John Keiner ist hoffnungsloser versklavt als derjenige, der irrt�mlich glaubt frei zu sein. There are none more hopelessly enslaved then those who falsely believe they are free! Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) ----- Original Message ----- From: "kilopascal" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, 2001-05-12 14:29 Subject: Re: [USMA:12746] Fw: International System of Units (SI, metric) > 2001-05-12 > > Your letter is ok, but there are some things I would have said differently. > > I would never mention that the US is impeding Canada's conversion nor about > the possibility of the US being able to replace metric units used in Spanish > America with American units. . Your congress people don't care about Canada > nor the world.. They care about their votes. Letting them feel it is > possible for the US to have a powerful effect on what measurement units are > used in other countries will only make your congress people feel there is no > need to change. Why should we change to the way of others, if we have the > power to make them change to our ways? > > You have to drive home the point that our continued use of non-SI frightens > potential customers away. We have a large trade deficit and an economy in > decline. As much as Americans claim to want "English" units, others loathe > them and will only deal with metric. This creates a form of isolation that > hurts the US economy in the long term. > > Point out that 40 % of our economy is already metric. That this in itself > creates problems. It forces many companies to have to carry expensive dual > inventories of parts and tools. Costs that are past on to consumers. > > Recent trips to Canada and Mexico shows that the US has minimal effects on > the use of non-metric in the daily lives of the people. Even though many > products are in US sizes, this fact is transparent to the consumer in Mexico > and Canada as the products show only a metric contents declaration. > > Always point out how much the lack of metric costs US, not how much we cost > the world economy by forcing them to accommodate us. > > I hope it is not too late to rewrite your letter before you send it on. > > > John > > Keiner ist hoffnungsloser versklavt als derjenige, der irrt�mlich glaubt > frei zu sein. > > There are none more hopelessly enslaved then those who falsely believe they > are free! > > Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Norman Werling" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Saturday, 2001-05-12 13:56 > Subject: [USMA:12746] Fw: International System of Units (SI, metric) > > > > Copy for USMA list members. > > > > Norm > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Norman Werling" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: "Representative Cynthia McKinney" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Senator Max > > Cleland" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: 2001May12 13:41 > > Subject: International System of Units (SI, metric) > > > > > > > Dear Senator Max Cleland, Senator Zell Miller and Congresswoman Cynthia > > > McKinney, > > > > > > I will be mailing you each a copy of this email which is being processed > > > through my Outlook Express system. I repeat my dismay that you all > refuse > > > to reply to emails which are not sent to your web sites or which have > not > > > been sent via US mail. Any automatic acknowledgments do not count if > your > > > or your staffs' reply is not addressed to the subject matter. > > > > > > Obviously you can tell that I am an advocate of the United States fully > > > utilizing the International System of Units (SI-metric). The present > > > hodgepodge of archaic units referred to as US Customary or US Standard > > > is_not_the equal or a valid substitute for SI. I prefer to call US > > > Customary WOMBAT (Way Of Measuring Badly in America Today). > > > > > > I repeat myself when I say it is amusing or even laughable that Congress > > > yielded to highway contractors' pressure to revert to "English" units > when > > > the British are changing to SI-metric. The British must do so if they > > want > > > to be part of the European Union. I admit that there is reactionary > > > (conservative) led backlash against SI-metric and even Britain's > > membership > > > in the EU, but the tide is for SI-metric and for the EU and against the > > > reactionary backlash. > > > > > > Remember, SI-metric is not just Europe, it is Japan and all of Asia, it > is > > > all of Africa, it is Latin America, it is the rest of the English > speaking > > > world, it is the entire world outside of the US. > > > > > > India, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Jamaica are all nations > of > > > British heritage who have completed or are nearly complete in converting > > to > > > SI-metric. > > > > > > I feel that it is US government and industrial interests which are > > impeding > > > Canada's completion of their conversion to SI-metric. > > > > > > Certainly all three of you know that the entire world has been replacing > > > their individual archaic measurement units with SI-metric. Not all > > nations > > > used to use the British Imperial units. The U.S. (so-called) Customary > > > differed in volume from the British Imperial. Many other nations > changed > > > from their own non-metric systems which may have been similar to the > > British > > > Imperial but were not the same. > > > > > > Look back in time when everyone in the world used "sun" time before the > > > advent of Standard Time. Do you not see the similarities? > > > > > > Are you not thankful that the US Congress adopted decimal currency in > the > > > late 1700's? Britain did not dump 4 farthings to a pence, 12 pence to a > > > shilling, and 20 shillings to a pound sterling until 1971. The same > kind > > of > > > people in Britain who opposed that action are the kinds who oppose usi ng > > > SI-metric now. > > > > > > You all may think that there is American opposition to switching to > > > SI-metric, but I believe that there is more apathy than opposition among > > > Americans. My 45 year old daughter, when confronted by my Celsius > > > thermometer on my back fence said, "I am ready to change but we (meaning > > > Americans) all need to change at the same time and just have it over > > with." > > > > > > Congress often must take the lead when something is worthwhile and > > > necessary. Look at legislation concerning civil rights, industrial > > safety, > > > and the environment and you must agree that voluntary approaches have > > > serious flaws. If my company wants to do the "right thing", but other > > > companies are not required to do the "right thing", my company is placed > > at > > > a competitive disadvantage. > > > > > > There is an American business organization called TABD, which stands for > > > TransAtlantic Business Dialogue. That group succeeded in pressuring the > > > European Union into a ten-year extension to 2009 before the EU will > > require > > > only SI-metric measures to the exclusion of Imperial or WOMBAT, the > > > so-called US Customary. I do not trust TABD because they promised to > take > > > steps in the next ten years toward bringing the US into compliance with > > SI, > > > but they and their kind promised the same thing in 1979 and 1989. > > > > > > Now we are confronted with the possibility of an expanded western > > hemisphere > > > trading zone. I would be totally dismayed, disappointed, and downright > > > angry if American companies were to overwhelm all of the other nations > of > > > our hemisphere with America's antiquated non-decimal measures to the > > > exclusion of the modern already adopted SI metric measures. I emphasize > > > right here and now that applying decimals to the use of inches, feet, > > yards, > > > miles, ounces, pounds, fluid ounces, pints, quarts, and gallons > is_not_ > > a > > > solution. At some point you must still convert with factors of 12, 3, > > 5280, > > > 16,16, 8, 2, or 4 in order to relate one or the other to the other. > > > > > > With SI-metric, for distance move the decimal point to convert from > > > kilometer to hectometer to decameter to meter to decimeter to centimeter > > to > > > millimeter. For volume, move the decimal point to convert from > kiloliter > > > to hectoliter to dekaliter to liter to deciliter to centiliter to > > > milliliter. For mass (weight), move the decimal point to convert from > > > kilogram to hectogram to decagram to gram to decigram to centigram to > > > milligram. > > > > > > I was age 39 in 1975 when Congress passed the Metric Conversion Act. I > > > decided to give SI-metric a chance and readily found that it is mush > > easier > > > and looked foreword to the US joining the rest of the world. Congress > > took > > > a few steps forward but then has taken many more serious steps back. > > > > > > Also do not forget that the inch, the foot, the yard, and the statute > mile > > > all owe the definition of their very existence to their relationship to > > the > > > meter. Let's just use the meter! > > > > > > I cannot see how it is in the best long term interests of the US to not > > join > > > with the rest of the world in fully using SI. Do you think that > American > > > business should have the power to force other nations, large or small, > to > > be > > > inundated with archaic WOMBAT (Way Of Measuring Badly in America Today) > > > units when their laws all provide for goods measured in the > International > > > System of Units (SI)? We keep saying through government and business > that > > > we will change to SI, but our actions belie our words. > > > > > > Looking forward to your replies via email and/or US mail, > > > > > > Norman V. Werling > > > 1240 Hunters Drive > > > Stone Mountain, GA 30083-2545 > > > 404-292-9328 > > > > > > > > > > > > >
