and Buddhism (Myanmar). Americans give because it is right and good to do so. Just as there is no religious test to become the CEO of a corporation here, there is no religious guilt that compels my fellow Americans to tithe their time, talent, or treasure.  We will always remember Sept. 20, 2024. For a people at work, let’s keep putting our shoulder to the proverbial plow. For our neighbors and friends, thank you for welcoming us with open arms. May God continue to bless America as a force for good around an increasingly dark world.     Paul Butler is a Santa Clarita resident and a client partner with Newleaf Training and Development of Valencia (newleaftd.com). For questions or comments, email Butler at [email protected].  The post Paul Butler | The Greatness of America at Work  appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.