The Metric System in the USA

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Should the USA Convert to the Metric System?

  • NO! Absolutely not. Never!

    Votes: 31 39.2%
  • YES! It's idiotic not to!

    Votes: 30 38.0%
  • I don't care. What's the difference

    Votes: 6 7.6%
  • I suppose so, some day

    Votes: 8 10.1%
  • It's HARD. I'd have to think to follow a recipe

    Votes: 4 5.1%

  • Total voters
    79
GB said:
I completely disagree.
Excellent. Why don't we figure out exactly what we disagree about. My preference for inches over centimeters is a reflection of a wider societal and cultural preference with which I grew up and am now comfortable with. It also is the unit of measurement used in recipes shared formally (cookbooks) and informally (how Mom did it). Surely you can't argue that this isn't at least a small part of the "culture" most of us grew up with.
GB said:
Language is a different animal altogether
The difference is a matter of degree not of kind. Language is certainly a much larger part of the culture but unless you disagree with my point above, both are parts.
GB said:
not to mention that there are hundreds and hundreds of different one. Not just two
Do you have any doubt that there are not at least "hundreds and hundreds" of different standards of measurement? I'm not widely travelled so I will rely here on what I assume to be self-evident assumtions. Aborginal Australians, South American Indians, Eskimos, Sub-Saharan Africans, Vikings, Arabs, Persians, Indians, Chinese, etc., etc. all developed standards of measurement. Is it remotely possible that all but two of these systems are dead or exinct. Or is it just much more likely that only the imperial system warrants condemnation.
GB said:
one of which is used by 3 countries and one used by everyone else
I feel like the only one who notices that the metric system IS used in the US. If you buy foodstuffs here look at any bag or can in your pantry. There is also a chronology of our conversion here. GB, your comment also and again overlooks cultures that in addition to their use of the metric system use more traditional measurements in many of their homes and businesses. The Chinese might be one example.
GB said:
Some languages have words or ideas that do not exist in other languages. That is not true with units of measure.
This is just patently untrue. A becquerel is a unit of radiation measurment that obviously has not always existed as a concept in any system.

So GB, my hunch is that all we really disagree on is the the precise meaning of metrication.
 
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mitmondol said:
Well....
I am sorry if my posts did offend anybody.
As I said earlier I was not the least offended. And I apologize if it seemed that I was.
mitmondol said:
I do believe though that the USA should use metric.
As the comperison to language?
Most of the world uses English as the common language.
Even in EU, where (for the most part) German used to be the common language, [highlight]the younger generations learned English instead[/highlight].
Did you really mean instead or in addition.

mitmondol said:
It is more logical to use for many reasons, so people of the world adapted, or should I say "converted" to it.
And yes, I am saying that with the metric system a whole lot of things would be easier .
And I also think that the imperial system was working for a long time, I understand that tradition counts for a lot of things, but I also think [highlight]if something better is available we should let go of the old[/highlight].
Why is it important to you that I "let go of it?" Why isn't it good enough to be fluent with both systems?

mitmondol said:
This is not mean or rude,and it could even be the other way around.
The world could've adopted the imperial system.
But it didn't.
So, without argueing which is better, wouldn't it make more sence for the US to hop on the wagon?
Here is the explicit insistence on either/or. I prefer fluency with both.
mitmondol said:
skilletlicker said:
I can speak metric, I just don't want to.
Care to tell why not?:)
More accurately, I just don't want to be told to.
 
skilletlicker said:
As I said earlier I was not the least offended. And I apologize if it seemed that I was.
Did you really mean instead or in addition.

Why is it important to you that I "let go of it?" Why isn't it good enough to be fluent with both systems?

Here is the explicit insistence on either/or. I prefer fluency with both.
More accurately, I just don't want to be told to.


Yes, it is good to be fluent in both.
You just don't want to be told?
Why not?
Most of the world was told.
Most of the world adapted English because they had to, either being told or realizing to be better off.:)
How many other things were you told you had to accept? And you did. No choice.
I have a feeling you just like to be philosofical about the whole thing.;)
 
mitmondol said:
Yes, it is good to be fluent in both.
You just don't want to be told?
Why not?
Most of the world was told.
Most of the world adapted English because they had to, either being told or realizing to be better off.:)
How many other things were you told you had to accept? And you did. No choice.
I have a feeling you just like to be philosofical about the whole thing.;)
Thanks for making your position clear.
 
Glad to hear that everyone is friends again and what interesting tete a tetes! If I may add one thing to this thread that might be helpful for those of you being posted to a country with a metric system or those of you going to a country with the American system and you're not familiar with either, do invest in a good quality electronic scale that converts kg/lb (which also includes for smaller amounts grams/oz). I have found it INVALUABLE as I have lived in 3 different countries all with metric systems. I acquired mine about 10 years ago and it's made by Salter. I have bought meat in kg and placed it on the scale and it's pretty accurate to what's been marked on the package as well as in pounds, etc. I measure butter on it all the time as butter here is sold by grams and not by sticks. REally makes a difference if you're baking. The good quality ones are not cheap but they are worth every penny, Euro, etc., especially if you cook a lot. Also invest in measuring cups that are both marked in metric and non. Really does help. :)
 
NZ went metric in July 1967, and after that I could do the math! So much easier, tho we still talk the newborn baby's weight in pounds and ounces. We can visualise that! If a date for changeover is set, followed up by plenty of advertising, the kids are well taught, and businesses given time to change systems, then it will work. People quickly get used to the new when they use it daily. Look at how we can all use the internet now, when a few years ago, how many of us had a PC? Heck, my mum has just got her 1st computer at 87, and she's keen to learn new stuff.
 
When I tell my friends that my favorite part of travel is going to a grocery store and buying some cheese, bread, wine, etc, for a picnic, they ask me how I deal with metric conversions. I DON'T. I don't even try. I go find something that is being sold that looks about the right size, then start to get used to it. If you drink at all, you drink metrically (750 ml). I'm not very mathematically minded at all, so I don't attempt conversions at all. You don't need to. It isn't like money where you have no choice (most of us travel on a budget and have to convert in our heads), but when it comes to metric, just go for it. Everyone would be used to it within months, and the next generation will wonder why we were using a system so difficult (it is a lot easier to divide and multiply by ten rather than by 12 or 16 or ....).
 
Skilletlicker, I apologize if I offended you. Thank you for clarifying your post for me. I was worried that you were upset.

I must comment on one small point though. You said something about many measurement systems in other countries. The reason this thread got posted at all was in response to a thread I started. I heard on the news that the ENTIRE WORLD uses metric except for the US, and two other small countries (whose names escape me at the moment). GB's post about the two systems is therefore correct.

And I completely understand not wanting to be forced to do something (like change measurement systems). You should have heard my Dad complain about it when the change happened here. He was very loud about it. BUT, only for a short time. And in fact, it was he who taught me how to convert easily between systems. Smart guy.
 
Alix said:
Skilletlicker, I apologize if I offended you. Thank you for clarifying your post for me. I was worried that you were upset.
There is no apolgy called for and I have not been offended. Thank you for your concern. In an earlier post you said, "I have followed this quite closely to be sure this thread stayed on track. People have strong opinions one way or another." You are wise to follow it as it does have the potential to become derailed.
Alix said:
I must comment on one small point though. You said something about many measurement systems in other countries. The reason this thread got posted at all was in response to a thread I started. I heard on the news that the ENTIRE WORLD uses metric except for the US, and two other small countries (whose names escape me at the moment).

I previousely posted this link to a chronology of legal and regulatory adoption of the metric system in the USA. It seems to me that, ". . .the ENTIRE WORLD uses metric except for the US, . . ." is just flat out wrong. What am I missing?
Alix said:
GB's post about the two systems is therefore correct.
As for GB's assertion that there are "just two" systems of measurement; here are a few more:
Historical systems of measurement

Main article: History of measurement
Prior to the widespread adoption of the metric system many different systems of official measurement had been in use, many of these remain today, at least in part, in traditional or customary use. Many of these were related to some extent or other. Often they were based on the dimensions of the human body. When the world turned to trade between city-states better systems were needed to enable that mercantile activity. Overtime, the evolution continued as transportation continued to shrink the world, and so what was once an artifact of a pocket kingdom matured into something that was at least workable. Despite the growth and adoption of modern systems like SI around the world for business and governance, [highlight]such customary systems are still commonly used in day to day life for everyday ordinary household tasks around the world, most notably, in cooking and cookbooks.[/highlight]
Throughout the history of measurement, many of the units that have been used in Europe and around the Mediterranean are variations on older systems originating in the ancient Near East.

Middle Eastern systems of measurementsSouth Asian systems of measurementEast Asian systems of measurementGreco-Roman systems of measurementMedieval European measurements

Medieval European systems of measurement evolved during the Middle Ages (or European Dark Ages) due to the agriculture-intensive way of life. These systems may also be referred to as feudal measurement systems. The measurements were approximate and variable. The measures can be categorized by ever expanding commercial, political and religious spheres of influence.

Eastern European

In Eastern Europe traditional standards of measure were predominantly of Greek originWestern and Northern European

In Western and Northern Europe traditional standards of measure were predominantly of Roman origin:Other historical systems of measurement
Alix said:
And I completely understand not wanting to be forced to do something (like change measurement systems). You should have heard my Dad complain about it when the change happened here. He was very loud about it. BUT, only for a short time. And in fact, it was he who taught me how to convert easily between systems. Smart guy.
Your Dad sounds like a great guy Alix, and I'm sure that converting completely would be easy. I just can't understand why force would even be considered an option.
 
I do not have time to go through your entire post, but I will speak to one piece. You listed "Hebrew" as one that uses a different until of measurement. While there are still instances of ancient systems that still exist, they are not in common usage as your article says they are (and I bet the same is true for all those other links). I work for an Israeli company and I can tell you that business is done in metric. If you ask an Israeli what unit of measurement they use they will tell you Metric every time.
 
skilletlicker, thanks for the HISTORICAL perspective. However, I don't think it's relevant to the current discussion. I believe we re talking about a country's current "official" system.
 
GB said:
I do not have time to go through your entire post, but I will speak to one piece. You listed "Hebrew" as one that uses a different until of measurement. While there are still instances of ancient systems that still exist, they are not in common usage as your article says they are (and I bet the same is true for all those other links). I work for an Israeli company and I can tell you that business is done in metric. If you ask an Israeli what unit of measurement they use they will tell you Metric every time.
Thanks for taking the time to reply GB. The article claim doesn't claim that all of the systems listed are in common use. Some of them are but I seriously doubt that any are used by multi-national companies. The point was to prove that there are more than "just two" systems.
By the way, I'm a little saddened by the notion that there is not one single guy left in the whole world who still uses old Noah's cubit.
 
skillet, I think Bill Cosby was the last guy to use it - in his routine about Noah.
thanks for the laugh!
and didn't we here in the US used to use something called a gill? I think it's a liquid measure.
 
Like i said, I do not have time to go though the whole post (I am at work after all), but your post did say this
skilletlicker said:
such customary systems are still commonly used in day to day life for everyday ordinary household tasks around the world, most notably, in cooking and cookbooks.

You even bolded it and put it in red.
 
Andy M. said:
skilletlicker, thanks for the HISTORICAL perspective. However, I don't think it's relevant to the current discussion. I believe we re talking about a country's current "official" system.
You're welcome Andy.
The Metric Conversion Act of 1975 "designated the metric system as the preferred system of weights and measures for US trade and commerce, and directed federal agencies to convert to the metric system, to the extent feasible, including the use of metric in construction of federal facilities." That pretty much settled the question of the US "official" system then, didn't it?
 
If God wanted us to use the metric system, there would have only been 10 apostles!
 
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