Thanks as usual, Nat. My posted response: Thank you, all, for contributing your comments on U.S. changeover to the metric system. Instead of being so peeved, the fellow from Tasmania should actually be very proud: Australia is the world's best example of a formerly imperial-unit country that changed over so totally and so successfully to metric. I was in Australia last year and found all measurement to be metric, without exception. Metrication works, and works extremely well, once it is accomplished! Changing over to the metric system does NOT mean making a "soft" change from U.S. customary units to metric units for each measurement. Changing over to the metric system means that the metric system then becomes the sole standard of measurement for the Nation, and that the old customary-unit "standards" are eventually discarded. For example, doors and lumber will be made to round, "hard" metric dimensions, and will be applied to construction plans that call for them in those units. It is only when the metric system is used alone, without back-and-forth conversion, that it succeeds. If you use e-mail now, would you want to revert to relying upon first-class mail for communicating with friends around the world? Once we adopt the DECIMAL metric standard, you will wonder why there ever was a fuss over changing over, and you will never want to go back to the old, cumbersome units. The metric system has been the legally preferred system of measurement for trade and commerce in the U.S. since 1988. The time has long since passed for our country to make this change, not for the benefit of the rest of the world, but for ourselves and our future economy and education. And, the decimal metric system is as American as dollars and cents. Paul Trusten, R.Ph. Public Relations Director U.S. Metric Association,Inc. www.metric.org ----- Original Message ----- From: Nat Hager III To: U.S. Metric Association Sent: 30 July, 2008 10:26 Subject: [USMA:41513] It's time for the U.S. to join the rest of the world and go fully metric | CITIZEN-TIMES.com | Asheville Citizen-Times
Metric editorial.. http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880726054 Nat PS With one idiotorial comment following
