Having read your post I really wish we had people (who are in favour of the metric system) who echo your sentimentality about how metrication should be handled in my country.
In fact I am (sort of) jealous that 1) Americans naturally take a less oppressive line on this and 2) If a "Steve Thoburn" happened in the US there would be uproar. All us Brits are capable of doing is aggressively "tutting" ! (You can try it if you want - next time you are in the UK find a queue and push in at the front. All you'll get is a series of "tutts". A sort of mentality of "shaming you" into submission! It's quite pathetic.) Unfortunately it's a bit too late to see Steve Thoburn being paraded up any street. True to the term "martyr" he died of a massive heart attack last year (God rest his soul). -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Jim Elwell Sent: 05 January 2005 15:12 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:31823] Re: "UK measures" At 5 01 05, 07:04 AM, Stephen Humphreys wrote: >You raise some very important points there. > >In the UK its quite perculiar in that compulsion and coercion by the >state is now being used to "get people to convert" - and these laws are >not passed directly in the UK parliament, which is dangerous. As I understand it, state coercion in measurement is pretty common in most countries. Perhaps I misunderstand your point. >Many people also complain that they percieve it to be all the work of >the EU, which is not entirely true either. It is certainly true worldwide that people attribute things they don't like to a variety of evil "others," frequently combined with conspiracies and subterfuges. Much easier than trying to figure out what is really going on. >Whichever, it causes resentment. I believe it will backfire and thus >for those Americans who actively want America to be more metric I would >suggest that the route that the UK/EU has devised should be the last >option on their list. Amen to all of that! As I've said before, if forced metrication comes to the USA, it will be fought tooth and claw, in the courts and in the markets, and Steven Thoburn, England's Metric Martyr, will be paraded up and down Main Street, USA, as an example of what happens to peaceful citizens when government forces metrication. Jim Elwell Jim Elwell [EMAIL PROTECTED] 801-466-8770 www.qsicorp.com
