Howard and all: A stronger Europe means many things like more stability in the world as Europe grows to be a more powerful economical and political partner. Do not judge the people cheering the Euro's performance as traitors or something. They only wish for world peace and stability.
It may not look so evident to some but the world is in dire need of a second pillar which is not a dictatorial power (as it was the Soviet Union). What has this to do with metrication? A lot. As you can see the only most powerful argument for metrication in US is international competitiveness. America is a pragmatic society and just the fact that SI is a coherent system does not mean much to a large majority. Well, if there is no competition for the US economy then there will be no metrication. As always, the big and powerful will never change its way of its own will unless there is some serious competition out there. And, a powerful Euro brings more confidence in the european monetary reform hence in the EU banking system with great implications in EU investments. Once EUs markets will have their own life (at present they simply follow Wall St.), and more international investors start investing there, the EU will become a *serious* competition for North America. This competition will most likely be the only serious stimul to US metrication. Mostly when/if Europe will ban all non 100% metric labelled products. So, in the long term there is a lot of interest that metricationists should have in a stronger Europe. Adrian ----- Original Message ----- From: "Howard Ressel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Tue, 16 Jul 2002 10:58:36 -0400 To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [USMA:21149] Re: 1 Euro = 1 US Dollar today! > That may be all well and true but I don't think the list needs daily updates on the >value of the Euro. > > >>> "James Wentworth" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 07/16/02 09:26AM >>> > From: Howard Ressel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > <I know we go off on tangents once in a while but I fail to understand why > the constant updates on the Euro. What does this economic news have to do > with SI? I don't have time to read and sort though all these postings and > it just wastes more deleting those not having to do with metric. If I wanted > info on the Euro I would subscribe to an appropriate list.> > > The rising value of the Euro symbolizes Europe's ability to resist and turn > back the cultural pressures from the US. Up until now, Europe has tended to > cave in to American pressures (including those involving units of > measurement in trade). The rising Euro is making Europeans realize that the > US isn't the only "375 kilogram gorilla" on the block--they too now have > economic might that they can wield. The Euro's connection to SI is rather > indirect, but the positive psychological effects on the EU of its rise will, > hopefully, help fuel a new EU boldness and an EU resolve to resist American > pressures. -- Jason > > > -- __________________________________________________________ Sign-up for your own FREE Personalized E-mail at Mail.com http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup Save up to $160 by signing up for NetZero Platinum Internet service. http://www.netzero.net/?refcd=N2P0602NEP8
