On Fri, 1 Jun 2001 13:06:37 Jim Elwell wrote: >Marcus writes: >...We will have to agree to disagree. I believe trusting the marketplace is the >ONLY way to make metrication happen with the least pain. And where is the proof of that, Jim??? I could give plenty of proof on the other side though right here in Canada. Every residual of metric that we have in this country that *stuck*, nearly ALL without exception can be attributed to the "mandated" approach! km in highways, our weather, etc. Please, don't kid yourself, my friend! What we cannot >trust is a bunch of politicians and lawyers to understand the workings of a >multi-trillion dollar economy, and all the ramifications of their actions. > And yet, if metric was so successful *around the world* one should thank these very governments that imposed metrication legislation on their peoples. This fact is simply undeniable, Jim, as much as you'd still defend that it is not 'ideal' or in accordance with your libertarian views. >...As to the aviation industry: thanks for proving my point! It is one of the >most tightly regulated industries in the USA, and it's a metrication mess. >So much for letting government run things! > ??? I beg your pardon? There is absolutely no metrication *mandate* in this industry whatsoever! You're probably mistaking *other* types of regulation here with that one, with metrication certainly NOT being one of them!!! Therefore, I'm afraid I didn't 'prove your point' at all, quite the opposite. This is a typical example of the 'almighty' American firepower at work. They dominate the industry to such an extent that they simply steamrolled other markets despite their having been metric! *That* was the point I was raising. And that's why I can never "trust the marketplace" to do the right thing at all! You seem to fail to understand one of the tenets of business dealings: that if you don't need (or see the need to) to spend money on something you simply don't. No major player in this industry ever bothered with evaluating the impact that metric could have on their businesses, if adopted, therefore, why bother? All they knew was, we have 80% of the market share, and that should be enough to force the others to spend the money to convert to our ways. There has never been a question of whether their industry would benefit from the use of SI at all!!! Only now there may be some raising that question, but even so, look at what's happening. Nobody is willing to take the first step! !$%@#% Stupid industry (yes, I'm still ashamed of being an aerospace engineer!... :-S)!... ... >I never said that anti-metricationists would win in court; I've said several >times they will try, and metric mandates will likely be tied up in courts. I >stand by that belief, and think that anyone who says otherwise in this >lawyer-ridden country is naive. > Sure, but at the end of the day, there is no question in my mind that they would lose, and that's what really matters as far as the metrication law standing is concerned! >...And I can tell you, there is no such thing as "straightforward wording." If >you look up any law in an annotated source, you will see the annotations >taking up several times the space of the law itself. Any lawyer worth >his/her salt can make at least a prima facie case that metric mandates would >be unconstitutional. That does not mean they will win, only that there will >be a battle, and it will take time. > I read you. It's sad to see that despite such clear wording there would still be idiots willing to take on such a lost battle... >...Sure this would be nice, but I am afraid you give Americans too much credit >for being sensible. Heck, if we were all sensible, we would be metric by >now. Plan on lawsuits and years of court battles. > 'Course. But why should I (as a metric legislator) care if I know I'd win in the end? ;-) Let the idiots fight and lose their shirts in the process! ...The big deal is that to many people (call us fanatics), the freedom to live >as we choose is a heck of a lot more important than the numbers on the side >of a box of cereal. >... ?? I just hope you really don't see metrication as a question of 'numbers on the side of a box of cereal' (actually, evidently, it is not! ;-) ) Marcus Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/
