12004B30 UCN *leap*
Could you possibly explain what you mean by "impartial" in that context. (An answer isn't essential, as the question is largely rhetorical.)
Impartial may be difficult to explain because different ideologies may view impartiality differently.
Perhaps one can say that impartial means that a viewpoint is based on standards or values, for example coherence and practicability.
In a rhetorical context there may however be a variety of standards and values. The conventional use of customary units may also involve values concerning conventional practice, heritage, and tradition.
Personally I do not see that advances in technology necessarily compromise notions of heritage and tradition. I think that advances in technology may be an important part of our heritage and tradition.
There is a familiarity value too. Someone who is more familiar with customary units may regard them as easier for specific purposes, even if they are not familiar with how customary units compare with the use of metric units for other specific purposes involving the processing of a larger number of comparisons.
I think that this is mainly what I mean by impartial. There is another sense of impartial involving how values are presented. There may be concerns about costs related to metrication. Yet what about the costs related to the lost opportunities of not being prepared for metric?
Another sense of impartial involves how values such as coherence and practicability are established. Impartiality calls for standards or values based on a consensus of rational and informed constituents.
If a lot of people are indifferent or unaware of the values of metrication, then I would say that we need to focus on efforts to develop metric training and education.
One can take sides or not take sides of an issue. One can also take an impartial side of an issue. Based on the quality of support for metrication, I choose to be partial to metrication.
-- Ron
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