Jim Elwell wrote:
>
> At 06:35 PM 1/28/2002 -0500, James R. Frysinger wrote:
> >...Suppose NIST were to certify
> >only metric scales on instruments and were to promulgate an announcement
> >that henceforth all non-SI quantities were uncertified and could be
> >anything the user felt like. Then the confidence in non-SI quantities
> >would vanish and their value in industry would, too....Ironically, this is
> >actually a step towards "less government" and that is why I had proposed
> >the above in response to something that was posted by Jim Elwell.
>
> I agree that such a step is "less government," and that it would accelerate
> the move to metric.
>
> However, I also believe it would be unconstitutional, that is, in violation
> of the "fix the standards" clause.
Oh, I definitely agree that the government must "fix the standards"!
Here, of course, "fix" means to "set" or "define", not to "repair"; but
I'm sure we agree on that also. However, the government has fixed the
standards and they are SI. The problem we have in the US is that the
government has fixed two standards: SI and "all the others, as defined
in terms of the SI". I just want to get rid of the American Hodgepodge
units and leave the SI standing alone.
> A Libertarian believes that the proper function of government is to protect
> individuals against force and fraud. De-certifying widely-used units of
> measure would just about guarantee a lot of fraud, in addition to being an
> abrogation of one of the government's duties.
All that would be required here is that the government publically and
noticeably disavow non-SI units as having any legal meaning in commerce,
trade, government, or wooing of potential lovers. That's the current
status of "raisin scoops", "supersize", "jumbo", "cubit", "coffee
scoops", etc. The government turns a blind eye towards those units and
considers them as having no metrological value. Therefore, any
half-savvy consumer deems them likewise.
....
Jim
--
Metric Methods(SM) "Don't be late to metricate!"
James R. Frysinger, CAMS http://www.metricmethods.com/
10 Captiva Row e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Charleston, SC 29407 phone/FAX: 843.225.6789
