NationStates Jolt Archive

Yes: About damn time
No: I like my system and I'll use it till I die

This will be the first (and probably only) thread I ever start. I made sure that noone had made a thread about this before (so far as I can tell)... at least with regards to the metric system and countries that don't use it (as opposed to the couple of threads in regards to the idea of metric time).

My basic question is this: Don't you (countries that don't use metric system) think it's about time that we (I'm from America) fully integrated the metric system into our culture? Aren't you tired of converting everything into "foreign" measurements for all aspects of your life? Isn't the fact that a multi-million dollar Mars lander was ruined due to the two systems conflicting with each other (didn't convert measurements) reason enough?

I know some of you like to be individual and different and have everything "American", and perhaps a rare few are twisted enough to be put off by the metric system simply because it was originally French...

But honestly, with all of our differences from the rest of our world, can't something as simple as a system of measurement be the same? Isn't our overall goal unity, in one form or another, and one of the first and most easily achievable steps at it having a consistent measuring system?

I mean, come on! It's base 10!

That is all... My little rant and dance about how finally ridding ourselves of an archaic measuring system (some conversions of which I don't even know) will help bring about world peace (ya right), or at least make things a whole lot simpler (either in real life situations, or homework problems).

I'm sorry that I didn't address the other countries that are too stubborn (and stupid) to use the metric system, I was primarily addressing my own (America), and honestly I'm not sure to what degree other countries use the English system anymore...

...Which reminds me... I should start a thread about getting rid of pennies...

As much as I commend you for a wonderful argument for the metric system, I must disagree. Especially because I am a big (American) football fan and it would be wierd for me to hear that after Week 3, Bears RB Thomas Jones is 7th in the league and 2nd in the conference w/ 200 rushing meters rather than 219 rushing yards.

Or, do you know how just altering how you say a distance can make it sound further when it is actually equal? Well, saying that the speed limit on Wyoming's major (ie: interstate; come on, you know that's what they mean) highways is 75 miles per hour sounds much more sensible than saying it is ~120 kilometers per hour, even though they are equal.

As great of an argument as you had, Saipea, mine, which is based on examples rather than simple logic, is probably inferior but it's the best I could do.

And that ending about getting rid of pennies, I love the idea. I mean the one about the action itself, not just discussing it.

Im American, I cant figure out the metric system.