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Thanks, Carl
Yes, criticisms can be written in a more 'kind' way
no doubt, but living here in Australia one certainly gets very frustrated when
there seems no apparent interest in changing towards metrication in the
US.
We don't see the quiet changes taking place that
you do, i.e. more US products showing SI units on their labels.
Instead, we see (hear) TV programs such as Power Zone on Discovery Channel which
definitely has to be the most difficult program to watch on ALL channels.
This is produced by Screaming Flea Productions in
Seattle ([EMAIL PROTECTED]), and should
be named 'Screaming TV Viewers Productions'. SI units are never mentioned, and
all the time during their otherwise interesting documentaries, there are
hundreds of facts and figures all in US FFU (which is worse than UK FFU) with
such references as 'millions of pounds' or 'millions of feet' or 'football
fields' etc. UK FFU at least uses larger unit e.g. 'tons'
or 'miles'.
I've certainly never been disrespectful to
Americans or the US, and indeed my father who was in the British Navy in Korea
was awarded the US Bronze Star in 1953, so that's no small feat.
It costs much more (in true value) to join the USMA
from here than you would pay, and it's just my way of supporting this
all-important cause. I hope my comments help, but you don't get anywhere by
being wishy-washy.
Best regards,
Mike
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, January 11, 2003 3:06
AM
Subject: [USMA:24420] RE: the U.S.,
etc.
Mike Joy said:
I suppose I've been guilty of writing some
apparently anti-US statements in
some of my letters to papers and postings
here, but they are only designed
to try and jerk free this crazy John Wayne
mentality that is hurting the US
so much.
Yes, I think I
understand. I haven't had too much of a problem with what
you have
written. However, I'm not sure that "outsiders" are likely to
be
swayed by some of your comments. For example, in your letter to
the Wausau
Daily Herald you said:
"You're supposed to be the 'greatest'
nation on Earth aren't you, so where's
the proof? "
To most people,
who don't see metrication as their all-consuming life
ambition, this
statement wouldn't make a whole lot of sense. They would
say, "Well,
we are the sole surviving superpower. Immigrants are breaking
down
the doors to get in. We are the ones who invented airplanes,
TV's,
microwaves, transistors, integrated circuits, PC's, and nuclear bombs
and
reactors. We have little corruption, an open press, and a
healthy, modern
economy with honest financial markets, a stable currency,
low unemployment
and inflation, and lower taxes than the welfare states of
Europe. I'd say
we're doing pretty darn well."
In other words,
using metrication as a measure of a country's 'greatness' is
leaving out a
lot of other things, most of which have a lot more to do with
a people's
quality of life. Now, I'm sure you already understand all this,
but
if you make statements like the one above, people will call you on it.
Even
your statement, which isn't very offensive, will make people try to
defend
their country rather than think about your position. They won't
be
convinced, and persuasion is the whole point of writing these letters,
I
think.
It looks to me like the basic reasoning in your statement
is "America
doesn't use metric so they aren't as good as they think they
are." I think
my style of reasoning would be more along the lines of
"I have an idea for a
way to make America better. I think it will
work, too. Let's see how we
can get this to happen." Do you see
the difference?
If your goal is to make Americans be more humble and
less snooty, that is
certainly worthwhile, but I'm not sure that your
sentence is worded in a way
that would accomplish that. "Where's the
proof?" is almost a personal
challenge, like "I dare you to prove that your
country is so great." They
will take you up on that challenge, at
least mentally. To get a person to
think like you do, you want show
that you are on the same side or use humor
or something. For example,
even something like, "Get with the program!" is
basically saying, "Hey,
Americans, we have a consensus here. Come join our
club." In my
mind, it is inclusive, not confrontational.
Well, those are my
thoughts. I wouldn't say that the things you have
written are
offensive (not like some people's comments), but they aren't the
way I
would say things.
Carl
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