By the same token you need to ask yourself why a group like the BWMA
exists. If the UK is as English as the US, there would be no need for such
a group.
The BWMA has existed for a long time. Long before any metrication of things
happened. It is not trying to "imperialise".
There are (newish) pressure groups in the US and probably in the UK that are
anti-metric. That's something different. I would not entertain such a
group (although I'd draw entertainment from it!)
I took the liberty to view your website after the link was posted here.
Just a little disclaimer here:- It's not my website. I am a member of BWMA
but I have no input to the BWMA website other than on its discussion forums.
I have to say I was somewhat impressed with the calibre of the discussions,
except for a certain Tony Bennett who seems to flood the discussion boards
with non-related topics.
I try not to name names unless its totally unavoidable. All I can say is -
yes sometimes it can drift off topic a bit but there is a 'general' area
where people can raise new posts that are dubiously linked to imperial v
metric. In fact sometimes its hard to see a link at all.
We used to have a (pro-metric) poster (who used to post here too) and his
posts would invariably end up going from some absurd metric claim to
something called "euroisation" and the collapse of the US economy and its
people. He's also claimed that Saddam was going to adopt the euro (probably
the reason for the 'war on terror' in that particular person's fantasy).
One big complaint I have about this site is the polarization of the
discussions. Mr. Hall, you and I seem to be in one corner, and everyone
else is somewhere in the room, but they don't seem to talk to us.
If you check out the conversations I've had with many of the pro-mets and
pro-imps you will see that by and large they are cordial, often humorous,
sometimes heated and sometimes [get this] someone from 'one side' will end
up agreeing with someone from the 'other side', or even disagreeing with his
'own side'.
For a more visable style of conversation I recommend anyone from here to
join those discussion forums too since it is not a playpen for pro-imperials
but a place for all viewpoints. That's not an advert, just a suggestion.
This post though caught my eye as it seems to relate to our discussion.
http://www.network54.com/Forum/thread?forumid=403598&messageid=1117714881&lp=1118593421
Here a Mr. Joe Nichols asks:
do you feel that there any likelihood that imperial will make a come back
in any areas of British life? Or will miles,pints,feet & yards have to be
it and we all be thankful that we haven't lost those
It seems Mr. Nichols has a different perception of what is imperial and
what is not. He seems to be more frustrated at the lack of imperial in his
life.
That's like suggesting that the US has no metric whatsoever and that the
people here are frustrated with that - rather than realise that there's a
lot of metric in the US but you'd like to see more.
Also the posts to BWMA tend to be unedited so to an extent you will get a
lot of 'bait'.
I could come here and say "I hate the way that in the US there is no metric
anywhere" and watch the flood of posts proving that its all over the place.
Do you see what I'm getting at?
Maybe he isn't as good as you at filtering out the metric around him and
only seeing the imperial.
So you think that I turn a blind eye to things that are metric and can only
see imperial?
Well if that's the case then I'm happy to be blissfully blinkered and secure
in the knowledge that there is no organisation called the UKMA because the
UK is not metricated at all and no-one knows about what metric is ;-)
I actually enjoy greatly reading the views of those who make claims about
how things operate in a country they have never been to!
Am I right in saying that you've never been to the UK?
It's actually quite funny because if your ideas about my country were true
then I'd be very very angry and have to make a few things up to further my
one-man cause.
But guess what? I'm smiling!
Here's a tip that's always handy:- Whenever I make a viewpoint regarding a
country that is not my own it will always be a question (if I haven't been
there) or a statement (if I have been there).
For example:- I have been to Barbados many times and I can tell you what is
metric and what is not from practical examples and solid observations.
However I have never been to Jamaica - so any text that I write about
Jamaica can only be a question, or an observation made by someone who has
either been there or actually comes from there. Also - I will never use
google with a search string of "Jamaica#and#imperial" as my 'proof' that
Jamaica is really very imperial. Why? Because the web also tells me that
the Queen ordered the execution of Princess Diana. I hope you see where I
am coming from in regards to my 30-something years of being a (Welsh) Brit
and what I see in my daily life and how it has or has not changed over the
years. So long as I tell the truth then I won't need to remember any lies.
That seems to work for me.
You might be able to teach him how to do it.
See above, although you could post to that site - and tell him all about
what google can do.
The people of today don't know about it because it happened before they
were born.
With that logic then no-one in australia under the age of 30 knows their
height in feet and inches.
In your opinion who comprises the pressure groups and what reason do these
groups see a need to metricate??
I don't understand the meaning of that question? Are you asking for me to
contemplate the minds of people who do not share the same opinion as me?
I'm not a socialist either - so how am I to tell you the reason for
socialism to replace capitalism?
Don't get me wrong here - but are you new to this?
