2001-04-22 Han, Pass this back to the message board you got the Sean Gabb garbage from. ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, 2001-04-19 17:10 Subject: [ukma] Sean's Gift of the Gabb > On Thu, 19 Apr 2001 14:54:12 +0100, "Phil Durden" wrote: > > I agree totally that people like Sean Gabb should be ignored and not > given the publicity they want. They opinions are so far removed from > the way people think in the real world, that's it's not worth getting > agitated about them. > > It is simply a sad fact that there are people with this state of mind. > > However, a nit-picking article which clutches at straws, such as this > one, requires a nit-picking response. So here are a few thoughts on > what he has said: > > A very well-thought-out piece of writing, clever and contrived, so > that whatever you respond with, like "Oh, he doesn't like progress", > he's already got an answer to it in the next paragraph. A dangerous > type of mind. > > I wonder what has actually got him into this way of thinking in the > first place - upbringing? Did he feel vulnerable at home (fragile > family situation) so looked for past events and traditions as > security? > > Learning about history is very different to wanting to cling onto > every tradition and way of life which belongs to the past - there is > nothing wrong with wanting to know what life was like in times gone > by, but it is unhelpful to pretend that the past still exists. People > who try to live in the past are frightened of the present, they feel > threatened by change, they are insecure. > > If he can see the benefits of the metric system in other countries, > what is he suggesting - that the rest of the world happily use metric, > as long as we stay isolated and use imperial in the UK (sorry, > England). > > He's the type of person who refers to people as he/him whether > describing men or women: today the word "they" as a third person > plural is perfectly acceptable. > > Ancient Rome, with all its history and buildings, is in a country > which has used the metric system for a long time. Do visitors to Rome > feel that something of the culture has been lost, because of the > measurements they now use there? Do visitors to the Egyptian pyramids > feel that there is a lack of cultural history there, because the > Egyptians no longer use cubits? > > If metrication and decimalization are the only things which upset him, > and actually make him cry, then I feel sorry for him. He must live in > his own sheltered little world, in which he knows nothing of the > atrocities that go on in the real world. > > I have always used metric, and yet I have never felt suppressed by the > government because of it. To be able to use metric is in itself, a > freedom, a liberty, rather than having to use imperial as they did > years ago. I regard the fact that road signs are still in imperial as > an infringement on MY liberty - I was taught metric, I wish to use > metric in my professional work and in my everyday life, but when > driving I cannot. I am forced, by law, to use miles, miles per hour, > yards, feet, when I do not want to. I do not have the liberty or > freedom to use km, km/h, metres. > > He 'publishes' his journal on the Internet, because there's no > magazine publisher out there who would want to publish such petty > rubbish. The most he could hope for, in print, is to be a regular > columnist for "This England" (perhaps he already is). > > There are several contradictions in what he wrote: > > 1. Near the beginning he writes "I was taken by surprise when my > teacher explained.there would be no more of these big ugly coins.", > yet later admits "Though I had several years.to prepare myself for the > change, I still hated Decimal day" > > 2. He mentions the oath he swore to the Queen, using the old coins. > And yet, just a few lines further on, he talks about the crude > symbolism of the new coins. It is the same queen's head which is the > main symbol on these decimal coins, is it not? > 3. Controlled media: there's no such thing here. If anything, the > media control what the government does, not the other way around. And > if it was controlled by the government, then we wouldn't see the sort > of lies that we do now, which speak out AGAINST metrication! > 4. He says he cannot deny its utility as a system of measurement, yet > he says that metrication is unnecessary for any valuable purpose. > > Other points: > > I wouldn't have said that civilisation has collapsed. But if it has, > or when it does, it will be nothing to do with metrication or > decimalization. > > He thinks the computer industry is imperial because floppy discs are > described as 3.5inch. Obvious he has never accurately measured one to > find out that it's exactly 90mm. > > The English-speaking world has had a reasonably free economy, he says. > I think many Scots, Welsh and Irish would disagree with that. They > would point out the English customs and laws that were harshly imposed > on them for centuries. > > At no time has there been any spontaneous move towards metrication, he > writes. Only that half the world abandoned their old systems as soon > as they were offered metric - anything to have a decent system, and > anything to shake off English customs which were imposed on > commonwealth countries. > > He mentions that free-market pharmacists continue to dispense cannabis > by the eighth and quarter ounce. By encouraging libertarianism, is he > condoning the use of illegal drugs? He also conveniently leaves out > the fact that hard drugs such as heroin are weighed out in grams. > > Computers and calculators are not always readily available in poorer > countries. Therefore, those who have to use their brains rather than > relying on machines to do their thinking, see the advantage of having > as simple a system as possible. > > He says the metric system is not something that makes life easier for > us. Well that's his own opinion. In my work, I use mm, and cannot > imagine the confusion which would arise if I was making models using > fractions of inches. Besides, normal calculators, are not suited to > adding up in fractions, and adding fractions together in your head is > not at all easy. > > He predicts that metrication will contribute to every single person in > the world becoming identical to the next. In reality, that can never > happen, because proper cultures and customs have roots that no > measuring system can ever have, because it is merely a means of > conveying data from one place to the next. > > If every county had its own impenetrable dialect, it would make > travelling around the UK far less practical, and far less attractive. > Differences of language, skin colour and religion should not, but can, > breed ignorance from one group to another, causing hostility and > therefore tension between groups. This is what causes wars. > > The whole point of unity and harmonisation - which includes > measurements and currency - is about preventing another world war. We > had two world wars in the first half of last century. How many since > then? If another happened, if would be likely to be China against the > USA, we in Europe are now united to such as extent that to war between > ourselves would harm every EU member. We also co-operate in a way that > makes joining forces against another nation, like China, much more > possible than it would have been decades ago. Small countries cannot > stand alone, they must join forces. > > Does Sean Gabb want war and anarchy? > > Regards, > > Phil
