Sorry but 45 hours doesn't cut it. 50+? When Americans are working 6 days a week @ 12 hours a day then you can say that Americans work hard. By the way, that's 72 hours a week. That's working hard.
Face it. Many people only do enough to get by. There is a difference between the rich and everyone else. People who are driven are giving much more than the normal 9-5 workweek. Even when many people are "working" how many are actually goofing off, and doing things that they shouldn't be doing.
This is just my opinion. I am not saying that I'm better than anyone else. I'm not. Let's be real though. Many people who have gotten the financial success that they were able to obtain did so by busting their asses. They are not trust fund babies. 50 hours is nothing when you want to be wealthy. These people work 70, 80 hours. Even 100+ hours is not unheard of.