US going metric?

Dave Smith wrote:
While Americans may consider themselves as number one, they are a
minority in the world stage, and for a country with relatively high standards it
reflects poorly on them that they are unable to adapt to a change that everyone
else in the developed world has managed to do quite easily.


You miss the point. The point is that in the US the people,
ultimately, rule, not some faceless bureaucrat in Brussels.

The people like what we currently have.

Doug McDonald

Alan Pollock wrote:

Henry wrote:

In the early '70s, there were some Joint Resolutions which said,
basically, that the US should begin thinking about getting ready to
prepare for the possibility of considering a change to the metric
system. In the mid '70s I worked a job in a place that had international
sales and in light of the supposed atmosphere of metrification that was
spreading across the land I made a remark one day about the firm's units
of measurement. The foreman just about jumped down my throat. 'Why
should WE change?!?' he demanded. 'We're number one! Let the rest of
those countries [sic] change to OUR way!'

And in my firm, as in America generally, that was that.

That about sums it up. When SIM was being pushed the US was supposed to go along
with it, but like many other international issues, they backed out. The fact is
that there were a number of different systems of measurement being used around
the world. While Americans may consider themselves as number one, they are a
minority in the world stage, and for a country with relatively high standards it
reflects poorly on them that they are unable to adapt to a change that everyone
else in the developed world has managed to do quite easily.

Haughty stuff, Dave.

If the US uses metric when in contact with other nations for import/export
purposes, who cares what they use internally? None of anyone's business. And
even were they to use avoirdupois (for instance) in international dealings,
market forces would quickly force the US to use metric anyway.

So where's the beef? Oh right. It reflects poorly and all that.


Look back at what I was responding to:
The foreman just about jumped down my throat. 'Why
should WE change?!?' he demanded. 'We're number one! Let the rest of
those countries [sic] change to OUR way!'

Doug McDonald wrote:

Dave Smith wrote:
While Americans may consider themselves as number one, they are a
minority in the world stage, and for a country with relatively high standards it
reflects poorly on them that they are unable to adapt to a change that everyone
else in the developed world has managed to do quite easily.

You miss the point. The point is that in the US the people,
ultimately, rule, not some faceless bureaucrat in Brussels.

The people like what we currently have.


I don't think that I missed the point at all. The point was his boss's comment that
you are number one and everyone else should do it you way.

"Doug McDonald" wrote in message
...
Dave Smith wrote:
While Americans may consider themselves as number one, they are a
minority in the world stage, and for a country with relatively high
standards it
reflects poorly on them that they are unable to adapt to a change that
everyone
else in the developed world has managed to do quite easily.


You miss the point. The point is that in the US the people,
ultimately, rule, not some faceless bureaucrat in Brussels.

The people like what we currently have.

Doug McDonald


Oh, please!!! Cheap shot. Is that the same "people" who voted Bush into the
White House? All 30% of them?
Check your history book: Europe went metric long before the EEC, now the EU,
came into being. And you're not seriously suggesting that all the
democratically elected governments of EU member states are mere puppets?
Jeeez...

Dave Smith wrote:

Look back at what I was responding to:
The foreman just about jumped down my throat. 'Why
should WE change?!?' he demanded. 'We're number one! Let the rest of
those countries [sic] change to OUR way!'


You made a general point. That your post responded to an anecdote that
bolstered some silly stereotype about Americans doesn't change much. You
added-on to it, and I gave you my take on it. Nex

"Carlos Rodriguez" wrote in message
...
"Doug McDonald" wrote in message
...
Dave Smith wrote:
While Americans may consider themselves as number one, they are a
minority in the world stage, and for a country with relatively high
standards it
reflects poorly on them that they are unable to adapt to a change that
everyone
else in the developed world has managed to do quite easily.

You miss the point. The point is that in the US the people,
ultimately, rule, not some faceless bureaucrat in Brussels.

The people like what we currently have.

Doug McDonald


Oh, please!!! Cheap shot. Is that the same "people" who voted Bush into the
White House? All 30% of them?


People don't vote for the president in the United States, they vote for
electors. Electors vote for the president. As for whether the United States
embraces metric, that's up to the people and in many instances they don't
embrace the metric system. And so far no authority has forced them to do so.
KM
--
(-:alohacyberian:-) At my website there are 3000 live cameras or
visit NASA, play games, read jokes, send greeting cards & connect
to CNN news, NBA, the White House, Academy Awards or learn all
about Hawaii, Israel and mo http://keith.martin.home.att.net/

"Dave Smith" wrote in message
...
Doug McDonald wrote:
Dave Smith wrote:
While Americans may consider themselves as number one, they are a
minority in the world stage, and for a country with relatively high
standards it
reflects poorly on them that they are unable to adapt to a change that
everyone
else in the developed world has managed to do quite easily.

You miss the point. The point is that in the US the people,
ultimately, rule, not some faceless bureaucrat in Brussels.

The people like what we currently have.

I don't think that I missed the point at all. The point was his boss's
comment that
you are number one and everyone else should do it you way.


The boss was only speaking for himself and not espousing any accepted
doctrine. If you are under the impression that all bosses in the United
States would make such a statement, you are mistaken. KM
--
(-:alohacyberian:-) At my website there are 3000 live cameras or
visit NASA, play games, read jokes, send greeting cards & connect
to CNN news, NBA, the White House, Academy Awards or learn all
about Hawaii, Israel and mo http://keith.martin.home.att.net/

alohacyberian wrote:


I don't think that I missed the point at all. The point was his boss's
comment that
you are number one and everyone else should do it you way.


The boss was only speaking for himself and not espousing any accepted
doctrine. If you are under the impression that all bosses in the United
States would make such a statement, you are mistaken. KM

Oh silly me. When I read "we are number one" I had no idea he was using the
royal "we".

Carlos Rodriguez wrote:

"Doug McDonald" wrote in message
...
Dave Smith wrote:

While Americans may consider themselves as number one, they are a
minority in the world stage, and for a country with relatively high
standards it
reflects poorly on them that they are unable to adapt to a change that
everyone else in the developed world has managed to do quite easily.

You miss the point. The point is that in the US the people,

ultimately, rule, not some faceless bureaucrat in Brussels.

The people like what we currently have.

Doug McDonald

Oh, please!!! Cheap shot. Is that the same "people" who voted Bush into the
White House? All 30% of them?
Check your history book: Europe went metric long before the EEC, now the EU,
came into being. And you're not seriously suggesting that all the
democratically elected governments of EU member states are mere puppets?
Jeeez...

I think that you are getting someone exposed to too much right wing UK
politics. They tend to view the EU as the sole driving force for
metrication. FFM

alohacyberian wrote
As for whether the United States embraces metric,
that's up to the people and in many instances they don't
embrace the metric system. And so far no authority has forced them to
do so.

You may be assuming a free market. The Federal budget alone is two
trillion dollars. Government spending distorts the market directly,
and regulations distort it indirectly. There are plenty of examples of
authorities that force particular units on citizens and businesses.