kilopascal at cox dot net, i hope that you find it helpful to remember that metrication has some strong, interdisciplinary support.
rather than trying to ascribe any unremarkable doubts onto a group of petitioners in a process of demonstrating support for metrication in the United States, can you describe what you would consider to be positive reporting about metrication? and if you are claiming that 'the media' has ever even reported on metrication then i think that you should provide some specific examples. as far as i know, there are only a small number of organizations that have prepared a metrication policy. are there any positive or negative examples of metrication policy that you think readers, or policymakers, should consider? all best, Ron On Sat, Oct 1, 2011 at 9:12 AM, Kilopascal <[email protected]> wrote: > ** > Mike, > > Well, I see the count is just shy of 1000. I don't know what that means, > but I guess it is surprising to see that close to 1000 people support some > form of metrication. They may be desperate due to the sickly economy. > > So what happens if you get 5000 votes by 2011-10-23? What happens if you > don't? What number does it have to reach before I becomes important? > > But as I said and until proved differently, I don't trust the media to > report positively on metrication and when push comes to shove they will use > their influence to try to prevent metrication from happening. It would be > nice if we could know if there are any pro-metric reporters and editors who > could have a positive influence on the industry and override those who would > sabotage our efforts. > > Being a pilot, how much influence do you have to possibly bring forth a > motion to complete the metrication of your industry? Do you think enough > pilots and staff, especially from outside the US would support such a move? > Have you tried to organize people to support a change? > > > > [USMA:51177] Re: White House Petition > > Michael Payne > Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:32:39 -0700 > > Last night when I check the total stood at 149, when it went to 150 it became > visible on the White House web site, an hour later when I checked it was past > 250, over a hundred people signed this in the first hour it was visible, now > it's past 400 in less than 12 hours. I think there are a lot of people out > there who support metric! It will be interesting to see where it goes compared > to other petitions. > http://wh.gov/gw1 > > Mike > > On 27/09/2011, at 21:00 , Kilopascal wrote: > > > Mike, > > > > What we need is a national spokesman for the metric system. Someone with > > charisma, intelligence and who is able to articulate well. Someone who can > > get the point across that without the metric system, America has no future. > > > > The problem with the media is they think it doesn't matter if we go metric > > or > > not. Metric doesn't really directly affect them. Whether they say yards or > > metres makes no difference to them. Not only won't they get enthused about > > metric, they will fight it. > > > > What the media can't comprehend is that the survival of their industry > > depends on the rest of us. If we don't have good paying metric industrial > > jobs because they all fled to metric countries, then things like newspapers > > and magazines become luxuries. They are the first to be cut out when money > > gets tight. Even in these bad economic times, the newspaper and magazine > > industries are suffering from reduced readership. If only they could > > connect > > the dots, we might not have worry about the media being an enemy of > > metrication. > > > > I don't watch 60 min so I don't know much about them. But discussing the > > pros and cons sounds like a debate. In my view there is no need for a > > debate. The time for debating was 40 years ago. A debate will only create > > more delays and is nothing more than an excuse to waste time. > > > > I personally think it is too late. The damage is done and can't be > > repaired. > > It is nice to hope that things can be better in the US, but maybe in the > > long term it is better this way. Now others have the opportunities > > Americans > > have lost and gave away. It is the curse of democracy that is preventing us > > from moving forward. > > > > > > I do not say that democracy has been more pernicious on the whole, and in > > the > > long run, than monarchy or aristocracy. Democracy has never been and never > > can be so durable as aristocracy or monarchy; but while it lasts, it is more > > bloody than either. … Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, > > exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not > > commit suicide. It is in vain to say that democracy is less vain, less > > proud, > > less selfish, less ambitious, or less avaricious than aristocracy or > > monarchy. It is not true, in fact, and nowhere appears in history. Those > > passions are the same in all men, under all forms of simple government, and > > when unchecked, produce the same effects of fraud, violence, and cruelty. > > When clear prospects are opened before vanity, pride, avarice, or ambition, > > for their easy gratification, it is hard for the most considerate > > philosophers and the most conscientious moralists to resist the temptation. > > Individuals have conquered themselves. Nations and large bodies of men, > > never. > > John Adams, letter to John Taylor (15 April 1814) > > > > [USMA:51170] Re: White House Petition > > > > Michael Payne > > Tue, 27 Sep 2011 09:34:07 -0700 > > > > We need to get the fact out in the news media that the US loses business > > because it's not metric. A program like 60 minutes would be great if they > > could > > look at some of the pros and cons of being metric as a country. > > > > Mike > > On 26/09/2011, at 21:07 , Kilopascal wrote: > > > > > Mike, > > > > > > I'm afraid that if the news media gets a hold of it they will tear it to > > > shreds like they did in the past. In general the news media does > > > everything > > > it can to mock the metric system and dissuade people from using it. Their > > > own style book opposes it and even deliberately messes up the proper > > > spellings and symbol format. The media is not a friend of SI. > > > > > > A national discussion can also back fire as the forces of ignorance and > > > fear > > > come out from hiding and do everything in their power to oppose any new > > > effort to metricate. I'm convinced and I'm sure many movers and shakers > > > in > > > industry are too, that the American people would rather be destitute and > > > poor > > > than have to speak metric words. > > > > > > The media has lead Americans to believe that the "Arab Spring" was a call > > > to > > > American democracy in the region, but in reality it was meant to remove > > > any > > > and all "pro-western" and pro-Israeli" leaders from power and instill > > > sharia > > > law. The media gets it wrong every time. > > > > > > I'm just happy that the metric system is the standard in all progressive > > > and > > > growing countries. If the American people haven't figured out by now the > > > importance of the metric system in the commerce of the modern world, I > > > doubt > > > they ever will. > > > > > > We can hope for the best, but we also have to be realistic. There are > > > reasons countries like China, Germany, south-east Asia, etc are booming > > > and > > > the US isn't. > > > > > > [USMA:51155] Re: White House Petition > > > Michael Payne > > > Mon, 26 Sep 2011 07:45:03 -0700 > > > > > > My main aim with this petition is to get it out in front of the public, if > > > the > > > news media get hold of it things will really take off, if it generates a > > > national discussion on the value of exports we lose it will help. But we > > > need > > > to get the facts out to the general public and hope the news media picks > > > up > > > on > > > it. > > > > > > I agree the Obama administration will have their hands tied even trying to > > > enforce present law, I can hear the comments "this is a job killer law", > > > when > > > I > > > and probably many of you think the opposite. > > > > > > For this alone, I hope all of you who think it might not work, sign it > > > anyway. > > > One person can make a difference as we saw in Tunisia last year, one > > > person > > > immolating themselves ignited the "Arab Spring", we just need the Spark. > > > > > > Mike Payne > > > > > -- ----------------- Ron Stone ---------------------------- on Twitter (at) photonron --------------------------------------------------------- disclaimers or other restrictions may apply to this message. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
