Norman, As I said, I think he might be using metrication only as an example of U.S. isolationism. If confronted, he might admit to being pro-metric, yes, but I don't think he is pro-metric for metric's sake. Nevertheless, I thought I should call him on it, and I wrote to him.
I don't recall exactly when I wrote to him, but it was immediately after I first read his remarks on the metric system. Paul Quoting Norman & Nancy Werling <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > Paul, > > I was a little behind in reading my copies of Newsweek. I actually read my > May 19th issue before my Mary 12th issue. The excerpts from Fareed Zakaria's > book "The Post-American world" appeared in the Mary 12th issue. > > In my 2008-05-19 at 0802 hours posting to USMA I took heart with Zakaria's > urging the US to commit itself to the world's system--which I perceived to > include reference to SI, the metric system. > > In your reply on the same date at 1120 hours, were you saying that you had > already written to Zakaria about that very article and his statement and had > not yet received a reply? Personally I would not have expected a reply from > him that promptly to something published in the May 12th issue of Newsweek. > Or were you referring to some other letter to Zakaria to which he had not > replied? > > Do you disagree with my conclusion that Zakaria's statement in the excerpt > was pro-metric? In a few moments I will finally be sending my email to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > See the string of preceding emails below, > Norman Werling > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Paul Trusten > To: U.S. Metric Association > Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 11:20 > Subject: [USMA:40938] Re: Quote from Fareed Zakaria, RE: USMA 40934 > > > Looking at it another way, Mr. Zakaria may simply be using the lack of U.S. > metrication as an illustrative point about the country's perceived > descendancy, without being an ardent supporter of the goal. I hope that > isn't the case. For what it's worth, he has never responded to my letter > thanking him for his apparent support. > > Paul T. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Norman & Nancy Werling > To: U.S. Metric Association > Sent: 19 May, 2008 08:02 > Subject: [USMA:40936] Quote from Fareed Zakaria, RE: USMA 40934 > > > Last night I was obviously incorrect in saying that the May 12, 2008 > issue of Newsweek would still be on newsstands. That was the issue featuring > the excerpts that I emailed last night via USMA 40934. This morning I picked > up my present current issue of Newsweek dated May 19, 2008. My Wednesday > mail usually brings the most recent issue dated the preceding Monday. > > This means that Newsweek's latest issue--May 19, 2008--will probably > appear on the newsstands today and I will undoubtedly receive it in my > Wednesday mail. > > May I suggest that we all email Newsweek at [EMAIL PROTECTED] > encouraging them to print metric terms first when the reporter is writing > about the rest of the world followed by the translated U.S. Customary in > parentheses. Newsweek would thus do > Time Magazine one better since Time presently shows metric measures in > parentheses following all of its measures which are presently stated first in > U.S. Customary. I think it obvious that Fareed Zakaria, who is apparently > among the top echelons of Newsweek obviously realizes the importance to the > U.S. of SI--the metric system. > > Norm Werling --
