2002-12-07 My comments on the book have never been directed towards the book or its author. As I stated once before, I have never read the book, nor intend to, and can not make comments on the book or its contents. My comments have been directed towards those who review the book and have gone to great lengths to point out to those who read the reviews that the metre is based on error.
In my opinion, this is a subtle way to discredit SI. Even if somewhere in the review some factual statements are made, they are drowned out by the anti-metric theme. Do these reviewers really believe they will be able to undo 200 years of history and replace SI with FFU? If the US feels that the battle between SI and FFU is a battle the US can win, they are gravely mistaken. Keep fighting the metric enemy and you will eventually destroy it. Despite all of this resistance, the US is losing the battle. It can be seen in the economy. FFU is not selling in the world and the US is forced to import products made in SI. The cost of two competing systems side by side is eroding profits. It is causing costly errors. America is paying a price. But, because of our arrogance and spitefulness, we will allow this to happen until we are either very weak or dead. That is the ultimate price we are willing to pay. John ----- Original Message ----- From: "Han Maenen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, 2002-12-07 06:59 Subject: [USMA:23822] Re: CNN article > I think that I will buy that book through the internet. I do not trust Mr. > Alders intention with the book. Just see the last sentence of this mail. > The two 'pro-metric' statements were not made by Mr. Leopold, but they were > quoted from the author, Mr. Alder. > The emphasis by all those who have commented on this book is just far too > much on the error and is more than enough to stiffen American resistance to > metric. > I wonder what the BWMA has to say about this book. I will have a look on > their websites. > > Last but not least. The following statement, which was the last sentence in > the article show how anti-metric it all is: > "That is why," Alder says, "Delambre and Mechain's meter -- created 'for all > people, for all time' -- was in fact an error for all people, for all time." > > Enough said. I also wonder if Mr. Alder has mentioned the fact that the USA > and the UK were invited to take part in the venture and refused to do so. > Fine ones to criticize Mechain and Dembre for having made an error, indeed. > > Han > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: kilopascal > To: U.S. Metric Association > Sent: Saturday, 2002-12-07 9:07 > Subject: [USMA:23821] Re: CNN article > > > 2002-12-07 > > I wonder how many people would read far enough down the page to see this. > Most Americans already are either anti-metric or maybe afraid of metric, and > any article that has even a hint of negativity will re-enforce their hate or > fear. > > Americans will look for any reason or justification not to metricate. And > articles like this where the positive points are little blurbs here and > there do not help our cause. What we really need are more articles like the > one that appeared in the Wall Street Journal. Americans need to be told > that FFU is killing them and their children. It needs to be driven deep > that FFU is costing American jobs. That in the future only the metric > numerate will get the good paying jobs and the metric innumerate will get > the low-pay, toilet scrubbing jobs. It has to be drummed into their heads > day and night. > > Only a few Americans can see the forest between the trees. They know that > as the world becomes more global, it will be a world measured in SI and > those that don't know SI will pay a big price to be different. Yet, they > insist on resistance. And they will continue to resist until they are > defeated. > > The EU is the hope of our victory and our enemies defeat and destruction. > EU resistance to the status quo or an equal partnership between SI and FFU > is the only hope to destroy FFU. Let these 10 years be FFU's "Battle of the > Bulge", but let 2010 be FFU's Waterloo. > > We can not be deceived by subtle attacks on FFU that appear in articles like > these. We must fight the supporters of FFU until FFU is wiped out. And the > sooner the better. > > John > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Mike Joy > To: U.S. Metric Association > Sent: Thursday, 2002-12-05 18:37 > Subject: [USMA:23820] Re: CNN article > > > Han, > I think you may have over-reacted to this article - it wasn't supposed to be > anti-metric. For instance the sentence:- > " Eventually, he says, Americans will fully adjust. The metric system was > meant to be global, and the meter created by the surveyors has become the > worldwide standard. " > indicates that the SI system will be accepted and the article didn't say > that the small error mattered:- > "The irony of the situation was that his mistake didn't matter. The > scientists who created the meter wanted it to be close to the commonly used > yard (or aune, in France), so Delambre and Mechain's mission was, in many > ways, a fait accompli". > Hope this helps > Regards and Season's Greetings > Mike > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Han Maenen > To: U.S. Metric Association > Sent: Thursday, December 05, 2002 2:51 PM > Subject: [USMA:23805] CNN article > > > The CNN article about the metric system angered me so much that I sent this > message through their feed back page: > > "The article by Todd Leopold about the 'wrong' metric system has angered me. > Another of these American attacks on the metric system. If the metric system > is wrong, I suppose that it should be replaced globally by American units. I > challenge Mr. Leopold to find out about the Mendenhall Order of 1893 and > about an agreement by English speaking non-metric countries in 1959 about > the standardization of their Imperial and US Customary measuring units. He > will find out that the 'wrong' metric system now defines all those splendid > and vastly superior American units." > > > > > > > Han > Historian of Dutch Metrication, Nijmegen, The Netherlands >
