brexit and the metric system

[Harry Guerrilla]

Has absolutely nothing to do with "personal preference". It has to do with "no one is going to tell me what to do" arrogance and childishness. The US constantly goes against the rest of the world based on this attitude.

No, it's "why should we change, we already do fine with it as is."
You have this problem of nearly always assigning malice to things involving the U.S.

Get over it.

 

[DA60]

No, because metric is just simply better and not only that they would have to pay to change things back and write new textbooks. They would have to manufacture two different products, one for use in the UK and for export. The metric system is just better because it itself is standard used to define other standards. Also what about those under 25 who never learned imperial? If the US changed we could just have one standard of measurement for pretty much the entire world.

Yeah, that America stubbornly holds onto Imperial is pretty silly.

Metric is far better and easier to use..not even close.

I guarantee you most Americans do not know how many feet are in a mile (5,280). But learning how many meters are in a kilometer is simple (1,000).

And there are lots of other examples of how ridiculous the Imperial system is compared to the metric.

 

[PeteEU]

No, it's "why should we change, we already do fine with it as is."
You have this problem of nearly always assigning malice to things involving the U.S.

Get over it.

But the problem is that America is not doing fine. Sure have the flawed system at home, but as soon as you are in contact with the rest of the world.. then you damn better know the metric system. And that is what most Americans dont. My late father often had problems with American and English workers who simply did not know the metric system, and this was freaking engineers and such. At one point he actually refused to hire Americans in an American company because they did not have the skill set to work outside the US.

At best the US education system and government should be pushing a dual system.. because if the US wants to be relevant in the world without the use of force, then it needs to work with the rest of the world on common grounds... not trying to force the rest of us to adapt to your outdated ways. Every other country on the planet is metric or dual.. except the US!

 

[PeteEU]

Yeah, that America stubbornly holds onto Imperial is pretty silly.

Metric is far better and easier to use..not even close.

I guarantee you most Americans do not know how many feet are in a mile (5,280). But learning how many meters are in a kilometer is simple (1,000).

And there are lots of other examples of how ridiculous the Imperial system is compared to the metric.

Feet, yards and miles dont even make sense.. but inches is somewhat easier.. 2.5 cm per inch give or take a bit.. not exact but it works as long as you are not make something that requires exact measurements.. like a probe going to Mars.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

But the problem is that America is not doing fine. Sure have the flawed system at home, but as soon as you are in contact with the rest of the world.. then you damn better know the metric system. And that is what most Americans dont. My late father often had problems with American and English workers who simply did not know the metric system, and this was freaking engineers and such. At one point he actually refused to hire Americans in an American company because they did not have the skill set to work outside the US.

At best the US education system and government should be pushing a dual system.. because if the US wants to be relevant in the world without the use of force, then it needs to work with the rest of the world on common grounds... not trying to force the rest of us to adapt to your outdated ways. Every other country on the planet is metric or dual.. except the US!

Again with this "everyone else does, so should you" crap.
No one is being forced to adapt to our ways.

Christ.

 

[Serenity]

Metrication was introduced into Australia well before I was born so that's what I've grown up with. That being said, I'm just as fluent with the imperial system and can easily convert one to the other.

 

[Carjosse]

Again with this "everyone else does, so should you" crap.
No one is being forced to adapt to our ways.

Christ.

Because you are in the extreme minority. 97% of the world uses metric, the US just stubbornly refuses to change.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

Because you are in the extreme minority. 97% of the world uses metric, the US just stubbornly refuses to change.

That's not an argument that makes it more right.
We're comfortable with what we have.

 

[Carjosse]

That's not an argument that makes it more right.
We're comfortable with what we have.

It does, it means that the US is incurring costs to convert and so are countries that trade with the US, if the US just switched to metric those costs would be eliminated for everyone. Having one measurement system world means everyone uses the same standard and makes world trade much easier.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

It does, it means that the US is incurring costs to convert and so are countries that trade with the US, if the US just switched to metric those costs would be eliminated for everyone.

Having a cost is not an automatic reason to switch to something else.
I like small cars, my friends like big trucks.

It would cost them less to drive a small car, but that's their preference.
I don't complain, nor do I complain about the rest of the world using metric.

 

[Carjosse]

Having a cost is not an automatic reason to switch to something else.
I like small cars, my friends like big trucks.

It would cost them less to drive a small car, but that's their preference.
I don't complain, nor do I complain about the rest of the world using metric.

More like you are the only person who owns a truck but everyone else owns a small car and because of that you need special roads to be built but you only pay half the cost.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

More like you are the only person who owns a truck but everyone else owns a small car and because of that you need special roads to be built but you only pay half the cost.

Sure, why not?

 

[fredmertzz]

I bring this up after watching on tv some shops in britain were selling things in british standard and metric instead of just metric after news of the brexit.

Most british people I have met, as well as canadians and australians, over the age of 25 were quite fluent in the imperial standard, even though those countries adopted metric in the 60's and 70's, they learned from their parents, and people did not drop what they learned because law said a new standard came about.


But with the brexit, and the rejection of european trade rules, do you think britain might end up abandoning metric and returning to the imperial standard that most of their older population is familiar with?

It's not about what system is better, it's about what system is more profitable. Britain's primary trading partners are European. In order to maintain their economy and trading privelages, they will have to continue to comply with all of the EU's standards. If we in the US manufacture something and intend to export to an nation in the EU, we must comply with THEIR standards. Britain will be no different.

They hated the regulations of the EU. But leaving the EU won't change any of their products that they intend to successfully export to the EU.

They will therefore not abandon the metric system.

 

[Ikari]

Because you are in the extreme minority. 97% of the world uses metric, the US just stubbornly refuses to change.

It's because we can do fractions, so we have no need for the metric system.