What is common to Liberia, Myanmar, and the United States?
Answer: The only three countries that still follow the Imperial System of measure.
Cliff at slashdot pointed out this interesting little nugget. He also suggested that it might be a good idea for the US to switch to the metric system.
I thought it would be a very non-controversially good idea for the US to start getting used to the metric system. Besides the incentive of getting its name off the only list that reads more embarrassing than the Coalition of The Willing, there is also the confusion, sometimes very serious, trying to cope with two systems creates.
But Cliff was on to something, as he filed it under the worthwhile-but-pigs-are-likely-to-fly-first category. In vindication, the little entry generated one thousand three hundred-odd comments, with passionate arguments for and against. Clearly people do get worked up over the metric system.
But, it turns out, people get even further worked up than that. Though the protest against metrication is usually conventional, such as placards or Simpsonesque civil disobedience, some people have actually gone to the trouble to set up websites, of which slashdot points out freedom2measure.org. The reason given on the website is not laziness, or who's-going-to-go-about-changing-all-the-boards-now, or sheer pig-headedness (which are all perfectly good reasons, btw). No, it would threaten the American way of life. I guess if you provide logical reasons you run the risk of being refuted. But what to do of emotions. Dil to Pagal Hai.
In its defense, the website provides other reasons. For one, the metric system is sexist, as it was 'almost wholly created and standardized by male scientists and bureaucrats' (apparently because the lesbian cabal was busy with the imperial system). Also, it quotes the great French Man of Destiny:
The scientists adopted the decimal system on the basis of the metre as unit. Nothing is more contrary to the organization of the mind, memory and imagination. The new system will be a stumbling block and source of difficulties for generations to come. It is just tormenting the people with trivia.
-Napoleon Bonaparte
Seriously, who better to defend the imperial system than the grand imperialist himself?
3 comments:
Wow, certain excuses against the metric system, just sound atrocious, crazy to say the least!
How about measuring the soaring imperialist temperatures in Celsius scale ;).
I would also wish if back home we started measuring people's height and body temperatures in metric scales. Quite often its still feet n'inches and degrees F!
Am sure you must have seen this, but just had to share this :).
http://www.space.com/news/
070108_moon_metric.html
NASA has decided to go metric on the moon.
Hi musical,
"I would also wish if back home we started measuring people's height and body temperatures in metric scales. Quite often its still feet n'inches and degrees F!"
I personally don't have a problem with people using what they like in their private life. But I hate it when people make an emotional issue out of it(way of life under threat, etc), and don't let perfectly reasonable changes take place. Ways of life change all the time.
"Am sure you must have seen this, but just had to share this :)."
Thanks for the link. I had heard about that a while back, but didn't know the details.
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