I agree with that assessment. The pessimism means DON'T wait for large coordinated programs similar to the 1970's, they simply won't work in today's climate. The optimism means DO rely on slow incremental advancements resulting from global market pressures, which eventually WILL work given enough time.
It also means simple conversions which treat ifp as colloquial "slang" in a metric framework are useful as an interim measure, by allowing a segment of the population to ignore ifp and get on with conversion. Nat > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On > Behalf Of kilopascal > Sent: Sunday, 2002 December 08 9.20 > To: U.S. Metric Association > Subject: [USMA:23841] Re: CNN article > > > 2002-12-08 > > I'm pessimistic when it comes to the US making any efforts to convert. I > feel despite being the only one using FFU, the US will try to its dying > breath to hold onto FFU and to promote it. I feel any progress on the US > side is so little it goes un-noticed, except by us who really try hard to > find it. I find any attempts to further promote SI is met with stiff > resistance to such a point, the progress turns into regression and the > status-quo remains. Thus, there is really no progress at all. > At least as > far as Joe Sixpack is concerned > > I'm optimistic as far as seeing US efforts as getting nowhere. I'm > optimistic that US attempts to find a point of co-existence for FFU on the > world market is met with the same resistance as SI meets in the domestic > market. Even though many 3-rd world countries tolerate FFU, they are not > strong enough to give FFU the boost it needs to be an equal power with SI. > I am optimistic that a strong EU will be the force to limit and > destroy FFU. > FFU's destruction will come from the efforts of world against the US, not > from change within the US. Not being metric is already having its toll on > the US economy. US exports to high value industrial countries would be > greater if the US designed and built its products to meet SI based > international standards. Since they don't, US products don't sell well. > > So, depending in which direction I am looking determines whether I am > optimistic or pessimistic. > > John > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Nat Hager III" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Saturday, 2002-12-07 17:28 > Subject: [USMA:23827] Re: CNN article > > > > Thread #1: > > > > > Despite all of this resistance, the US is losing the battle. It > > > can be seen > > > in the economy. > > > > Thread #2 > > > > > In the long term, progress is non-existent. The drips and drops > evaporate > > > and the status-quo remains. > > > > Posted from 2 different threads. So are you optimistic or pessimistic, > > which is it? > > > > Nat > > > > > >
