From: kilopascal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: U.S. Metric Association <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: November 19, 2001 13:36 Subject: [USMA:16239] Re: How long will it the US to be 100metric?
>2001-11-19 > >As long as America has an arrogant attitude, I think it may be a mistake to attribute slow progress in the U.S. to 'arrogance'. There can be a great deal of inertia, resistance to change, laziness, lack of knowlege etc. which would provide cause for slow progress. After all, in the U.K., there is considerable resistance to move to SI [on highways, for instance]. The overriding reason would seem to be a desire to cling to tradition. Duncan it will always feel it is the >world that must change and see the need to do things the American way and >not the other. And if the world won't change, it will take a major economic >decline in the US and at the same time major economic activity everywhere >else for the US to come to realize without metric it can't do business. > >One of the other problems is the situation with standards. All US standards >are FFU based, where-as ISO/IEC, DIN, etc. are SI based. To abandon FFU >would also mean abandoning America's cherished standards and adopt "foreign" >standards. This will devastate the American ego, which sees America second >to none. To adopt foreign standards will mean that American standards are >inferior and this idea will not be accepted by any "true" American. America >and its standards are inferior to no one. > >If you thought the attacks of 2001-09-11 rallied the American people behind >their flags, just think what will happen if America goes metric to quickly. >The conversion has to be slow and sneaky so that nobody notices it >happening. Another example is the conversion of scales in Britain. Look >how it has caused some people to challenge the directive in court. This is >mild in comparison to what will happen in the US if such a change is >demanded. > >Don't expect 100 % in your lifetime. > >John > > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Wizard of OS" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Monday, 2001-11-19 13:14 >Subject: [USMA:16238] How long will it the US to be 100% metric? > > >> when will America finally realize the need for metric and how long will it >> take to be 100% metric like we in germany? >> >> _________________________________________________________________ >> Downloaden Sie MSN Explorer kostenlos unter >http://explorer.msn.de/intl.asp >> >
