Jim Elwell wrote:
That means if I want to set up a stand and try to sell my bananas
by the pound, I can do so, and you nor anyone else nor the men in blue can
stop me. I am hurting no one, and I cannot force anyone to purchase them.
That is individual freedom. Mandated metric takes it away (as the guy in
England has found out).
This viewpoint is not entirely true, Jim, to use for your analogy!!
His customers can ask for pounds, he can price his goods (supplementary to metric) in
pounds and ounces!!
If the stallholder possesses dual-purpose scales, (which Steve Thoburn actually did)
although the transaction has to be in metric, there is nothing to stop him pressing a
button and showing the customer the amount in the units requested!!
So, if his customers can ask for pounds and ounces, if he can advertise his prices in
pounds and ounces and his customers receive the exact equivalent, in what realistic
way is his 'freedom' being curtailed??
How far do you take individual freedom?? Would you advocate agree to an opt-out
scheme whereas you can pick and choose what things you want to have your tax dollars
spent upon??
Indeed, who had any sort of vote on the imperial system, a point that has been put to
you several times, but one which you have not answered to my knowledge??
In the 1970's, South Africa introduced mandatory metric legislation (I believe)!! A
country who at that time could hardly be called a bastion of communism, could it??
The hope that we (Britain) will go metric by gentle persuasion has been a fruitless
exercise and has resulted in half-hearted, patchy legislation that has exacerbated the
problem, not solved it!!
I believe only a proper act of Parliament can solve these problems!! After all, we're
not talking about rewriting the magna-carta here, simply replacing one unit of measure
for another, a process that has gone on in this country without complaint for years!!
I say again, the customer gets what they want, they can advertise in imperial if they
wish and can sell in imperial!!
What real freedoms are actually being curtailed??
Regards,
Steve.
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Elwell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 10:30 PM
Subject: [USMA:17775] Re: Fwd: Euro vs. Metricationt)
> At 03:19 PM 1/30/2002 -0600, Adrian Jadic wrote:
> >I think you exaggerate when comparing metrication with killing someone. Or
> >something.
>
> I was, which was why I called my analogy "trite."
>
> >I don't see any way in which it will kill individual freedom. The civilized
> >society is based on a universal acceptance of a set of rules of behavior.
> >W&M is part of it.
>
> I *promised* not to keep this up, but, one more time briefly: individual
> freedom means I can do what I want with my own property (barring fraud or
> force). That means if I want to set up a stand and try to sell my bananas
> by the pound, I can do so, and you nor anyone else nor the men in blue can
> stop me. I am hurting no one, and I cannot force anyone to purchase them.
>
> That is individual freedom. Mandated metric takes it away (as the guy in
> England has found out).
>
> If we all define our own meter, then we open the gates to fraud, which is
> something government *should* work to prevent. Selling by the pound is not
> fraud. Selling a pound (or kilogram) that is a different size than the
> "standard" is.
>
> Jim Elwell
>
