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When you say alive and kicking, to what extent do you
refer? Are you speaking of people's choice of units or people's knowledge
of units? There is a difference. The choice to use
imperial is highly connected with the "we were a big empire, and the world
follows our lead, not us them" syndrome. Using metric would be for us a
sign of surrender to our former rivals for power in the world. This we
will not tolerate. One person who is a diehard imperialist from the
metricsucks site has repeatedly called metric units "foreign". This
may be the new buzz word to make people feel that metric is not part of "our"
history or culture.
The same is true with the US. Arguments about the
positive aspects of metric fall on deaf ears in the US. Even if Americans
struggle with FFU, it is considered "our" system. Even from time to
time, I hear it referred to as the "American" system and not "English".
And the fact that the US is are alone in using it gives even more reason to
cling to it. Even if imperialists in the UK insist the UK is not metric,
many Americans may feel the UK is metric. Those who have visited the UK
see too many examples of the UK being metric for the UK to claim it is
not. There is more metric in the UK then an American would tolerate in the
US.
It is a "we are the world's # 1 ..fill-in-the-blank...
and everything we do is right". Adopting metric would be seen as
adopting something foreign and giving into foreign ways and ideas.
Thus making it appear that American ways are not so "top of the line".
Even in areas where metric has made inroads, the examples are bare minimum and
really don't affect the lives of the population. Industrial metrication is
so well hidden, that one has to look for it because it doesn't readily stick
out. Before the US can ever consider metrication again, the attitude
of supremeness will have to be vanquished. Until then, it is only a pipe
dream.
Han,
Since you have posted to the metricsucks site before, I
suggest you go there and publish your findings about the British ship
there. Don't mention your belief that imperial is "alive and kicking" in
the UK, as that feeds their ego.
Euric
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