Han, There's another issue of living in the past: putting "Dr." in front of his name with each newsgroup posting. That's fine on business cards or professional correspondence, but someone who has to parade his title around on Usenet newsgroup postings sounds like someone who's trying to re-live past glory from his late 20's, and hasn't done much since. Nat > 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 > > >
