[USMA:28239] RE: The New American Century

[Chimpsarecute]

From the link I posted:   The Bretton Woods Gold Exchange began to break down, as Europe got on its feet economically and began to become a strong exporter by the mid-1960's. This growing economic strength in Western Europe coincided with soaring U.S. public deficits as Johnson escalated the tragic war in Vietnam. All during the 1960's, France's de Gaulle began to take its dollar export earnings and demand gold from the U.S. Federal Reserve, legal under Bretton Woods at that time. By November 1967 the drain of gold from U.S. and Bank of England vaults had become critical. The weak link in the Bretton Woods Gold Exchange arrangement was Britain, the 'sick man of Europe'. The link broke as Sterling was devalued in 1967. That merely accelerated the pressure on the U.S. dollar, as French and other central banks increased their call for U.S. gold in exchange for their dollar reserves. They calculated with the soaring war deficits from Vietnam, it was only a matter of months before the United States itself would be forced to devalue against gold, so better to get their gold out at a high price. By May 1971 the drain of U.S. Federal Reserve gold had become alarming, and even the Bank of England joined the French in demanding U.S. gold for their dollars. That was the point where rather than risk a collapse of the gold reserves of the United States, the Nixon Administration opted to abandon gold entirely, going to a system of floating currencies in August 1971. The break with gold opened the door to an entirely new phase of the American Century. In this new phase, control over monetary policy was, in effect, privatized, with large international banks such as Citibank, Chase Manhattan or Barclays Bank assuming the role that central banks had in a gold system, but entirely without gold. 'Market forces' now could determine the dollar. And they did with a vengeance. The free floating of the dollar, combined with the 1973 rise in OPEC oil prices by 400% after the Yom Kippur War, created the basis for a second phase of the American Century, the Petrodollar phase.   One can see that the US often does not react with promptness when a crisis occurs.  Like the depleting of gold in the '60s from the US reserves, the US would rather procrastinate and wait until the last minute before taking any action on important issues.  The exception to this may be the invasion of Iraq. Then when they do react it is with a plan that creates more long term problems then it solves. If it ever came down to going metric or go broke, what would the US do?  Would the US really metricate or would it find some way out like they did with the gold crisis?  Somehow I don't think the US really finds metrication an important issue in its global strategic plans.  For metrication to be an important issue the US would have to have a strong domestic manufacturing and export attitude.  The hegemonic/imperialism model of economics the US seems to be interested in does not plan for this.  It plans for the export of the manufacturing and service job base.  In this model metrication is a moot point. By setting up factories and businesses in low cost areas of the world the US government and "business partners" have an imperialistic power control of people and resources world wide.  The dollar is the network medium that holds it all together. The US doesn't care if its factories and companies in divers places use metric or FFU as long as money is being funnelled into their pockets.  This is a system that has worked for the US for the past 30 years and the US will go to great lengths to save it. If at the time of the OPEC crisis in 1973 a different model had been formed to replace the Bretton Woods gold system, the US would have completed its metrication by 1980 or close to it.  The model I am referring to is one where a "basket" of currencies similar to what the EU countries had (ERM) before the euro would become a reserve currency.  There would be no hegemony and each country would produce goods for both domestic use and export.  Greater pricing stability would have been achieved and nations would be encouraged to run surpluses instead of deficits like the US is now running.  As nations outside the basket develop and become stabile then can join the basket, making it stronger.  Eventually a world currency would come into existence.  Such a model benefits more people then one that favours one nation.  In order for the US to export and be in harmony with the other countries in the basket, it would have to be using the same industrial standards and thus metrication would have had to be a reality.    I believe this model was under plan by JFK but was ended upon the coup d'etat that resulted in his death in November 1963.  Kennedy and Khrushchev. I believe, were close to forming a deal that would have Khrushchev renouncing communism in exchange for economic development aid from the US and Russia eventually becoming an capitalistic democracy.  The Johnson administration's return to a hegemonic policy completely ended any chance of a stabile economic model for the world, and any chance the US would ever metricate.  Of course metrication plans were put into place in the 1970s, ten years after Johnson became president, but with the hegemonic policy as the foundation of American politics, the metrication plan was only lip service and doomed to fail.  Despite the present government's hegemonic or more true imperialistic plans for world domination, the world isn't so eager to accept this plan and is working smartly to bring this model to an end.  Hopefully with a soft landing.   In the event the model I just described is put into place, the US will have to be a player and not a dictator.  In any event when this model is in place, only and then only, will the need for the US to metricate become a very important issue.  Until that day comes, don't expect much in the area of metrication other then some minor changes.  Changes that benefit the present model. But I have hope that the present US hegemonic/imperial model is being heavily strained and will not last long.   The short term fall out maybe very messy, but the long term effects will benefit more people in more places, even Americans.   Euric     ----- Original Message ----- From: Phil Chernack To: U.S. Metric Association Sent: Saturday, 2004-01-10 13:28 Subject: [USMA:28223] RE: The New American Century I read the article and found it very insightful.  I then took a look at other articles on the Idaho Observer site and found many other interesting points.  Maybe one way we metrication advocates could strike a chord with people is to point out how the entrenched powers that be (corporations, unions, government) pay lip service to the need of metrication are really content to let things continue because of the perceived threat metrication has to their bottom lines and own selfish interests.  Once again, progress (economic, educational, scientific) for the American people is being held at bay by these very forces that would have us believe that metrication is cumbersome, unnecessary or downright bad for us.  Many years ago, people were told the same things about flouridation of water.   Phil   P.S.  You might find the following article of interest.  http://www.paulgraham.com/sayhtml.  It talks about forbidden ideas, their value and how ideas are perceived over time.  Sure, it may not mention metric specifically but I do belive it has plenty of relevance to how metrication is perceived in the U.S. today.